COLUMBUS, OHIO—The Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association’s Annual Conference & Gala will have a green focus this year. The event, to be held November 19 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton, will feature sessions including “The Business Case for Environmental Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry,” “The Path to Solid Waste Reduction,” “Movement to Ban Trans Fats: How Concerned Should the Hospitality Industry Be?” and “Is Your Laundry Green?” In addition, an executive panel and B&B roundtable will focus on environmental issues. Chris Lane, v.p. of environmental affairs for Xanterra Parks & Resorts, will lead “The Business Case for Environmental Sustainability...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts, Inc. has announced more detailed plans for making the $1 billion Ever Vail the largest LEED-certified, multi-use resort development project in the nation. “The mission of Vail Resorts is to provide exceptional experiences at our extraordinary resorts,” says Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts. “What we are announcing with the Ever Vail development is completely aligned with two of our most important stakeholders—the spectacular natural environment that serves as the backdrop of Vail Mountain and the local community in which we operate.” Vail Resorts is now several steps closer to making the 9.5-acre Ever Vail project at the...

MIAMI BEACH—While May’s HD 2007 Expo & Conference featured a Green Room for exhibitors selling environmentally friendly products, and booth signs designating vendors as green, last week’s HD Boutique 2007 Expo & Conference did not. Even though this made finding green products more difficult, an eagle-eyed attendee who asked enough questions could do so. In fact, as it turns out, there were many vendors in attendance eager to talk about their green offerings. The following is just a sample. Valley Forge Fabrics Inc. was on hand to introduce two new FRESH (Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards (for) Hospitality) lines: The Celerie...

ROCKLAND, ME.—Quietly, yet tenaciously, the Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine are working hard to reduce their environmental impact. All three have been certified by the State of Maine as Hospitality Environmental Leaders, making them the first known B&B association in New England totally dedicated to sustainable eco-tourism. Beginning on October 3, in recognition of National Change a Lightbulb Day, the inns will offer an Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) to each guest. With each bulb, more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions will be saved from entering the atmosphere. “If just 100 guests change their lightbulbs with...

NEW YORK—Green Lodging News has finalized the panelist lineup for each of the two sessions it is organizing for the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS). The show will take place at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from Saturday, November 10 through Tuesday, November 13. The first session, “Green Building: LEED and Beyond,” will be held on Sunday, November 11 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Panelists will include: Fiona Cousins PE LEED AP, principal, Arup; Nicholas Lakas, director, element Hotels; and Wen-I Chang, founder and president, Atman Hospitality Group. The green building session will be moderated...

HONG KONG—Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has launched a two-year development strategy to enhance its corporate social responsibility activities. A corporate CSR Committee, spearheaded by the group’s chief operating officer, has been established to continue to fulfill the group’s responsibilities in five key areas: the environment; employees and the community; health and safety; supply chain management; and stakeholder relations. In the area of environmental sustainability, the group’s focus is primarily in five areas: climate change; ozone depletion; water use management; waste disposal management; and indoor air quality. Shangri-La is ramping up energy conservation initiatives so that it will reduce 2006 group-wide...

SEATTLE—The developers of 1 Hotel & Residences, Seattle announced that buyer excitement surrounding its first-in-the-market City Suites product has prompted modification of the building to accommodate an additional three floors of fully furnished condominiums, which can be included in a rental opportunity with the hotel. With the retrofit, the nation’s first eco-luxury 1 Hotel will now offer 176 City Suites on floors nine through 16, says Paul Brenneke, president and CEO of Avalon Holdings, developer of the property. The 560,000-square-foot, 23-story, mixed-use project, which broke ground in June, plans a public sales debut for early October. Built on the principle...

CANMORE, ALBERTA—Eco Crown Hospitality has announced an exclusive partnership with the Hotel Association of Canada and its Green Key Eco-Rating program. As part of Eco Crown, hotels and chains that are recognized by the organization as a certified environmentally responsible property are offered membership services including a 24/7 1-800 reservation system, GDS, products, and training specifically designed for the environmentally friendly lodging industry. “Eco is not just a trend," says Andrea Speiss, CEO of Eco Crown Hospitality. "It is a lifestyle and the hospitality industry needs to be ready for it. We are now all measured by the footprints we...

LONDON—World Travel Market will host a major United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Ministers’ Summit on Tourism and Climate Change, a key part of an international program to widen and deepen the debate on one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. Ministers will be asked to consider and ratify a Declaration recommended by environmental experts at the UNWTO’s Summit on Climate Change in Davos, Switzerland in October. The Ministerial Declaration is to be put to the UNWTO’s General Assembly at the end of November and will be a major aspect of the organization’s submission to the U.N.’s Bali Climate...

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Cambridge, a leader in innovation and technology, recently announced plans to become America’s greenest city. Cambridge is the first city to make such an aggressive move with green initiatives. The city has several partners. Two organizations in particular have helped to make Cambridge’s transformation possible: the Cambridge Climate Protection Plan (CCPP) and the Cambridge Climate Leader Program (CCLP). The Climate Protection Plan, developed by Climate Protection Task Force and city staff, has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below the 1990 levels by 2010. This initiative plans to tackle issues such as greenhouse gas emissions,...