An Innovative Way to Conduct a Green Tour of a Facility

It is not uncommon for operators of green lodging establishments to get requests to tour their facilities. Typically it happens to those that have established a green leadership position in their markets. At the 30th annual conference of The International Association of Conference Centers hosted by The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Va., last month, The National Conference Center offered a very unique green tour. Called a QR-Coded Green Tour, it included 12 stops and incorporated two-dimensional barcodes designed to decode content at high speed. Consistent with the property’s environmental initiatives, including using significantly less paper, QR Codes bring data (such as URLs) to Smart Phone users quickly and efficiently.

According to Sarah Vining of The National Conference Center's marketing department, in order to participate in the QR-Coded Green Tour, guests had to download an appropriate QR application for their smart phones, such as the universally compatible ScanLife app. The multi-media green tour included green transportation efforts, green history, eco-friendly restrooms, as well as the business center, sustainable initiatives in the kitchen, and green meetings. Each stop featured a posted QR Code that provided relevant information about the property’s green initiatives. Congratulations to The National Conference Center for using cutting-edge technology to convey its green story.

The Center is one of only nine facilities in Virginia to be certified Silver by the Green Seal Standards for Hotel & Lodging Properties. There are only 95 lodging properties in the United States that are certified Silver according to the Green Seal website. The National Conference Center has also signed the Code of Sustainability established by International Association of Conference Centers, and maintains a Gold Tier rating from IACC.