WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a few short weeks, approximately 30,000 people from all over the world will descend upon the historic city of Philadelphia for the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, which features three days of extensive educational programming, workshops and showcases of the latest green products and services. Presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and owned and produced by Hanley Wood, Greenbuild, which takes place from November 20 to 22, 2013, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.“Philadelphia is the perfect city for Greenbuild—with its rich history and its...

NASHVILLE—A&M Meetings and Incentives recently announced that The Hermitage Hotel is among the five hotels in the nation it invited to participate in its new sustainable events program.“From growing our own vegetables and raising our own beef to restoring and maintaining our historic building and supporting the Land Trust for Tennessee, sustainability is infused in The Hermitage Hotel,” said Janet Kurtz, director of sales and marketing. “We are deeply committed to preserving what is best about the South and southern hospitality, including the lush environment that makes our region so inviting. We are honored to be among the handful...

NATIONAL REPORT—Conservation efforts in the hospitality industry are on the rise. When you consider the rising levels of energy consumption and the related costs—both to the environment and your bottom line—you begin to see how beneficial implementing your own green initiatives can be. Fact: 97 percent of the Earth’s water is non-potable oceanic saltwater. Of the 3 percent remaining freshwater, close to three-quarters of that is confined to icecaps and the poles, which means that less than 1 percent of the water on this planet is accessible and fit for human consumption. At last count, the hospitality industry alone utilized an...

TORONTO—Tourism Toronto has become the first convention and visitors association outside of the United States to reach a new international sustainability standard. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Certification is awarded to destinations that achieve high standards in environmentally sustainable meetings, trade shows, and conferences. Tourism Toronto has been recognized as achieving Level One certification.“Toronto and our partners in convention centers and hotel industry place a high premium on being leaders in sustainable meetings and events,” said David Whitaker, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto. “In a highly competitive market, achieving a prestigious certification like this can...

ORLANDO—The Green Hospitality Conference & Tradeshow will be held December 17 to 18 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Four organizations have joined together to organize the event: The American Green Lodging and Hospitality Assn. (AGLHA), Florida Caribbean Green Meeting Industry Council, NEWH Green Voice, and the University of Florida TREEO Center. The conference will feature three tracks of educational sessions: Green Meetings, Green Lodging, and Green Interiors. The theme of the conference is “Well-being | Prosperity | Conservation.” The Green Meetings track will include two sessions on the APEX/ASTM Green Meeting Standards & Certification and a case study of...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Hotels for Hope, the Austin, Texas-based hotel brokerage company, announced its partnership with Clean the World, the social enterprise that distributes recycled soap and hygiene products from hospitality partners to children and families in countries suffering from high death rates due to the top two killers of children—acute respiratory infection and diarrheal diseases.Clean the World joins Hotels for Hope’s current list of charitable partner organizations that focus on humanitarian aid. Through the partnership, Clean the World will benefit from Hotels for Hope’s model for giving, which contributes $2 for every roomnight stay to charitable partner organizations that seek...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association has partnered with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star division to collect data on restaurants’ energy and water usage that could lead to eventual Energy Star certification for the industry. The survey runs through November 1, 2013.“We really need to capture this data industry-wide to generate enough information for a potential Energy Star certification,” said Jeff Clark, director for the NRA’s Conserve Sustainability Education Program. “If EPA can develop a certification program, restaurateurs will then be able to hang a sticker or sign on their doors or in their restaurants indicating they are Energy...

UVALDE, TEXAS—Inside a greenhouse on the grounds of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service Center in Uvalde, Dr. Raul Cabrera recently inspected several groups of ornamental plants for signs of damage or distress. “This is the first component of our practical gray-water investigation,” explained Cabrera, who along with colleagues from the Uvalde center and the Texas Center for Applied Technology started research in late 2012 to confirm the potential use of gray water for home landscape irrigation. Gray water, explained Cabrera, is basically the soapy water that remains after tap water has been run through a washing machine or...

NATIONAL REPORT—Retina scans, robot room service and rooms that reconfigure themselves? Here today, coming tomorrow, and no, it’s not science fiction if nanotechnology has its way. In the hotel of the future, technology is king, and what it means to guests—and even to lighting—means everything. While “dream machines” will have to wait, the evolution of the hotel environment is already underway. Mobile Millennials and still-bustling Boomers are driving the demands of 2020, starting with the power to evoke the comforts of home. As personal control and customization becomes commonplace, matching service to a memorable stay will become imperative to appealing...

LAS VEGAS—Radisson Blu announced the rollout of Experience Meetings, a meetings and events program. It will launch across the globe beginning in January 2014. Developed as a means to improve the effectiveness of meetings, the program will place a strong emphasis on innovations in food and beverage, changes to the spatial environment as well as advancements in meeting technology. “We are thrilled to launch this new service for Radisson Blu properties globally,” said Rose Kutzli, Vice President Branding, Radisson Blu. “With Experience Meetings, guests around the globe can rely on a consistent product wherever their meeting needs may take them....