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Once you have built a green program, how do you use it to your advantage to put heads in beds? Green Lodging News reports on the ways hoteliers are incorporating the environment into sales & marketing to build business. Does "green" appeal to a particular type of traveler or meeting planner? Got a great idea about how to turn green into gold? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Sales & Marketing

Home Sales & Marketing
Once you have built a green program, how do you use it to your advantage to put heads in beds? Green Lodging News reports on the ways hoteliers are incorporating the environment into sales & marketing to build business. Does "green" appeal to a particular type of traveler or meeting planner? Got a great idea about how to turn green into gold? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Rhode Island Joins List of States with Hospitality Certification Programs

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island recently joined the list of states that have formalized green lodging/tourism programs. Seventeen hotels in the state have earned Rhode Island Hospitality Green Certification. A total of 32 hospitality-related establishments, including 13 restaurants and the Rhode Island Convention Center, have achieved certification. Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM) partnered with the state’s Division of Tourism, the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Assn. and a dozen other entities to establish the certification program. Companies get points for recycling, local purchasing, using biodegradable cleaners and detergents, food donations, eliminating the use of chemicals in landscaping, towel and linen...

AH&LA’s Lodging Survey Takes Look at Green Practices, Intentions

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) released its 2008 Lodging Survey, one of the most comprehensive industry-wide surveys of its kind, revealing notable trends in all segments of U.S. hotels. Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and conducted by Smith Travel Research, the research analyzes feedback from more than 10,000 U.S. hotel properties polled in more than 100 areas of hotels, including types of in-room amenities, security and technology features, food and beverage options, number of beds, guest services, and property offerings. Additionally, this year’s survey included green initiative analysis for the first...

IHG’s Hotel Management Group Awarded for Environmental Campaign

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms, announced that The Hotel Management Group, the company’s Americas Operations division, was awarded the Gold Halo Award for Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign for its 2007 “Chase the Extraordinary” program from the Cause Marketing Forum. The Cause Marketing Halo Awards were presented at a luncheon late last month at the Cause Marketing Forum Conference in Chicago. “We are honored to receive the Gold Halo Award for Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign from the Cause Marketing Forum,” said Tom Murray, COO, the Americas, IHG. “The Chase the Extraordinary campaign gave...

Marriott Extends Commitment to Rainforest with Meetings Program

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. has launched an innovative opportunity for its customers booking group meetings to address climate change and improve the environment. A first in the lodging industry, Marriott will contribute funds on behalf of its customers to protect the critically endangered Brazilian Amazonas rainforest for meetings booked between July 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Marriott is also unveiling a menu of eco-friendly green meeting products and services that will enable groups of all sizes to save water and energy, reduce waste and recycle during their stays. Some of the ways Marriott will be making meetings green include...

Florida DEP Launches Green Travel Website With Locator Map

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—With Memorial Day and the summer travel season approaching, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging Florida residents and guests to travel close, clean and green with the launch of a new green travel website and Florida Green Lodging Program locator map. The newly launched green travel website offers resources for families and travelers looking to get away without depleting their wallets, gas tanks or the environment. “With a state park or a Green Lodging facility within just a short car ride of any location in the state, there are plenty of opportunities for affordable, eco-friendly travel...

Green Meeting Industry Council Welcomes New Executive Director

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Green Meeting Industry Council announced the addition of Tamara Kennedy-Hill as its new Executive Director. “We are pleased Tamara will be leading the Council into its next phase of development,” said Amy Spatrisano, GMIC Board Chair. “The current rate of growth the Council is experiencing requires a strong, knowledgeable leader like Tamara. She has been involved in the organization in various capacities and is very familiar with the issues facing the organization and the state of green meetings in the industry.” Kennedy-Hill has more than 10 years experience in the meetings and hospitality industry. Her most recent position...

Survey Takes Close Look at Traveler’s Green Practices, Expectations

NEW YORK—U.S. business travelers are increasingly making daily choices to reduce their environmental impact, and they have specific expectations about the green practices hotels should be adopting today, according to a recent survey commissioned by Deloitte. The survey shows business travelers have begun to practice some green practices routinely. Nearly seven of 10 business travelers (69 percent) say they always turn off the lights and one out of three (31 percent) always adjusts the heat/air conditioner when leaving the room. Roughly a third of travelers surveyed are keenly concerned about green travel. Some 34 percent “seek out hotels that are...

Affordable Meetings West to Include Focus on Green Meetings

MCLEAN, VA.—Meeting planners looking to incorporate sustainable practices into their meetings, events, and expositions will learn about the growing green movement at the 12th annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings West Conference and Exposition at the Long Beach Convention Center from June 11-12. Deborah Popely, president, Green Events Source, Jesse Suglia, director of sales, Kimpton Hotels and Janet M. Cooperman, CMP, president, Green PEAS Events, will present planners with ways to “green” their meetings without causing additional stress during a general session on Thursday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m. Attendees will learn how to partner with...

RezHub.com Adds ‘Sort by Green Score’ to Hotel Search

ORLANDO, FLA.—Sorting hotel search results by Price, Hotel Name, or Distance from a Landmark are familiar tools to almost any traveler, but RezHub.com is now providing a sort feature with a conscience: Sort by Green Score. Customers using the RezHub.com hotel search are now able to view hotels in order of the way they care for the environment. RezHub.com and its Green Travel Hub launched in September of last year with a dedication to providing green travel options to everyone and for every trip. Since its launch, the site has continued to provide innovative tools to help travelers learn that...

Willard InterContinental Unveils New Green Meeting Structure

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A leader in sustainable hospitality, the Willard InterContinental in Washington D.C. has unveiled its Willard Green Meeting, a multi-optional, eco-conscious meeting structure which incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of a meeting, minimizing negative impacts while raising awareness. Crafted to planner’s specifications, the Willard Green Meeting offers sustainable food, beverages, supplies, amenities and team-building eco-opportunities—all within a luxurious, urban environmentally-friendly hotel setting. “As many organizations undertake numerous corporate social responsibility efforts, the Willard Green Meeting serves to reflect our clients’ objectives by helping to neutralize environmental footprints and enhance consciousness,” said Hervé Houdré, general manager. “We have designed a...