LAS VEGAS—JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa has created a new wedding package for Summerlin weddings that is considerate to the planet and that offers unique entertainment, menu and décor options for brides and grooms. The all-new Eco-Chic Wedding Package featured at JW Marriott’s Las Vegas wedding venues includes nuptials celebrated on the resort ground’s attractively designed gardens and waterscapes. Natural garden chairs made of maple complement the earthy tone of the ceremony. The celebration continues inside or out with unique décor items including floor length linens made from recycled glass or luxury burlap to adorn the tables,...

DALLAS—Meeting Professionals International Foundation, in cooperation with AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions, recently announced the beginning of the Events for Communities of Sustainability (ECOS) Project, an in-depth, project-driven platform for enhancing sustainable meetings. The ECOS project, which premiered in Canada in the fall, is a framework to support sustainability in the meetings and business events industry. This one-of-a-kind project will focus on four significant areas including: food, water, shelter and education. The program also supports MPI’s commitment to the U.N. Global Compact and all eight Canadian chapters have voiced their commitment to participate in the program. “We are extremely excited at the...

HORSHAM, PA.—Green Key Global, the exclusive provider of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program (“Green Key”), and Travelocity have partnered to recognize green hotels and resorts. Travelocity, the online travel website, will include Green Key members in its Green Hotel Directory; likewise, those hotels will also be tagged with an “Eco Friendly Hotel” symbol within Travelocity’s hotel shopping path. Green Key, the first program of its kind to rank, certify and audit hotels and resorts based on their commitment to sustainable “green” operations, is a joint venture between LRA Worldwide, Inc. and the Hotel Association of Canada. Green Key has been...

SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS—As part of its Travel for Good program, Travelocity announced the launch of a sustainable travel microsite on its own website. Travel for Good is Travelocity’s program that encourages sustainable travel. On the new microsite, customers can find information about the Green Hotel Directory, the carbon offset program, and volunteer vacations. The Green Hotel Directory boasts more than 700 eco-friendly hotels from around the world. Plus, Travelocity is the only major online travel company that flags green hotels within the general shopping path. This means that customers can easily spot green hotels at a glance—and even compare prices between...

ORLANDO—The second annual Green Lodging and Hospitality Conference, held at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla., from December 9-11, featured a strong group of speakers but failed to attract the crowd one might expect from one of the largest hotel centers in the world. Attendance was 175 for the event, including approximately 50 vendors. The conference was hosted by the TREEO Center, University of Florida. Highlights of the conference included a keynote presentation by David Jerome, senior vice president for corporate responsibility, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and presentations with titles such as “Green Lodging from 10,000 feet, How...

PORTLAND, ORE.—MeetGreen has obtained the award of British Standard Sustainable Events Certification 2009 (BS 8901:2009), the British Standard that attests to the highest degree of expertise in producing sustainable meetings and events. MeetGreen becomes the first North American event management firm to be awarded certification under the new, rigorous standards incorporated in BS 8901:2009. The standard is pending approval to become part of the prestigious ISO (International Standards Organization), the world’s most widely recognized certification body. While certification is an important achievement for MeetGreen, the company’s clients also benefit from BS 8901:2009 certification. Clients are assured any work done...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Plan A Public Relations & Marketing as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Plan A Public Relations & Marketing is a full-service advertising and public relations firm, specializing in suppliers of sustainable solutions for the hospitality industry. With more than 25 years experience, Plan A offers a full range of marketing services, including public relations, branding, creative and media strategies. Andrea Roland is the president of Plan A. Her team includes Diane Van Leunen, art director, Ryan Marks, public relations specialist, and Sheila Folk, traffic manager/office...

NATIONAL REPORT—Hotel managers are not the only party at the negotiating table struggling to control costs and operate within the limits of austere budgets. Meeting planners have also been given the challenge of setting up effective events at the least possible cost. In an effort to work within the framework of slashed government, corporate, and association meeting budgets, planners have continued to cut banquet menus and off-site events as they have in the past. However, now they have begun to flex their negotiating leverage and ask for aggressive room rate concessions from hoteliers. In response, it appears that hotel...

CONCORD, N.H.—Visitors to New Hampshire who want to stay in a “green” property can now search and book a room via the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development’s website. According to officials, New Hampshire is the first state in New England to have a live, interactive “green” booking system enabling visitors to search and make an immediate reservation at a green lodging property in New Hampshire. “Traveling green just got a whole lot easier in New Hampshire,” said Alice DeSouza, director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “Now when a visitor makes the choice...

DENVER—The 2010 Sustainable Meetings Conference has opened registration with a new theme, keynote speaker Annie Leonard, a wide-ranging program, and the ambitious goal of drawing 500 participants to Denver from February 9 to 11, 2010. The conference theme, “Scaling it Up,” underscores the growing importance of sustainability in meetings and events, as well as surging interest in the Green Meeting Industry Council’s (GMIC) premier annual event (formerly the Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference). “This conference is the opportunity for meeting organizers and hosts to address the sustainability issues that are redefining the industry,” said GMIC president Amy Spatrisano, CMP. “GMIC...