WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announces USGBC Live 2022, an annual event series designed to help prepare and inspire building industry practitioners and changemakers including USGBC members, LEED users and credential holders to accelerate the transition to green buildings, cities and communities. The 2022 USGBC Live schedule includes two regional experiences leading up to the main event: •    USGBC Live: Boston Forum, Boston, Mass., April •    USGBC Live: Minneapolis Forum, Minneapolis, Minn., May •    The main USGBC Live event will take place in a hybrid (virtual and in-person) format in Washington, D.C., in June. “USGBC Live brings our community together to provide insight...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Scandic Hotels has signed a long-term lease agreement with Skanska for a new 210-room hotel in downtown Sundsvall. The new hotel, which will be attractively located in the city’s harbor area, will be built of wood, giving it a very high environmental standard. The hotel is expected to open during 2024. The hotel will be called Scandic Sundsvall Central. The hotel, which will be ideally located next to Sundsvall’s harbor and railway station, will have 210 rooms and a cozy restaurant and bar area on the ground floor. One floor up, guests will be able to enjoy the hotel’s...

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Getaway, the hospitality company that offers mindful escapes to tiny cabins in nature, hired Carlos Becil as its first-ever Chief Experience Officer last July, following a monumental year of growth and $41.7M Series C funding. As the former CMO of Coach and Equinox, and VP of Brand Management for Starwood, Carlos is bringing a dynamic perspective to Getaway, helping take it from a “tiny cabin” rental company to a global hospitality business. Green Lodging News recently interviewed Becil about Getaway and its growth. The following are our questions and Becil’s answers: What do you consider to be your primary responsibilities? You have...

COMMERCE, CALIF.—Nora Lighting’s 120V Bravo FROST LED Linear fixture now features Selectable CCT, allowing the end-user to change the color temperature from a warm 3000K to a cooler 3500K or 4000K, depending on the venue. With tunable technology, end-users can modify the “lighting landscape,” offering more variety and control in a residential or commercial setting. Nora’s low profile Bravo Frost fixture is less than 1” in depth and is designed for use under cabinets, within shelves and displays, or in architectural coves. Delivering 850 lumens per foot in various lengths from 12” to 32”, Bravo FROST has a sleek white...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, has announced it has entered into a distribution partnership with Adleta Corp. Effective immediately, Adleta will represent the company’s resilient product portfolio in the South Central United States, with a territory that encompasses New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, and enhances the company’s ability to effectively respond to the needs of commercial and residential customers in these key geographies. Commenting on the news, Jeff Fenwick, President of the Tarkett North America Commercial Business said, “This partnership between Tarkett and Adleta further strengthens Tarkett’s distribution footprint in key...

MILL VALLEY, Calif.—Auberge Resorts Collection, a portfolio of award-winning hotels, resorts and residences, recently announced plans for a new coastal escape in South Carolina with The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection. Located along the Charleston coastline in the waterfront community of Kiawah River, the property offers 2,000 acres of picturesque land with 20 miles of riverfront, scenic nature trails and abundant marshlands set amongst native flora and fauna. With the groundbreaking planned for January 2022, The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection, will be a charming, family-friendly getaway that invites guests to take in the simple pleasures of an authentic sea island lifestyle upon its opening...

CHICAGO—Hotel Chicago West Loop, an independent boutique concept inspired by the artistic ethos of its West Loop neighborhood, has become Chicago’s first hotel to bring street art inside to every guestroom. The dual-purpose property that doubles as an alternative gallery launched its highly acclaimed Annex Murals exhibit in 2018 to give guests a fully immersive cultural experience by offering 15 hand-painted rooms by 12 of Chicago’s most celebrated urban artists—prominent names like Asend, JC Rivera, and Eloo. As of today, all 116 rooms at Hotel Chicago West Loop have been decorated with street murals thus offering some of the...

JASPER, IND.—Indiana Furniture announced the promotion of Angie Kleiser to the role of Contracts & Sales Support Manager. With over 25 years of experience in contract administration, order processing, account management, and more, Kleiser has developed and implemented business plans for continuous improvement of internal processes in addition to better servicing and growing national programs. In this newly created position, Kleiser will oversee the management of federal, state, and local contracts, strategic accounts, and support teams, including Design Services, Customs, and Quotes, to ensure ongoing customer satisfaction. Her focus will be to assist in creating corporate sales strategies and building...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced the approval of ANSI/GBI 01-2021: Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Design, New Construction, and Major Renovations by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Following ANSI approval, GBI’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve and publish ANSI-GBI 01-2021, also known as Green Globes for New Construction 2021. “With the completion of this updated Standard, GBI is standing true to its vision and commitment to support sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for all,” says Brenda Steinhauer, Chair of the GBI Standards Committee and quality manager of W.A. Richardson Builders, LLC. The standard references hundreds...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Furniture retailers and manufacturers have responded more than ever to guidance that helps protect forests and contribute to sustainable use of wood and other materials, according to a new report. The 2021 Wood Furniture Scorecard, from the National Wildlife Federation and Sustainable Furnishings Council, assessed 118 furniture retailers on their wood sourcing policies. “We’re witnessing an industrywide shift toward sustainability, which is noticeable not only through the growing number of companies voluntarily getting involved in this process, but also by the increasing scores of the companies that have been scored in previous years,” said Barbara Bramble, Vice President of International Wildlife Conservation and...