NATIONAL REPORT—Weddings are always good business for hotels, and holding an eco-friendly event is the latest trend. This environmentally-conscious wedding/event “how-to” guide will help “green minded” facilities take advantage of this significant opportunity. Buy Local, Organic Food Buy seasonal and local foods, organic if possible. Local food is fresher and tastier, and requires less processing, packaging, refrigeration, transportation and marketing. To find local food producers, including farmers’ markets and community-sponsored agriculture, try networking sites like Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) or GreenLeaf Market (www.greenleafmarket.com). Conventional production of meat requires huge amounts of resources and contributes greatly to pollution of rural areas. Choose meat certified...

SAINT PAUL, MINN.—Minnesota’s travel and tourism industry is going to be getting much greener in coming months thanks to efforts on two fronts. The first initiative is a day-long seminar scheduled for May 13 at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront hotel. The purpose of the seminar is to help the area’s businesses prepare for the Republican National Convention (RNC) that will be held September 1 to 4 in Saint Paul. The second initiative is the formation of a Minnesota Travel Green Task Force. Its mission is to develop a travel green program aimed at increasing the environmentally beneficial...

NATIONAL REPORT—Driven by increased environmental awareness, Americans are quickly moving to the greener end of the spectrum. Latest findings from Mintel, a leading market research company, reveal that more than one-third of adults (36 percent) claim to “regularly” buy green products. Just 16 months ago, only 12 percent said they “regularly” purchased green products. Furthermore, the number of people who “never” purchase green products has been cut in half over the past 16 months, according to Mintel. In August 2006, one in five Americans (20 percent) claimed to “never” buy green products. Now, only 10 percent of the population makes...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering a Scottsdale Green by Design Tool Kit to encourage members of Scottsdale’s tourism industry and business community to implement measures that will reduce their impact on the environment. From simple steps that can be taken immediately to ideas for larger-scale programs, the tool kit has everything needed to start greening a business today. Going green is a key factor in staying competitive and vying for lucrative tourism dollars. In 2007, a survey conducted by Orbitz to gauge U.S. travelers’ opinions revealed that 67 percent of Americans say the eco-friendliness of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Willard InterContinental Hotel will celebrate Earth Day this year with a park cleanup and light bulb exchange. On April 22, from 11 a.m to 2 p.m., the Willard, with members of the National Parks Service, will spend the day across from the hotel in Pershing Park, where employees and community members are invited to help clean the park and learn some of the ways the Willard is working to reduce its environmental impact. These include a peak at some of the eco-friendly products used in the hotel. Also on Earth Day, I Spa at the Willard estheticians...

SAN DIEGO—Planners of the Eighth Annual Resort Conference, the only conference planned by resort executives for resort executives, are educating attendees about ways to incorporate sustainable practices into their own day-to-day operations while taking steps to become more environmentally friendly. Conference planners are cutting down on paper use at the three-day conference April 16-18 at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. Attendees will receive an electronic show program on a specially produced jump drive that will replace the traditional printed program. The drive will contain session descriptions, sponsor information, speaker bios, attendee directory and copies of session presentations. “It’s a...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Green Hotel Certification as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Green Hotel Certification offers an independent, on-site and auditor-based certification program for the hospitality industry. Based on internationally recognized documents provided by the United Nations, European Union as well as ISO (9001/14001), the certification concentrates on three areas: Energy and Environment, Corporate Responsibility and Conservation. The online program eliminates paperwork and keeps the property up-to-date at all times. Call (310) 929-7460, e-mail Guido Bauer at gbauer@greenhotelcertification.com, or go to www.greenhotelcertification.com.

In a previous column (click here) I detailed how to make it known you’re “green” during your trade show experience. I covered the trade show booth, general marketing tips and effective ways to disseminate your information in a green way. You’ll next need to get the word out and create a buzz (more PR functions); these can be done through announcements, events, and so forth. Just make sure they are green. Prior to exhibiting at a trade show or consumer show, you need to get the word out about your company and the fact that it will be exhibiting green. If...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Albert Einstein said, “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.” As a leader in the hospitality industry, Minneapolis-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide is setting an example and influencing others by promoting healthy lifestyles through a 100 percent smoke-free environment. The four most-recent hotel members to join FreshStay’s ranks of more than 3,500 guaranteed smoke-free properties around the United States, Canada and the world, are affiliated with Carlson’s hotel brands. These new members include: Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis; Radisson Hotel Central Dallas; Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown; and Country Inn...

HONOLULU, OAHU—Ushering in the green of spring, starting May 1, the Outrigger Condominium Collection will present guests with a free amenity—a reusable “green” travel tote—providing an earth-friendly alternative to single-use paper and plastic bags. The new complimentary tote will be presented to guests staying a minimum of two nights at any of Outrigger’s resort condominiums in Hawaii, allowing them to explore the islands in style while protecting and preserving the state’s resources. “Our goal is to help reduce the millions of plastic and paper bags headed for Hawaii landfills while at the same time creating a more convenient vacation experience...