LAS VEGAS—JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa has created a new wedding package for Summerlin weddings that is considerate to the planet and that offers unique entertainment, menu and décor options for brides and grooms. The all-new Eco-Chic Wedding Package featured at JW Marriott’s Las Vegas wedding venues includes nuptials celebrated on the resort ground’s attractively designed gardens and waterscapes. Natural garden chairs made of maple complement the earthy tone of the ceremony. The celebration continues inside or out with unique décor items including floor length linens made from recycled glass or luxury burlap to adorn the tables,...

LAS VEGAS—Among the 200 minority-owned firms that helped build CityCenter were a Detroit-based general contractor who expanded his business to Las Vegas after auto industry contracts dried up, a local electrical supply firm that nearly doubled in size, and a drug screening company that was specifically born out of the project. From building architecture and design, LEED consulting, engineering, to information technology and waste removal, minority-owned firms were involved in virtually every major discipline employed in the development. In all, MGM MIRAGE and Perini Building Co. spent more than $700 million in construction and design contracts with minority-owned firms...

DALLAS—Meeting Professionals International Foundation, in cooperation with AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions, recently announced the beginning of the Events for Communities of Sustainability (ECOS) Project, an in-depth, project-driven platform for enhancing sustainable meetings. The ECOS project, which premiered in Canada in the fall, is a framework to support sustainability in the meetings and business events industry. This one-of-a-kind project will focus on four significant areas including: food, water, shelter and education. The program also supports MPI’s commitment to the U.N. Global Compact and all eight Canadian chapters have voiced their commitment to participate in the program. “We are extremely excited at the...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) announced that the 2011 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) will be June 20 to 23 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. HITEC, produced by HFTP, is the world’s largest hospitality technology exposition and conference. It offers a unique combination of top-notch hospitality technology education, led by industry peers and experts and a trade show showcasing the latest hospitality technology products and services. “Austin is the headquarters of HFTP and it is our honor to share this vibrant city with the hospitality technology industry,” said Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of...

PLYMOUTH, MINN.—With the path to economic recovery still uncertain, all types of facilities—from healthcare and schools to hospitality and commercial office buildings—are feeling the budget squeeze for maintenance staffing and cleaning-equipment purchases. Floor cleaning is one area where productivity gains can help facilities deal with staff reductions and economic pressures. It is an inescapable fact that labor accounts for 90 percent of the cost to clean a facility. Even in times of reduced cleaning staff, there is never a choice to do less cleaning. There are, however, several strategies that can reduce the labor required for floor cleaning while maintaining...

KOLKATA, INDIA—ITC’s new luxury hotel in Bengaluru, the ITC Hotel Royal Gardenia, was conferred the highest rating for green buildings in the world—the LEED India Platinum Rating. This recognition makes it the world’s largest platinum rated hotel and is another manifestation of ITC’s leadership in sustainability practices. ITC is the only company in the world to be carbon positive, water positive and solid waste recycling positive. The LEED Platinum rating for the ITC Hotel is one more green milestone for ITC. It is close on the heels of the ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon—one of the world’s largest green buildings....

RALEIGH, N.C.—In October, the Raleigh Convention Center joined an elite group of convention centers—those that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In Raleigh’s case, it earned LEED Silver, joining the Phoenix Convention Center, Spokane (Wash.) Convention Center Expansion, and the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., as LEED Silver recipients. The Raleigh facility earned the LEED designation a little more than a year after the center opened in September 2008. The Raleigh Convention Center is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh. According to Laurie Okun, director of...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. opened the LEED certified 147-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in College Park, Ga., on December 18. The SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway is owned by Grover Street Partners and managed by Marriott International. Adjacent to the Georgia International Convention Center and one mile from the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway offers guests convenient access to ATL SkyTrain, the Atlanta Zoo, Turner Field, the CNN Center, Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Six Flags over Georgia. The ATL SkyTrain is an automated people mover (APM) line which recently opened...

LAS VEGAS—Under a canopy of fireworks illuminating the night sky, ARIA Resort & Casino opened its doors last week and welcomed its first guests. Located at the heart of CityCenter, ARIA is the centerpiece of the urban resort destination. Its debut signifies the official grand opening of this city-within-a-city, following two weeks of celebrations for the reveals of Vdara Hotel & Spa, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Crystals retail and entertainment district. Featuring a combination of striking architecture, sustainable design, high-end service and amenities, the ARIA has dramatically altered the skyline of the world’s most famous boulevard. “ARIA and CityCenter...

BETHESDA, MD.—Now that’s a lot of cooking oil. According to Brad Nelson, corporate chef and vice president of culinary for Marriott International, the company’s hotels in North America generate about 5.5 million pounds of used cooking oil each year. Add in the properties outside North America and that number just about doubles. With so much spent cooking oil to deal with, what’s a company the size of Marriott to do? This past summer the company started a test program at just a few properties in the Washington, D.C. area that resulted in the cooking oil being converted to biodiesel....