CONCORD, N.H.—Greening a hotel or restaurant takes a great deal more than changing out a few light bulbs and hanging a green logo on the door. Many New England tourism-based businesses have made sustainability a priority for years; others are just getting started as they realize that green is not a fad, but a true trend. On Tuesday, May 25, hospitality professionals gained new insights and inspiration from speakers at the New England Eco-Hospitality Expo held at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, N.H.
The goal of the eco-expo is to bring hospitality professionals together with peers, eco-hospitality experts and companies providing eco-friendly products and services to encourage learning, discussion and leadership. The expo included three tracks of sessions across three break-out times. The day’s sessions covered a broad range of topics from “Getting to Zero Waste” to “Marketing Your Greening Efforts.” Keynote speaker KD Paine presented on Social Media and Dan Ruben, executive director of Boston Green Tourism, led an Eco-Café discussion after lunch. Response to the sessions was strong; attendees commented on the event as “…very educational and inspiring…” and “…truly learned a great deal on many subjects.” Speaker presentations can be viewed under the Eco-Hospitality Expo tab at www.nhlra.com.
The expo was organized by the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association’s (NHLRA) Sustainability Program in partnership with other New England green hospitality programs and travel and tourism partners. More than 140 people participated in the day-long event, which featured local and organic foods prepared by executive chef Trish Taylor, who also leads the conference center’s adjoining hotel, Courtyard by Marriott’s green team in their efforts to continually green hotel and conference operations.
Event organizer, Michelle Veasey, manager of NHLRA’s New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program (NHSLRP) commented, “It’s exciting to see so many people sharing ideas and inspiring positive change. I hope the event helped businesses find new ways to green their operations regardless of where they are in their efforts. Every little bit we each do can add up to dramatic transformations in the long run.”
The event was made possible through the support of the Grappone Conference Center, Public Service of New Hampshire, Waste Management and Sysco. The NHSLRP certifies the sustainability efforts of lodging and dining businesses throughout New Hampshire. Currently the program has more than 80 certified properties. AAA, Travelocity and the New Hampshire Department of Travel and Tourism have partnered with the NHSLRP to define green travel opportunities in the state. New Hampshire hospitality businesses interested in certification should contact Michelle Veasey at mveasey@nhlra.com.
