NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.—The 2009 Green Travel Summit, “The Business of Responsible Travel,” will be held March 23 to 24 at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, Calif. The summit will focus on exploring green travel strategies and the impact on business travel and meetings. Experts on green travel will share information, best practices and case studies in an interactive conference format. Keynote speakers will include David Refkin, former director of sustainable development, Time, Inc.; Olivia Zaleski, host, “Business of Green,” CNN; and Auden Schendler, executive director, sustainability, Aspen Skiing Company. Also speaking will be Harry Lewis, attorney advisor, U.S. EPA, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Pollution Prevention Division.
Those attending the summit will have an opportunity to:
• Acquire the tools and strategies that will generate real ROI from green travel and meetings;
• Hear green practice overviews and case studies;
Identify the knowledge and commitment needed to take your travel operations green;
• Examine how your industry peers have communicated the rewards and ROI of their green efforts to management and other stakeholders; and
• Meet suppliers who have set green standards and who can assist you in building your green plan.
According to planners of the summit, attendees will hear how their peers have incorporated their green travel and meetings strategies into their company’s overall corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan. Some of the topics to be addressed include: The Effects of Global Climate Change on the Business of Travel; To Offset or Not to Offset—Is it That Simple?; The ROI of Green and the Journey of Getting There; The Greening of Hotels and Venues; Green Meetings Guidelines and Checklist; and Building a Responsible Travel Program.
Additional speakers representing the hospitality industry will include: Guido Bauer, CEO, Green Hotel Certification; Kristin Glass, marketing service manager, The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.; Michelle Heston, regional director of public relations, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; Charlie Kao, CEO, TravelMole; Tamara Kennedy-Hill, executive director, Green Meeting Industry Council; Thomas A. Klein, regional vice president, California, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and general manager, The Fairmont San Francisco; and Ted Martens, director of outreach and development, Sustainable Travel International.
For more information on the 2009 Green Travel Summit, click here.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
