With summer winding down it is a good time to take a look at the fall conference season. There will be many events at which sustainability will be a focus. The most significant green-focused event will be the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. This year’s event will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from October 5 to 7. Greenbuild will include a trade show, many educational sessions, building tours and even a Water Summit. Author Sebastian Junger will be the plenary speaker. His recent book is entitled “Tribe.” According to Junger’s website, the book is about why tribal sentiment is such a rare and precious thing in modern society, and how the lack of it has affected us all. One month prior is the Sustainable Meetings Conference. It will be held September 15 to 16 at the Hilton Baltimore. It will be the first opportunity to experience the revamped Green Meeting Industry Council—now a part of the Convention Industry Council.
The Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum, held September 30 to October 2 at El Conquistador in Puerto Rico, will include a track of sessions dedicated to Environment Sustainability.
The Global Wellness Summit will take place October 17 to 19 at KitzKongress, Kitzbühel in Tyrol, Austria. The event will include an Austrian-style Wellness Hotel Sampler following the summit.
A Sustainability Conference will be held November 10 at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature guest presenters from the EPA, Southern Nevada Authority, Republic Services, and other organizations.
For the second year running, HX: The Hotel Experience will be held in November (13 to 15 this year) at the Javits Center in New York City. Also for the second year running, I will be moderating sessions on the show floor. Be sure to make your plans now so that you can attend my two green sessions as well as the many other educational sessions. The first topic I chose for this year’s HX: “Greenwashing or Nothing But the Truth—The Untold Story of the Greening of Amenities.” I have followed the greening of amenities for many years now and have found the topic to be intriguing and more complex than you can imagine. I have put together a panel of experts who will be on hand to answer my questions and those from the audience. The second topic I chose for this year’s HX: “Behind the Numbers—What Two Leading 2016 Surveys Say About Sustainability Trends.” In this session the highlights of two leading industry surveys will be revealed. First, results of the 2016 Lodging Survey will be shared by Lindsay Culbreath, Senior Director, Business Development & Marketing for STR. Conducted every two years, the 2016 Lodging Survey is a production of STR, the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation. The 2016 Lodging Survey touches on topics ranging from energy management sensors to recycling programs to electric vehicle charging stations. Second, Eric Ricaurte, Founder & CEO, Greenview, will share highlights of the first annual Green Lodging Survey, a production of Greenview and Green Lodging News. Also on the panel: Rick Werber, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Sustainability, Design and Construction Department, Host Hotels & Resorts.”
I will look forward to seeing you “on the road” this fall.
