Home Publisher's Point of View Leading Certifying Bodies Now Represent Thousands of Properties

Leading Certifying Bodies Now Represent Thousands of Properties

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Last week I mentioned that Green Lodging News turns five this month. One of the biggest changes I have seen in green lodging in the past five years is the blossoming of green lodging certification programs—at the international, national, region, state and even city level. Get a few green hoteliers or innkeepers together in a room and you can bet the conversation at some point will gravitate toward certification. Overall, green lodging certification has been a big positive for our industry as it has helped formalize the path toward greater sustainability.

I recently queried representatives of the various national green lodging certification programs that have a significant presence here in the United States to see how well they are doing in terms of numbers of participants. I also gathered some information online, as many of those running certification programs frequently update their lists of certified properties. The information I gathered is as up to date as possible; numbers literally change each day. The numbers I gathered sometimes reflect not just U.S.-based properties but others as well. Still, they provide a pretty good idea about which programs are catching on the most.

Here is the current list of certification programs in order of number of certified or rated participants: Green Key, 2,725; Energy Star, 440; Green Suites Certified Green Hotel Program, 400; Green Globe, 308; Green Seal, 119; Audubon Green Leaf, 119; Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), 91; Green Business Bureau, 35; EcoRooms & EcoSuites, 18; and Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP), 16. A total of 4,271 properties are represented in the above numbers; some properties have certifications from multiple organizations.

All Programs Similar But Unique

Each of the mentioned programs has its own strengths and weaknesses and I will be addressing those in a future article. In certification, as in other areas of lodging, growth is often the result of not only a quality program, but also who you know and the amount of resources put into sales and marketing. Can just one warm body compete with a large team of people?

From both a consumer and business-to-business perspective, one of the success measures I like to check is how a business is faring in the eyes of Google. This is where brand recognition helps, as well as search engine optimization. Google ranks websites from one to 10 with 10 being the strongest. Here is how the website home pages of the certification programs mentioned above currently rank, in order from strongest to weakest: Energy Star, 8; LEED, 8; Green Seal, 7; Green Key, 6; STEP, 6; Green Globe, 5; Audubon Green Leaf, 5; Green Business Bureau, 5; EcoRooms & EcoSuites, 5; and Green Suites Certified Green Hotel Program, 4.

So, as you can see, just because a program leads in sheer numbers does not necessarily mean it has the best brand recognition or online visibility. To be honest, it is not like comparing apples to apples. For example, how can any brand compete with the brand recognition of Energy Star? Not very easily.

When considering a certification program for your property, program size certainly should not be the lone criterion but it is important. Do you want to latch onto a program that is going nowhere fast? Or, one that is going to be recognized as “having legs” for years to come?

I will continue to follow green lodging certification in the months ahead. Be sure to send your thoughts to editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Green Lodging News Adds T2 Site Amenities as Founding Sponsor

Green Lodging News welcomes T2 Site Amenities as a Founding Sponsor. T2 Site Amenities, Highland Park, Ill., offers a wide variety of products. Recycling containers are constructed from a wide range of sustainable woods, steel, and fiberglass. Recycling containers can be customized using granite, slate and other materials. Planters are available in many different styles and sizes; so too are benches. The company also offers towel valets, bicycle racks, umbrellas, bath collections, air purifiers and other items. For more information, e-mail info@t2-sa.com, call (847) 579-9003, or go to www.t2-sa.com.

Who is Your Environmental Champion?

In our Personnel Profile section we frequently profile individuals who lead sustainability efforts at either the corporate or property level. (Click here for examples.) We are always looking for new people to profile. Do you have someone in mind for our Personnel Profile section? Be sure to contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News, at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.   

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.

Advertising Opportunities

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots. Several new slots have opened up on the Green Lodging News website—two skyscraper ad spots on the right hand side of the site, and the Featured Product ad spot in the weekly newsletter and in the lower center area of the home page. Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com if you are interested in these ad spots. There are also many Green Supplier Spotlight dates available, and other spots on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. The 2011 media kit is available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

Green Lodging News Blog, Twitter & Facebook

Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter and Facebook. To follow my Twitter postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Also be sure to “Like” us on Facebook. Green Lodging News now has 874 Twitter and 73 Facebook followers.

As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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