WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Advance registration is now open for the 94th annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), North America’s largest showcase of hospitality products including amenities, food & beverage, fixtures, furnishings, linens, sustainable products, tabletop, technology and more. A discounted registration fee of $30 is available through October 10, 2009, with the rate increasing to $50 per person on October 11. Taking place November 7 to 10, 2009, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the IH/M&RS features 1,000 exhibitors and attracts some 35,000 in total trade attendance. The $30 early registration rate is applicable to events taking...

TORONTO—As part of the brand’s focus and commitment to sustainability, more than 22 Fairmont locations worldwide are reducing their waste disposal costs and supporting the switch to a cleaner economy by manufacturing used kitchen oils into biodiesel, a domestic and renewable fuel derived from natural oils. No one method or solution is universal and biodiesel initiatives vary by property. At The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, the hotel gets the job done by partnering with Yokayo Bio-Fuels, a local biodiesel firm, to gather approximately 150 gallons of kitchen grease each quarter, turning it into tallow or feed. The Fairmont...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Looking down on the roof of Wyndham Worldwide’s new headquarters on a sunny day could be hazardous to your eyes. The 83,000 square feet of white roofing on the top of the company’s new corporate headquarters building in Parsippany just might reflect the sun back at you. The white roof, which helps keep the building cool during the summer, is just one of the many green features found at Wyndham’s three-level corporate office. According to Faith Taylor, vice president, sustainability and innovation for Wyndham Worldwide, the complex opened earlier this year in February and more than 800 employees...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new 226-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Chevy Chase, Md., on the Maryland/Washington, D.C. border is now open to the public. Grosvenor Americas, the international property development and investment company, has completed a $35 million renovation and re-branding of the original 39-year-old building. The new Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase is designed to meet the criteria for the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs across a number of areas that matter most: energy...

NEW ORLEANS—More than 200 non-biodegradable fiberglass trash cans, once destined for a landfill, have found a new life as bright yellow-green recycling bins at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. In an effort to be more environmentally-friendly, the Convention Center sought to replace their existing trash cans with 210 new recycling bins for paper, plastic, and waste. As the trash cans were about to be put out to pasture, enterprising Convention Center employees stepped in with an innovative idea for repurposing the 25-year-old trash cans. During a brainstorming session, operations staff members suggested that the Convention Center’s existing...

MERRILLVILLE, IND.—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it has welcomed all nine of the White Lodging Florida properties to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The voluntary state initiative provides the lodging industry with free technical assistance, encouraging hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving “green” practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. “It is wonderful to see businesses implement green practices such as water conservation, recycling and energy reduction because they are not only good for business, they are good for Florida’s environment,” said DEP sustainable initiatives director, Deas Bohn. To become a designated member of the Florida...

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is developing a program to promote sustainable travel in that state. Still in its early planning stages, one goal of the program will also be to educate tourism-related businesses and consumers about sustainable travel. The program, still without a name or branding logo, will include a certification initiative for tourism-related businesses such as hotels. Educational workshops and online educational materials also will be provided. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is working with the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and other agencies to put together the program. “We are planning to test...

SEATTLE—Reflecting the new realities of unprecedented economic, climatological and geopolitical shifts, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) for 2009 has introduced a unique array of thought leaders representing the fields of entertainment, astrophysics, architecture and new media, among others, to inspire tourism executives at the October 19 to 22 Adventure Travel World Summit. Keynote addresses at ATTA’s 2009 Summit—themed “Out in Front”—in Charlevoix, Quèbec Province, Canada, will be delivered by famed Quèbec natives Daniel Gauthier and Sir Hubert Reeves. Daniel Gauthier, co-founder of Cirque de Soleil and president and chief executive officer of Groupe Le Massif, will discuss the reinvention...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—People are buying more green products—8.4 percent more last year than in 2007. But shoppers are confused and frustrated by false and misleading claims and indecipherable ingredient lists on labels. With this in mind, Green Seal has developed a standard to help consumers identify what is really green and what isn’t when shopping the personal care aisle. After 18 months in development, Green Seal announced that products can now be Green Seal certified under its environmental leadership standard for soaps, cleansers, and shower products. It’s the first-ever standard to comprehensively address the health, environmental, and labeling concerns...

BROOMFIELD, CO.—RockResorts, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vail Resorts, announced a commitment to a minimum 10-point program of initial environmental standards that will be applied to every guestroom brand-wide. Building on the basics, highlights from the standards include: terry (towel) and linen reuse program; in-room recycling program for newspaper, beverage cans, glass and plastic bottles; energy-efficient lighting and electronics; use of low flow water conserving fixtures; custom formulated all natural, essential oil-based amenities; use of environmentally preferable and safer cleaning products; conversion to low- or no-VOC paints and finishes; reusable and renewable jute newspaper bag; entirely smoke-free facilities; and voluntary...