WESTPORT, CONN.—With two weeks still remaining before the 2011 AHR Expo in Las Vegas, January 31 to February 2, show management reports that it is already bigger than the largest Western event ever held, which was in Anaheim, Calif., in 2004. Nearly 1,900 exhibiting companies have already reserved more than 374,000 square feet of booth space. This represents a 15 percent increase in both the number of exhibiting companies and booth space reserved. These numbers include 100 first-time exhibitors and nearly 400 international companies from 31 different countries. In addition, visitor pre-registration is running ahead of last year’s AHR Expo...

ST. LOUIS—Michael Jantzen, an artist strongly influenced by nature and technology, who has been producing conceptual art and architectural projects for almost 40 years, has released his latest hotel design—The Solar Winds Desert Hotel. An idea still in need of a developer, the hotel design, according to Jantzen, evolved from his thoughts about desert plants and how they function in a hot dry climate. The 140-room luxury eco-hotel, vertically cylindrical in design, would be powered by the sun and the wind. The “stem” of the hotel would house the hotel rooms, a vertical axis wind turbine would sit atop...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Two renowned global brands in the fitness and hospitality categories are joining forces to empower travelers to stay healthy and fit when away from home. New Balance and Westin Hotels & Resorts have forged an exclusive, worldwide partnership to help hotel guests overcome the hurdles of exercising on the road by providing New Balance footwear, apparel and fitness program content. The program recently launched at 10 Westin properties across the globe and will begin rolling out brand-wide in 2011. Guests of the 10 Westin pilot properties have complimentary access to New Balance shoes, apparel and accessories through a...

BOULDER, COLO.—Green building certifications from programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) are quickly becoming the standard for the construction industry in many countries. While green building certification programs are well-known for their importance in new construction projects, a recent report from Pike Research forecasts that by 2020, nearly half the total certified footprint—25 billion square feet—will comprise certifications for existing buildings. “As the new construction market has slowed during the global recession, green building certifications for existing buildings have become an increasing area of focus,” says research...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—More and more, corporate retreats are using community service as a way to build camaraderie, improve morale and find positive and encouraging ways to improve the lives of others. To help work productively and give back to the communities they serve, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. has developed several socially responsible programs. When guests book one of the many meeting rooms available at The Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts in the United States, Mexico or the Caribbean, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company will donate 10 percent of the guestroom revenue equally between a charity of its client’s choice and The...

DALLAS—The Fairmont Dallas announces Sean Springer of Springer Design Studio as the first Artist in Residence of 2011. Springer crafts furniture, home accessories and sculptures using salvaged wood creating purposeful, functional pieces from materials that would otherwise end up as waste. Springer’s resume is a veritable journey through a series of high-profile internships and jobs, working for and learning from artists, each in a different craft, who shaped him and helped hone the skills that allow him to create poignant, consequential pieces. The deliberate edges, complimentary contours and fluid arches of Springer’s work are manifestations of his experience, which...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—UL Environment, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and a global leader in environmental evaluation and certification, announced that it has launched an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Program. UL Environment’s EPD program provides a comprehensive, globally recognized, and scientifically robust mechanism to consistently evaluate environmental claims on products. Equivalent to a sustainability “nutrition label,” an EPD is the documentation of an audited Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the environmental performance of a product, based on approved Product Category Rules (PCRs) in accordance with ISO 14025 guidelines. UL Environment’s EPD program provides the structure and global scale...

MONTEREY, CALIF.—Setting the bar for environmentally-conscious hotels in Central California, Portola Hotel & Spa, located in the heart of Monterey, was recently granted its Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Portola Hotel & Spa becomes one of only three hotels in all of California and one of only six hotels in the United States to earn this level of accreditation in the Existing Building (EB) category. As an independent hotel brand, and an existing building, Portola Hotel & Spa achieved this certification as a result of a longstanding commitment by...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The appliance industry through the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) recently launched an independent verification program to confirm refrigerator and freezer internal volume and energy usage claims made by manufacturers and brand owners. This voluntary program is aimed at boosting the confidence of consumers, retailers and regulators in the validity of energy claims made by manufacturers of refrigerators and freezers sold in the United States and Canada.AHAM’s Refrigerator, Refrigerator-Freezer and Freezer Verification Program will also assist the Energy Star program, managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in approval and monitoring of qualified appliances and the...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The 2011 NEWH Leadership Conference taking place at the , Universal Orlando, January 13 to 16, is delving into one of the industry’s hottest topics: sustainability. To kick off the green programming, a session on Friday, January 14 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm will look at sustainable certificates and standards for products including textiles and flooring. Confirmed panelists include Kenneth Koneck of Valley Forge Fabrics; John Reader of Desso Carpets; David Mahood, Olive Hospitality Consulting; Lora Spran, Associate Design Manager, Walt Disney World; and moderator Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. On Saturday afternoon, January 15...