This week will be one of the most exciting weeks of the year for those interested in green building design and operations. From Wednesday through Friday, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild will take place in Chicago. I will be attending the event for the first time and will be providing coverage in Green Lodging News later in the week. Greenbuild will feature a record 850 exhibitors and 18,000 attendees. What has surprised me most about this event, and it shouldn’t, is the number of hospitality industry vendors that will be exhibiting there. It says a lot about the connection between the lodging industry and the green building movement.
Greenbuild will be followed a day later on Saturday by the fourth annual Hospitality Leadership Forum at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. While not green-intensive, those connected to green building and operations will be well represented. For example, Chris Smith, C.O.O., U.S. Green Building Council, will be on the CEO Leadership panel, and Lyndall De Marco, executive director, International Tourism Partnership, will moderate a “Going Green Initiative” session. It will explore the ways that hotel companies are introducing environmental responsibility into operations, design and construction.
On Sunday through Tuesday, the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) will take place at the same venue in New York—the Javits Center. Green Lodging News put together two panel discussions for the event. The first session, “Green Building: LEED and Beyond,” will be held on Sunday, and the second, “Greening Operations: How to Run a More Profitable Enterprise without Compromising Guest Satisfaction,” will be held on Monday. I will be moderating the panel on green operations.
Greenbuild and the IH/M&RS are perfect opportunities to learn about the latest green materials and technologies—some guaranteed to save you tens of thousands of dollars a year. If you are not planning to attend this year, do so in 2008. The networking opportunities, as well as what can be learned at these events, easily justify the investment.
New Green Product Directory Partners
Green Lodging News welcomes CMMI and Enviro Bath LLC as Green Product Directory partners. As a provider of architecture and interior design services, CMMI focuses exclusively on upscale lodging, conferencing, spa and ancillary facilities. The Atlanta-based company’s portfolio includes Fairmont, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, Kimpton, Marriott, Regent, Ritz-Carlton and Starwood properties. CMMI has completed two LEED gold facilities, and has four green hotel projects underway. Call (770) 676-7608, go to www.cmmi-redlines.com, or e-mail pmccue@cmmi-redlines.com for more information.
Enviro Bath is a company dedicated to being green. Its product line consists of water-conserving sensor faucets, and sinks cast from solid recycled metal. All Enviro Bath products are cast from salvaged brass, aluminum and various other alloys. Enviro Bath offers numerous original finishes and unique designs. Enviro Bath product is made here in the United States and the company welcomes custom projects. Go to Enviro Bath, write to joe@elitebath.net, or call (866)-701-2284 for more information.
New Case Study Added to GLN
Green Lodging News has added its second case study to its new Vendor Case Studies section. The case study focuses on the Best Western Executive Inn and Best Western Loyal Inn, both in Seattle, and how they have successfully implemented Upland, Calif.-based Green Suites International’s EcoRoom® program. EcoRooms® feature more than a dozen different environmental products. They include: compact fluorescent light bulbs; low-flow showerheads and sink faucets; nightlights; digital thermostats; non-toxic cleaning chemicals; Nature’s Mist deodorizer; a linen reuse program; and lotion and liquid soap products dispensed from refillable containers in the shower and at the sink. For the complete story, click here.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
