As mask mandates disappear across the United States, the spring/summer events season is heating up. The first event can happen anywhere you are: Earth Hour on March 26 at 8:30 p.m. local time. In the past hotels have gotten creative by dimming and turning off non-essential lighting, having candlelight dinners, children’s activities, donation opportunities, coming up with special drinks, and more. This year, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts of the Greater Bay will mark Earth Hour. The Fairmont San Francisco, for example, will switch off façade, signage, and non-essential lighting, as well as dim the lights in public areas, restaurants, and exterior spaces. The hotel will also increase chiller temperatures by 1 or 2 degrees.
On April 12, the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center. Sessions will address topics ranging from human trafficking to low-cost options to improve operational efficiency. Exhibitors on hand will offer products that address topics such as indoor air quality, electric vehicle charging, food waste digesting, and guestroom energy management.
Similar to Earth Hour, Earth Day will take place on April 22. Again, this is an event that you can celebrate on your property or throughout your company. Acknowledging Earth Day, the Wine Country stewards at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa will sponsor and lead a neighborhood clean-up. Additionally, during their regularly scheduled daily wine tasting, they will cameo the biodynamic and certified organic wines of neighboring Benziger Family Winery. Special regionally sourced organic menus and beverage offerings will round out the Earth Day tribute.
Sessions on Sustainability, Wellness, Green Design
From April 26 to 28, HD Expo + Conference will be held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I wrote recently about this event, highlighting the numerous conference sessions that will focus on either sustainability, wellness, or green design. Suppliers of items ranging from hand dryers to tile collections to low-flow faucets will be on hand along with hundreds of other companies touching on some aspect of sustainability.
From May 21 to 24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, the National Restaurant Association Show will be held. (See article.) Sessions will address topics ranging from “Myths and Realities of Plant-based Foods and Meat Alternatives” to “Wellness in Hospitality: Simple Approaches to Improve Employee Wellness on the Floor” to “Kitchen Innovations to Transform Your Business.”
From June 27 to 30 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, HITEC will offer educational and buying opportunities with its conference and trade show. One of the sessions is entitled, “Take the BITE Out of Climate Change: F&B Sustainability Is More Delicious Than You Think.” On the trade show floor, you will find numerous companies to help you save energy and even detect cigarette and marijuana smoke using sensors.
It is great to see the event schedule normalize after too many months of pandemic turmoil. Take advantage of these events to learn and find new products and technologies to help you improve indoor air quality, reduce waste, water, and energy consumption, and improve guest satisfaction at the same time.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers, and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Get in the Green Suppliers Spotlight!
Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes Green Suppliers Spotlight, an e-blast to 22,347 subscribers that features the lodging industry’s leading green products and services. The e-blast features multiple vendors—unlike the current Green Supplier Spotlight that allows one supplier to “own” the Green Lodging News subscriber list for one e-blast. (Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample.)
Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $200 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each week, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
Planning Advertising for 2022?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2022. Many excellent spots are available on our website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2022 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com. A media kit can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
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