MCLEAN, VA.—Meeting planners looking to incorporate sustainable practices into their meetings, events, and expositions will learn about the growing green movement at the 12th annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings West Conference and Exposition at the Long Beach Convention Center from June 11-12. Deborah Popely, president, Green Events Source, Jesse Suglia, director of sales, Kimpton Hotels and Janet M. Cooperman, CMP, president, Green PEAS Events, will present planners with ways to “green” their meetings without causing additional stress during a general session on Thursday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m.

ORLANDO, FLA.—Sorting hotel search results by Price, Hotel Name, or Distance from a Landmark are familiar tools to almost any traveler, but RezHub.com is now providing a sort feature with a conscience: Sort by Green Score.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A leader in sustainable hospitality, the Willard InterContinental in Washington D.C. has unveiled its Willard Green Meeting, a multi-optional, eco-conscious meeting structure which incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of a meeting, minimizing negative impacts while raising awareness. Crafted to planner’s specifications, the Willard Green Meeting offers sustainable food, beverages, supplies, amenities and team-building eco-opportunities—all within a luxurious, urban environmentally-friendly hotel setting.

LONDON—VisitBritain aims to encourage a rapid, widespread and significant increase in the adoption of sustainable tourism principles, while avoiding the burden of too much bureaucracy and, as part of a three-month pilot, is waiving the usual £25 cost for the first 500 businesses to register for the program. Participation in Green Start provides tourism managers and operators with a stepping stone towards accreditation by a validated sustainable accreditation scheme.

SAN FRANCISCO—Eager to support the growing numbers of businesses wishing to incorporate “green” principles into their corporate meetings, San Francisco’s Hotel Vitale has announced a new initiative that provides innovative green meeting packages to its corporate clientele. The new packages introduce eco-friendly practices into every aspect of meetings and events and align the hotel with the social responsibility practices already in place at many companies.

NEW YORK—ASTA and Travelport, a business services provider to companies operating in the global travel industry, recently announced at a press event in New York City the launching of the new ASTA Green Member Program. ASTA’s innovative program will teach travel professionals about the importance of environmentally-friendly travel, how to make positive changes in their own companies, select green vendors and suppliers and better sell this form of travel to their clients. Travelport is the first official Global Sponsor of ASTA’s Green Member Program.

LEXINGTON, KY.—The National Tour Assn. (NTA) announced that its annual convention, to be held in Pittsburgh, November 15-19, will be its first green convention and will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first and largest certified green convention center in the world. “NTA is taking steps to lessen the negative impact all of us have on the environment,” said NTA Chairman and CEO Bob Hoelscher, CTP. “As travel professionals we have a special responsibility to preserve the world’s destinations for future generations. NTA is taking action to implement best practices and help our members see how they can truly make a difference.”

Weddings are always good business for hotels, and holding an eco-friendly event is the latest trend. This environmentally-conscious wedding/event “how-to” guide will help “green minded” facilities take advantage of this significant opportunity.

SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Minnesota’s travel and tourism industry is going to be getting much greener in coming months thanks to efforts on two fronts. The first initiative is a day-long seminar scheduled for May 13 at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront hotel. The purpose of the seminar is to help the area’s businesses prepare for the Republican National Convention (RNC) that will be held September 1 to 4 in Saint Paul. The second initiative is the formation of a Minnesota Travel Green Task Force.

NATIONAL REPORT—Driven by increased environmental awareness, Americans are quickly moving to the greener end of the spectrum. Latest findings from Mintel, a leading market research company, reveal that more than one-third of adults (36 percent) claim to “regularly” buy green products. Just 16 months ago, only 12 percent said they “regularly” purchased green products. Furthermore, the number of people who “never” purchase green products has been cut in half over the past 16 months, according to Mintel. In August 2006, one in five Americans (20 percent) claimed to “never” buy green products. Now, only 10 percent of the population makes such claims.