LONDON—To mark Human Rights Day 2014, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) has released its latest Know How Guide on Human Rights and the Hotel Industry. The guide is a high-level introduction to human rights for the hotel industry—what human rights are, what they are in the context of the hotel industry, steps to implement the UN Guiding Principles and resources for further reading. Hotels touch every corner of the globe and employ and offer hospitality to millions of people very year. The hotel industry therefore has an important role to play when it comes to human rights and it...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Koncept Events recently took an inspired cue from their mega client Nutra Blend, and took to the streets of South Florida to extend Nutra Blend’s “Drive to Feed Kids” program to their hotel brand partners in an effort to drive away hunger in South Florida.With seven hotels and more than 116 participants, 215 bagged meals were created and an additional 35 pounds of food was donated to the South Florida chapter of Feeding America. Hotels that participated in this event included the Bonaventure Resort & Spa, W Fort Lauderdale, Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach, The Westin Beach Resort...

RICHMOND, VA.—Winners of the Virginia Green Travel Star and Travel Leader Awards will be recognized at the Second Annual Virginia Green Travel Conference & Awards on December 8 & 9 at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, Va. The Virginia Green Travel Star Awards is the recognition program of the Virginia Green program, Virginia’s voluntary initiative to encourage green practices in the state’s tourism industry. The program is run through a partnership between the Virginia Tourism Corp., the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Hospitality & Travel Assn.  Virginia Green now has more than 1,550 tourism...

PITTSBURGH—Grow Pittsburgh, an urban agriculture nonprofit which teaches people how to grow food and promotes the benefits of gardens in local communities, has updated its Braddock Farms site thanks in part to a $10,000 grant from Fairmont Pittsburgh. The improvements include a custom-built shipping container to be used as a storage facility and office space at the urban farm. Fairmont Pittsburgh secured the grant via the Community Assistance and Responsibility to the Environment (CAREs) program, a charitable initiative of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts which allows hotels to support social, community and environmental projects in their local communities.“We are thrilled...

MCLEAN, VA.—From bushes applauding recyclers and street performers tipping their audience, to a revolving door offering compliments and an unexpected makeover at the DMV, everyday experiences can be made a bit better with an unexpected twist. Home2 Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide’s award-winning mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand, is celebrating this mindset and inviting travelers to think about extended stay travel in a “fresh, new way” with the launch of a new surprise and delight campaign in conjunction with the brand’s 50th hotel opening.The “fresh, new way” campaign, filmed in Atlanta, includes four videos showcasing how challenging the status quo...

CINCINNATI—With colder weather right around the corner, it’s a good time to look at energy consumption in your business and make changes to reduce energy use. The Greater Cincinnati Green Business Council recently announced eight energy-saving strategies for the workplace, including some that can start saving your business money today.“Organizations often overlook simple changes they can make to save money today and into the future,” said Jeremy Chapman, General Manager, Melink. “But the benefits go beyond cost savings to include reducing the environmental impact of your business which can help increase employee engagement and customer loyalty.”The Council’s tips for...

NATIONAL REPORT—Printer cartridges may not fall at the top of your list of green purchasing priorities but if you approach cartridge purchasing wisely you can help reduce the flow of spent cartridges to the landfill and impact the amount of energy, water and materials spent on cartridge production. The key, according to industry experts, is purchasing remanufactured (a.k.a. reengineered) printer cartridges.“In the United States there is no specific information on where printer cartridges end up,” says Mike Ducey, Vice President, Print Division of Guy Brown, a reseller of remanufactured toner and ink cartridges. “My estimate is that half of...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that its subsidiary has initiated a four-year, $1 million partnership with Women for Women International, a global development organization that offers education, training and income generation opportunities for marginalized women in areas impacted by war and conflict. The investment will help support more than 60,000 women in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kosovo—regions in urgent need of support and countries where many Hyatt colleagues around the world were born and raised and still have family members living there.The newly announced partnership is rooted in Hyatt’s...

AMSTERDAM—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed an agreement with Bari Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG to open the first Element hotel in The Netherlands. Located at Gelderlandplein in the vibrant Zuid area of Amsterdam, a cosmopolitan district just south of the city-centre, Element Amsterdam will cater to today’s savvy and environmentally conscious travelers. Offering bright, modern design and green-minded sensibilities, Element Amsterdam will offer both business and leisure travelers a bright, stylish atmosphere.“Following the success of the recently opened Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel, we are proud to expand our relationship with the Bari Gruppe as we introduce...

LAS VEGAS—Employees of MGM Resorts International donated more than 1.6 million pounds of food to Three Square Food Bank this holiday season in one of the largest single-city food drives in the nation.Three Square reported that MGM Resorts employees donated 1,610,461 pounds of food during the company’s fifth annual October food drive. Company employees well-exceeded last year’s donation of 922,161 pounds, setting a new record for the largest amount of food received in a single donation by Three Square. This unprecedented donation will provide 1,342,050 meals to the nearly 137,000 individuals Three Square serves monthly through its approximately 1,300...