WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Hundreds of new products will take center stage at the 94th annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), as some 35,000 professionals look to the event for the latest products to enhance the guest experience. Taking place November 7 to 10, 2009, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the IH/M&RS will feature the latest technologies and resources of nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies. “The IH/M&RS has a long-standing reputation as the industry event where products are launched, and this year is no exception,” said Lynn White, show manager. “From greening technologies to luxury linens, the scope...

NATIONAL REPORT—Over the past several years public awareness of climate change has lead to a significant shift in the way we all live our lives. This public awareness has also lead to a groundswell of support for green facilities design that supports the desire to save the planet by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and natural resources like forest timber. One integral component in green facilities design is the method of construction, and the method of construction that is the greenest is insulated concrete forming (ICF). ICF is widely used and recognized and has been used successfully for both...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Most Americans are aware that nearly every auto maker in the world today is committed to producing electric cars. So, what about electric parking spaces? According to Gas2.0.org, “most potential plug-in vehicle consumers do not have an adequate place to charge their vehicles.” There simply are not enough charging stations for the electric cars on the road. Recently, a guest checking in for a conference at Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center in Florham Park asked if there were electric car parking stations available. The front desk clerk replied, “not yet, but we’re working on it.” According to...

GLEN ELLYN, ILL.—The DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently awarded the Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard the 2009 Green Initiative Award. The award was presented at the DuPage CVB’s 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Luncheon on October 2 at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, Ill. The bureau recognized the hotel’s environmental commitment, including sustainable programs like guest recycling, insulated low-E glass windows and energy-reducing boilers. The committee also acknowledged the hotel’s adjacent restaurant, Glen Prairie, serving locally-sourced, seasonable fare from local farmer’s markets. At the event, DuPage CVB’s executive director, Skip Strittmatter, presented the award at the luncheon...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—In a continued effort to repair and rebuild the New Orleans community post-Katrina, Delaware North Companies, a global leader in hospitality and one of the largest privately held companies in North America, participated in a New Orleans Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony late last month. The event was a celebration of the construction of a brand new home, the second Delaware North Companies-sponsored home in the New Orleans area post-Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans native Theresa Parker owns the home. Her young children, Marcus and Mya, live with her. “To Delaware North, AmeriCorps and all the sweet people that make...

ATLANTA—As building owners and developers become increasingly concerned about rising energy costs and potential obligations under climate change programs, building energy modeling helps provide a preview into a building’s likely energy use and allows decisions affecting energy use to be made before a shovel even hits the ground. To ensure that professionals modeling a building’s energy use have the skills necessary to produce an accurate model, ASHRAE is launching a Building Energy Modeling Professional certification. The first exam for the new certification program will be administered on Jan. 27, 2010, at the Winter Conference in Orlando, Fla. To register...

ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS—Concrete modular, pre-greened, luxury hotel guest suites were recently topped off at the Florida Keys’ Cheeca Lodge, reopening December 15. “The precedent was set for luxury construction in multimillion dollar homes, and now we’ve brought this innovative construction to the hospitality industry, as a first in the United States and possibly a first in the world,” said Jerry Johnson, owner of Cheeca Lodge & Spa. “We have been able to put up a guestroom wing in an unheard of 90 days, from pilings to topping off, and with a quality superior to that of conventional construction.” The...

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.—Atlantic City’s casino/hotel leadership and the new trend toward “going green” will be among the featured programming at the Atlantic City Hospitality Trade Show, to be held on Thursday, October 22, 2009, in the Etess Arena of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. The “no charge” for admission annual trade show brings together casino/hotel buyers and vendors in the areas of food and beverage, hotel operations, construction, housekeeping, uniforms, and marketing/advertising. The exhibit floor, with more than 100 exhibit booths, will be open 9:30 a.m. through 3 p.m. A presentation, “How to Green Your Company,” will be presented...

AVON, COLO.—Colorado’s Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa announced that it has been awarded Silver Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Westin Riverfront is the first hotel in Colorado to achieve this coveted green accolade and only the ninth hotel in the country to earn Silver LEED status. The Beaver Creek resort, which opened a year ago this week, is also the first Silver LEED Certified hotel in the Westin brand, which includes more than 160 hotels around the world. “East West Partners is proud to have been a leader in...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts announced that concurrent with its announcement of its leadership role in the Hayman Restoration Partnership, the company would not be renewing its three-year commitment to purchase wind energy offset credits. “Our Company is very proud of the leadership stance we took on alternative energy and climate change in August of 2006,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts. “We are very pleased to see all of the progress that has followed us both in terms of new corporate commitments to clean energy and the political progress our country has made on climate change. As a...