Green Lodging News will turn six years old this month. It has been seven years since I began the work to launch our electronic publication. Thank you very much to the many sponsors who have made it possible for Green Lodging News to publish its website, weekly e-newsletter, and weekly Green Supplier Spotlight. Please continue to support our sponsors and always be sure to tell them you found them here on Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News has grown a lot since July 2006. The website now averages more than 20,000 unique visitors and 120,000 total visits a month, and 450,000 page views a month. Our e-newsletter now reaches 3,466. That number grows daily. Please be sure to tell your colleagues to sign up for the e-newsletter by going to www.greenlodgingnews.com. Our Green Product & Service Directory now has 43 product and service categories.
The Green Lodging News website has become a library of sorts with its approximately 5,000 articles in its database. Thank you to all of those who have contributed content over the years. If you have not yet contributed, keep in mind that there are many opportunities: feature articles, guest columns, videos, press releases, etc.
While we make an effort to cover the hottest green news and trends, if you notice we have missed something, or you have a great article idea to share, contact me at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. I will look forward to hearing from you.
Many Changes in Six Years
Green lodging certainly has changed a lot in the last six years. The hottest emerging trends have been green certification at the property and product level, the creation of standards to help mold the expectations of meeting planners and travelers, and a grand effort to measure our carbon footprint—whether by room night or meeting. Technology in all areas has changed dramatically. Six years ago how many people were talking about LEDs or applications for mobile devices? Renewable energy is now more doable thanks to creative financing, power purchase agreements, incentives, tax credits, etc. The price of solar panels next year is expected to be half of what it was in 2009. An increasing number of companies, and properties, now have green champions—directors of sustainability charged with implementing positive change.
It is now quite easy for designers to specify green materials for almost every part of a project. For developers interested in pursuing LEED certification, there is now much more talent available to guide them. Most chains now have multiple LEED projects under their belts and have eliminated most of the inefficiencies in the LEED building process.
Increasingly, governments at all levels are tightening commercial building standards and requiring energy, water and waste efficiency, as well as higher levels of indoor air quality. Because of the explosion of social media and the access to information about green lodging, it is no longer so easy to greenwash. Every visitor to your property can instantaneously tell the world about your wastefulness. Don’t be surprised in the near future if TripAdvisor makes it even easier for travelers to judge your green efforts—favorably or negatively.
Still Behind But Moving Forward
While most of the major chains understand the financial upside to sustainability—requiring reporting of utility data, etc. for benchmarking and continuous improvement—there are still huge companies, and smaller ones, that just don’t get it. One green certification program CEO recently wrote to me that the U.S. hotel industry is approximately 20 years behind in sustainability efforts when compared to its counterparts in Europe and the Middle East. “It is simply mind-boggling,” he told me. That does not surprise me.
As far behind as we may be, I am still full of much hope and get excited every day about the many entrepreneurs out there who are building green, rewarding local companies with their business, and continuously looking to improve their operations by weeding out inefficiencies in energy and water consumption, and waste production.
Thank you again for all of your support in these last six years!
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 (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for the Second Half of 2012?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2012. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2012 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. A media kit can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Social Networking Sites
Green Lodging News now has 1,182 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 275 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.