LAS VEGAS—For the fifth consecutive year Caesars Entertainment has committed to participate in the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour, visually demonstrating its commitment to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. Caesars Entertainment’s worldwide resorts and casinos in the United States, Uruguay and China will shut off non-essential exterior lighting and marquees from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time on March 23. “By participating in Earth Hour globally, we will be presenting a united visual and call to action for individuals and businesses to address climate change,” said Gwen Migita, vice president of sustainability and community affairs at Caesars Entertainment....

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—In honor of Earth Day on April 22, Shore Hotel—the LEED Gold certified boutique hotel located on Ocean Avenue in the heart of Santa Monica—announces the Go Green by the Shore package. The award-winning hotel is one of the country’s leaders in green hospitality infrastructure and services and has created this environmentally conscious package to invite guests to green their stay by the beach.Shore Hotel’s commitment to the environment spans a wide spectrum of features and amenities including utilizing recycled building materials, offering a Green Concierge service to all guests, and implementing energy-efficient and state-of-the-art technologies. During...

LAS VEGAS—Concept Amenities announced that Tracey McRae has been named vice president of marketing & communications of the Americas division. With a broad understanding of marketing and media, McRae brings nearly 12 years of marketing experience and accountability in developing results-driven campaigns.“I am excited to start this role with Concept Amenities and look forward to working with the team to further develop their marketing initiatives,” McRae says. “I am fortunate to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on top quality products and service.”“We are very excited to have such an experienced and talented marketing manager of...

BOULDER, COLO.—Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy announced that it has partnered with Green Key Global to provide green power and carbon offsets to hotels, motels, and resorts seeking to further their initiatives within the Green Key Eco-Rating and Green Key Meetings Programs.The Green Key Eco-Rating Program awards lodging facilities committed to improving environmental and fiscal performance with a “green key” rating based on a comprehensive environmental self-assessment and on-site verification audit. Facilities also receive custom guidance from the program on how to reduce their environmental impacts. Renewable Choice will provide carbon offsets to member establishments at a reduced price, helping...

SHELTON, CONN.—VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, has become the first convention and visitors bureau in the world certified in a new international sustainability standard designed to promote responsible environmental and social practices in the events industry. VISIT DENVER achieved Level One certification with the ASTM Standard pertaining to the Evaluation and Selection of Destinations for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences (abbreviated as “E2741-11” and commonly known as the APEX Standard).iCompli, a not-for-profit international auditing organization, developed the certification protocols for the new standards and performed the independent third-party certification of VISIT DENVER’s compliance with...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The latest results from the 2013 HAC Canadian Travel Intentions Survey show that 44 percent of business travelers (up 8 percent from 2009) said environmental initiatives such as water recycling and energy efficiency are important to them. Thirty-six percent of leisure and business travelers said it is important for hotels to have green products. Twenty-six percent of leisure travelers and business travelers said a hotel with an environmental certification program is important to them. Twenty percent of business travelers and leisure travelers said the ability to purchase carbon credits is very important to them. Forty-nine percent of travelers...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor announced that it is accepting applications from U.S. accommodations to be considered for its soon-to-be launched TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program. Created in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, the United Nations Environment Programme and the U.S. Green Building Council, the program will recognize eco-friendly properties and help travelers plan greener trips. Large hospitality companies including Best Western, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Select Registry, as well as independent hotels, are participating in the program.Applications will be reviewed against a set of environmental criteria developed for TripAdvisor by a leading environmental...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Greenview as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Greenview works with meeting and event planners to develop, implement, measure, and report out sustainable event programs. Greenview helps events set overall strategies for their sustainability programs and then carry them out credibly through applying frameworks such as ISO 20121, the APEX/ASTM Green Meetings Standards, and the Global Reporting Initiative Event Organizers Sector Supplement. Call Cara Unterkofler, Director, Sustainable Event Programs, Greenview, at (571) 210-2272, or e-mail cara@gviewadvisors.com.Greenview also specializes in guiding hospitality and tourism companies through the...

PORTLAND, ORE.—GMIC (Green Meeting Industry Council), the nonprofit professional meetings association dedicated to promoting sustainable meetings, has reached an agreement with iCompli, a division of BPA Worldwide, a global third-party assurance provider, to develop a certification program for the event industry’s sustainability standards. The standards, known as the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Event Standards, were released last year to address environmental and social sustainability in the meeting and event industry.“Certification drives adoption of industry standards,” says Tamara Kennedy, executive director of the GMIC, whose members led the development of the APEX/ASTM Standards. “We saw a real need in the industry...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes NanoTouch Materials, LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. NanoTouch antimicrobial mats, packaged in a tamper-evident pouch or a convenient travel tube, use nanotechnology to constantly kill bacteria, viruses and fungi without the use of heavy metals or diluted poisons. The mats can be offered as a guest amenity and be used on the bathroom vanity or desk as a place to rest a toothbrush, glasses, medicines, or other personal items.NanoTouch antimicrobial facility touch points also use nanotechnology to constantly kill bacteria, viruses and fungi....