WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—More than 200 first-time exhibitors, including many offering green products and technologies, will set the stage for a new and fresh vibe at the 93rd annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), taking place November 8 to 11, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. More than 35,000 industry decision-makers will not only discover new innovations from long-standing exhibitors, but will be introduced to hundreds of products and resources from companies never before seen at this market. The total market experience will feature 1,250 exhibitors. “Presenting attendees with everything new for the industry is what this...

ATLANTA—ASHRAE’s newly renovated headquarters effectively serves as a laboratory without walls to extend the society’s knowledge and information worldwide. ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. “Our Living Laboratory provides value to ASHRAE members and the industry by allowing for evaluation of the ongoing energy and operational performance of the building at a level that is unprecedented in current commercial buildings,” Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president, said. “The lab allows ASHRAE to contribute significantly to reducing energy use in buildings via future development of research and educational materials.” Completed in July, the $7.65 million renovation includes a...

NATIONAL REPORT—Carpet cushion, also known as underlayment, has been one of the greenest products available to the lodging industry for years. More than 80 percent of carpet cushion sold today is made from bonded polyurethane foam cushion (“bonded” or “rebond”). It comes from a combination of salvaged, scrapped or recycled polyurethane foam generated during the making of furniture, bedding and other products—cushions for car seats, for example. Polyurethane is ground up into small pieces, bonded under pressure with a binder into blocks, and then cut into thin slices of different thicknesses and widths. Used carpet cushion is also recycled...

CHICAGO—On Thursday, October 16, Mayor Richard M. Daley acknowledged the efforts of 25 Chicago hotels that are currently striving for an environmental designation. The Green Hotels Initiative challenges hotels to obtain Green Seal certification, an environmental lodging standard with requirements in waste minimization, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste water management and green procurement. The program also offers resources, best practices and recognition to the hotels going green. “Whether you are working to install energy efficient equipment in your kitchens and laundry facilities, installing water-saving plumbing fixtures, or planning for a green roof, like the one we have on top of...

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Héctor Ceballos-Lascuráin is to be awarded the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards (IRHA) Lifetime Achievement award. Previously winner of Planeta’s Colibri Ecotourism Lifetime Achievement Award, Hector Ceballos-Lascurain is a Mexican architect, environmentalist and international ecotourism consultant. He is Director General of the Program of International Consultancy on Ecotourism (PICE), based in Mexico City, and also a Special Advisor on Ecotourism to IUCN (The World Conservation Union), The International Ecotourism Society and the World Tourism Organization. The award is to be presented by Mark DeCarlo from Taste of America on the Travel Channel USA at the gala ceremony...

INDIANAPOLIS—The Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis, a hotel owned and operated by Rosemont, Ill.-based First Hospitality Group, Inc., has requested a grant from the Indiana Department of Energy and Defense to install solar panels on the roof of the hotel. Taking the next step in environmentally-friendly business practices, the initiative would make way for alternative energy use at the property. The proposed 4,050 kW solar array will be deployed on the top of the 16-story hotel building, making it one of the largest arrays in Indianapolis. The solar panels will also offer guests the opportunity to see first-hand a real-time...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—According to the latest “Monthly Electricity Review” issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (October 3, 2008), net U.S. generation of electricity from renewable energy sources surged by 32 percent in June 2008 compared to June 2007. Renewable energy (biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) totaled 41,160,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) in June 2008, up from 31,242,000 MWh in June 2007. Renewables accounted for 11 percent of net U.S. electricity generation in June 2008 compared to 8.6 percent in June 2007. Compared to June 2007, wind power grew by 81.6 percent in June 2008 while solar and conventional hydropower experienced increases...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—First Affirmative Financial Network and the Social Investment Forum, hosts of the 19th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference, have designed their 2008 event to be a green meeting. This year’s conference is expected to draw a record 700 sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) industry practitioners and professionals to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, October 26 to 28, 2008. According to the Convention Industry Council’s definition, a green meeting is “a meeting or event that incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment.” George Gay, CEO of First Affirmative, is planning for the 2008 SRI in...

ATLANTA—CQ Construction and CQ Capital Partners, both parts of the Clarkston, Ga.-based Charania Group of Companies (CGC), are completing construction of a new Cambria Suites property that is located less than one-half mile from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 143-room hotel, which includes a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and meeting space, is well on its way to earning a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. According to Rahim Charania, president of CGC, the Choice Hotels International franchised property will open in the first quarter of 2009 and is expected to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 1424 and extended the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The tax deduction is not a tax credit (an amount directly subtracted from the tax owed), but a deduction—an amount subtracted from gross taxable income. Tax deductions result in benefits to the taxpayer; thus this newly created program can be used as an incentive to assist in choosing energy efficient building systems. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included a new tax incentive to improve the energy efficiency of...