YARDLEY, PA.—Lodging Media, the publisher of Lodging Magazine, will host the Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference & Expo to educate hotel owners, senior executives, general managers and facility managers on ways to make their hotel operations more sustainable on October 1 to 3, 2013 at the Omni Dallas. A discounted rate of $395 is available for conference attendees who register before August 30, 2013.The conference will host more than 60 distinguished panelists and speakers, including hoteliers, business leaders, consultants, investors, and policymakers. The opening keynote speaker for the event is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as senior attorney...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Global nonprofit Sustainable Travel International recently announced the launch of its Sustainable Destination Leadership Network (SDLN). The SDLN is the world’s first collaboration of its kind for decision makers from tourism authorities. The network brings together forward-thinking tourism destinations committed to meaningful exchange that advances good tourism, which preserves sense of place and ensures long-term prosperity.“Innovation Norway is proud to support the Sustainable Destination Leadership Network,” said Innovation Norway’s Ingunn Sørnes. “It is a perfect opportunity for destinations to advance the sustainability dialogue, to collaborate with peers on the international stage, and to make a difference. Innovation Norway...

COEUR D’ ALENE, IDAHO—The 118-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, opened on August 5. The SpringHill Suites Coeur d’Alene will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned and managed by CDB Hospitality, LLC of Spokane, Wash. Located two miles from downtown, 35 miles from Spokane International Airport and five minutes from Lake Coeur d’Alene, the hotel offers guests convenient access to Centennial Trail, the Spokane River, and Silverwood Theme Park. The SpringHill Suites Coeur d’Alene has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its contributions in making the environment a healthier place by...

CHICAGO—More restaurants are exploring LED lights, which use less energy than incandescent bulbs and often qualify for rebates or other incentives. Energy Star, an Environmental Protection Agency program that promotes energy efficiency, estimates LEDs use at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights.Consider these points when exploring LED lighting:•    Be prepared for an upfront investment. While LEDs cost more initially, they last 35 to 50 times longer than incandescent lighting and about two to five times longer than fluorescent lighting, according to Energy Star. Restaurants typically start to see a return on their investment in four to 16...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new study published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, takes a deeper look at the implementation of smoke-free laws in casinos and its impact on reported medical emergencies. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco compared the number of medical emergencies before and after casinos implemented smoke-free regulations that were meant to protect people from the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke. They found a significant decrease in medical emergencies once those laws were implemented.Today, only 19 states and Puerto Rico have laws making all state-regulated gambling smoke free. Since many casinos are still...

LONDON—The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) has produced a guide to help hoteliers understand human trafficking and forced labor—what it is, how it may affect them and what actions they can take to reduce the risk of trafficking in their businesses. Human trafficking is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them. It often, but not always, involves people being taken from one country to another where they are subject to sexual exploitation, forced labor or other types of servitude. In short, it is modern day slavery. And it...

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA—Karen and John Lewis, the visionary founders of Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica, recently celebrated the realization of a conservation dream that will result in the permanent protection of more than 900 acres of virgin rainforest in the Osa Peninsula, one of the most biologically rich regions in Central America.Twenty-plus years ago the two liquidated their assets in Minnesota to finance the purchase and preservation of 1,040 acres of virgin rainforest in Costa Rica and to build a small, supporting ecotourism project. Post university, they had both worked for the U.S. Peace Corps in Kenya,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added more than 130 chemicals to its Safer Chemical Ingredients List. For the first time, 119 chemicals that use fragrance for commercial and consumer cleaning products have been added to the list. “Fragrances are an important yet complex part of many consumer cleaning products,” said James Jones, acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “By adding fragrance and other chemicals to the Safer Chemical Ingredients List, EPA continues its commitment to help companies make safer products and provide the public with greater access to chemical information.”The...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program, with its 3,052 rated properties, has long been a leader—especially by property quantity—among green lodging certification programs. According to Steve Ball, director of business development for Green Key Global, the program has 1,231 rated properties in Canada and 1,621 in the United States. In addition to Canada and the United States, there are 20 countries with rated properties. The Eco-Rating Program, which was launched by the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) and run in the United States by HAC with LRA Worldwide, has garnered strong support in recent years from the American...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK—The oldest hotel in Yellowstone National Park, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, has received a bottom-up facelift—literally—that would make any grand dame of 122 years proud. The project, costing in excess of $10 million, included new lobby décor, major structural enhancements, the addition of an elevator, new business center and 43 renovated rooms, including four newly created suites in the west wing of the hotel.Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ Yellowstone National Park Lodges, operator of the hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, tours and activities in the park, has been working since the day the hotel closed for the summer season in 2012...