PORTLAND, ORE.—The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), the global community solely dedicated to sustainability in the meetings and events industry, not only through education but also by spearheading research, policy and standards, announced on July 1, 2010, a transition in Board leadership for the organization. Founders Amy Spatrisano and Nancy Wilson are retiring from the Board. The new leadership team is led by Guy Bigwood, group sustainability director of the MCI Group as president of the Board; and Paul Salinger, vice president of Marketing for Oracle as president-elect. Amy Spatrisano and Nancy Wilson, co-founders of both MeetGreen and the Green...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando announced that it has become the first hotel in the city to introduce PURE Allergy Friendly Rooms. The Doubletree location has introduced an entire floor of 24 new PURE rooms which create an allergy-friendly environment and remove up to 98 percent of bacteria and viruses. Travelers who occasionally suffer from allergies and asthma can now enjoy cleaner, fresher air in their rooms and enjoy a more restful sleep during their stay. “The Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando is proud to be the first hotel in Orlando to...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of Meet and Be Green, a new program that encourages guests and planners to make green choices for their meetings. Dedicated Hyatt meeting planners will help source products with 100 percent recycled content where possible, find local suppliers, and maximize efforts to reduce waste to create a meeting experience that exceeds expectations and helps the environment at the same time. For new meetings booked by December 30, 2010, and held by March 31, 2011 at full-service Hyatt hotels and resorts in the United States and Canada, groups participating in the Meet and Be...

LONDON—The home of the only British canal boat in North America, a more than 1,900-property strong Green Hotel Directory, an Earth Guest program by one of the biggest hospitality chains in the world, and an initiative to reduce building on China’s famous Mount Huangshan are showcased on a new website launched by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The Best Practice Gateway, which can be accessed from www.wttc.org, currently features more than 20 case studies from around the world, which together help to illustrate the travel and tourism industry’s leading role in sustainability. “Travel & Tourism can be an...

SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS—Is green going mainstream? Travelocity reports green hotel bookings in the first quarter were 65 percent higher than their non-green counterparts. And now the company has formed a relationship with EC3 Global—a certifier of sustainable travel and tourism organizations—to show consumers sustainable hotels throughout Asia-Pacific. Unlike some travel sites, Travelocity does not accept “self-certified” hotels for its Green Hotel Directory. “It’s important that our eco-friendly leaf icon in the hotel shopping path is a symbol consumers can trust,” says Alison Presley, manager of Travelocity’s Travel for Good program. “There is no way to verify that a self-certified hotel is...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—The Tennessee Hospitality Association announced the statewide availability of “The Tennessee Green Hospitality” certification program. The program has been adopted from “Chattanooga Green Lodging,” already recognized as a national model for sustainable tourism planning, and just announced as a winner of The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award. “We already knew that this program was perfect for us to adopt statewide,” said Bill Mish, president of the Tennessee Hospitality Association. “The announcement of this prestigious award confirms that decision.” The program encourages hotels, bed and breakfasts and other lodging facilities and restaurants to be aware of their impact on the environment...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Building on a commitment to sustainability and conservation initiatives, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced it has introduced sustainable meeting guidelines at every North American property. Starwood’s Sustainable Meeting Practices (SMP) will also roll out globally in 2011. The program revolves around five core components: paperless Meeting Planning, Sustainable Meeting Services, Sustainable Food & Beverage Practices, Impact Assessment Tools, and Socially Conscious Activities. Starwood operates 1,000 properties worldwide, and expects to open another 80 hotels over the next year. “Rolling this program out across North America formalizes environmental practices our hotels have been implementing and we are...

SANTA FE—New Mexico Tourism Department’s Ecotourism Program, in partnership with EcoNewMexico, announces the launching of the first-ever “fast track” pilot projects, targeting the Gila Wilderness and surrounding areas; and the wilderness areas and native lands surrounding Taos. “The pilot-project designation means these two areas will become the focus of our ecotourism initiative,” said Jennifer Hobson, deputy director of the Tourism Department and director of the program. “All our efforts will be dedicated to transforming these two destinations into truly unique and innovative ecotourism destinations. That is not to say that the other communities and areas are any less important, but...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Thanks to organizations such as Clean the World and the Global Soap Project, recycling partially used soap and shampoo has become much easier for lodging establishments. In a little more than a year, Orlando-based Clean the World, which was started by Shawn Seipler and Paul Till, has more than 200 properties in 25 states participating, almost 90,000 guestrooms represented, and 18 employees working. The Atlanta-based Global Soap Project, also launched last year, has 50 properties participating—all in the southeastern United States. The Global Soap Project was founded by Derreck Kayongo, a humanitarian relief expert whose Uganda-based family fled...

KEY WEST, FLA.—The Florida Keys & Key West tourism council has added more elements to its website to communicate accurate information about the relationship of the Transocean/BP oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Keys. On the home page is a link to a special spill section and a prominent connection to webcams, so potential visitors can see the area live. The current home page video features Key West Mayor Craig Cates correcting misperceptions that the Florida Keys & Key West have already been impacted by the oil spill. “Our economy has been effected by this...