Looking Back as Green Lodging News Enters Its 20th Year

My appreciation for the environment all began when I was a child growing up in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland Metroparks were just down the street from where I lived. It was the playground for me and my friends. We spent a lot of time there. It was my mother who first introduced us to the parks.

In 1969, when I was seven years old, the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland caught fire. I could not believe the river had become so toxic. Cleveland’s reputation was bruised for a long time. The Cuyahoga River has since recovered nicely—a great example of what can happen when there is a commitment to change backed by enforcement.

Another clear memory of Cleveland from my youth is the number of days of air pollution alerts—times when it was recommended to stay inside. The air in the city’s industrial valley especially smelled bad. The air was often not safe inside my home either—the result of my father smoking Kool cigarettes—not so “Kool” for me. This later became my inspiration for advocating smoke-free hotel rooms.

In college, as a sophomore, I took a course in mountain climbing and was awed by the beauty of nature. Standing atop 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado will do that to you. After college, I quit my first job and took that mountaineering course again. I was hooked.

A Passion for Environmental Protection

Looking back at my first quarter century of life, it is no surprise that I developed a passion for environmental protection. In 1989, I was hired to be an editor at Hotel & Motel Management magazine (now Hotel Management). It was a year or two later that I began reporting on “green” issues in hospitality. Launching a recycling program was pretty hot news back then.

Fast forward 35 years and Green Lodging News is about to turn 19 years old.

A big thank you to the many who have influenced me along the way—my family especially. To those many suppliers that have supported Green Lodging News with their marketing dollars, I am extremely grateful. To all other green lodging stakeholders—business owners, operators, consultants, public relations personnel, students and so many others—thank you so much.

Heading into year 20, continue to stay engaged with Green Lodging News. Never hesitate to send me your news, opinions, and story ideas. Continue to tell your colleagues to read and subscribe to my publication. And, suppliers, continue to include Green Lodging News in your marketing plans.

Last month the Green Lodging News website welcomed almost 70,000 different visitors and experienced 299,000 page views—proof that the content I present each day remains compelling and unique. With your help, the Green Lodging News website has become quite an archive of green lodging knowledge—now approximately 16,000 articles.

As always, I can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.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 (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Get in our Green Supplier Spotlights!

Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes the Wednesday Green Supplier Spotlight and Thursday Green Suppliers Spotlight. Green Supplier Spotlight features just one vendor and Green Suppliers Spotlight features multiple vendors. Click here for a Green Supplier Spotlight sample and rate sheet. Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample and rate sheet. Both e-blasts that reach 19,584 subscribers have been built to generate quick leads. A report is sent a week after each e-blast that includes the number of e-mails sent, number of opens, and number of click-throughs. Contact Glenn Hasek at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com for more information.

Planning Advertising for 2025?

In addition to the Spotlight ads described above, Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for other advertising spots for 2025. Many excellent spots are available on our website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. The Green Lodging News website just set a traffic record last month with 69,823 different visitors and 299,000 page views. Interested in receiving a 2025 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com. Thank you to all those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation

The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlights currently stands at 19,584. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There are “subscribe” links on the Green Lodging News home page. You may also e-mail greenlodgingnews@gmail.com to be added to our list.

Green Lodging News & Social Media

Green Lodging News now has 1,681 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 more than 1,300 Facebook followers.

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