It is a great idea and worth replicating at your hotel—a Sustainability Fair. The Fairmont Washington, D.C. will hold its eighth annual Sustainability Fair on Friday, August 25 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the hotel’s Colonnade Room.
Diana K. Bulger, Area Director, Public Relations for the 413-room property, has been involved in all eight fairs. At first it was called the Green Fair, she says. Today it is an event that draws from 200 to 300 people. “Every year it gets bigger,” Bulger says. The fair is the idea of the hotel’s sustainability team. “We are always trying to come up with ways to work with others,” Bulger says. The event showcases the eco-efforts of many D.C.-based organizations as well as the hotel’s own green program.
Some of the organizations participating this year include: Compass Coffee, Dog Tag Bakery, Eco-Artware, George Washington University, Grainger, National Geographic Society, and Oak Lane Soapworks. Each organization has a six-foot table and helps get the word out about the event. “We do a press release,” Bulger says. “We do a lot of social media.”
When asked why the hotel puts on such an event, Bulger added, “Fairmont is so dedicated to the environment. It is a wonderful thing to do.” She says it is a great networking opportunity for the participating businesses. “Individuals and businesses like to do business with like-minded businesses,” Bulger says.
The Sustainability Fair is free and open to the public. Guests will be treated to honey tastings from the hotel’s rooftop hives, and each guest will be entered to win some prizes. Many of the participants bring complimentary samples for attendees such as baked goods and energy saving light bulbs.
