DENVER—The Colorado Hotel and Lodging Assn. (CH&LA) hosted a “Green Practices for the Hotel Industry” workshop for 150 participants last week. It was the second in a series of five workshops aimed at helping businesses in the Denver area and across Colorado create sustainable business practices.
Denver is the host site for this summer’s Democratic National Convention, and the workshops help further the host city’s goal of making the August convention the greenest political event in history. The workshops also help Denver build momentum for its Greenprint Denver program, which works to create innovation and provide leadership around improving the environment.
“I am excited at the variety of hotels attending the workshops,” said Ilene Kamsler, president of the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Assn. “The information gleaned will assure us that all hotel types will be able to deliver a similar level of greening before the Democratic National Convention and after.”
Sixty Hotels Participated
Participants included 60 hotels that will host state delegations during the Democratic National Convention. The workshop offered a one-day training program designed to educate hotel and lodging owners and operators about short- and long-term programs they can implement to reduce their impact on the environment.
National and local greening experts and leaders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, Hotel Monaco Denver, RockResorts/Vail Resorts, The Boulder Outlook Hotel and Suites, Destination Hotels and Florida’s Green Lodging Program discussed real-world case studies and helped participants create a green action plan for their companies to help improve environmental performance and sustainability in the Rocky Mountain region and nationally.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper praised the organizations and individuals who made the workshop happen.
“This gathering is an example of the impressive work that can happen when organizations come together to achieve something great,” he said. “The speed with which this workshop was put together speaks to the eagerness of the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Assn. to champion sustainability among its members.”
EPA Involved in Workshop Sponsorship
Both the EPA and the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado helped sponsor the hotel and lodging association’s workshop and the restaurant association’s workshop last month. Both will be involved in future greening workshops. The workshops are organized by Denver Host Committee staff, led by Greening Director Parry Burnap and Greenprint Denver, the city’s long-term citywide program that promotes the importance of sustainable development and ecologically-friendly practices throughout Denver.
“The Democratic National Convention will be the catalyst for a more sustainable future in Colorado,” said Aaron Nelson of the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. “Businesses that participated in today’s workshop are breaking ground for a smarter, more cost-efficient and greener business environment for the state.”
The next workshop will focus on event planners throughout Denver and Colorado. A date has not been set for that workshop. The 2008 Democratic National Convention will take place August 25-28 at Denver’s Pepsi Center, and is expected to bring 35,000 visitors to the Mile High City, including 15,000 members of the national and international media. In addition to showcasing Denver and the New West to audiences around the globe, estimates indicate Denver will realize $160 million to $200 million in economic benefits.
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