CHICAGO—An independent panel of foodservice operator experts from across the industry has selected finalists for the third annual 2014 Operator Innovation Awards. The judges have selected finalists in each of five categories: Health and Nutrition, Marketing, Menu Development, Sustainability and Technology. The winners in each category, in addition to the Innovator of the Year, will be announced live in Chicago at the Destination: Celebration gala on Saturday, May 17, during the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.  “The Operator Innovations Awards finalists demonstrate the business case for innovation by connecting with consumers in new and interesting ways that...

MONTGOMERY, ALA.—Wind Creek Hospitality (WCH), one of the largest hospitality companies in Alabama, announced a new initiative focused on promoting regional food that includes growers, purveyors, consumers, chefs and restaurateurs, amateur cooks, food banks, and nonprofits promoting healthy lifestyles.  “Wind Creek’s Southern Table: Setting a Place for Good Food” is a multi-faceted initiative spearheaded by WCH President Jay Dorris. Designed to expand access to good food for citizens across the region, this effort will promote the culinary industry and its traditions, and support locally grown and produced food.In making the announcement in Montgomery, WCH’s Vice President of Marketing Michael...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, has been named a Platinum-level “Leader in Sustainable Tourism” by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and National Geographic Traveler. The award recognizes demonstrable leadership and innovation in preserving and communicating an authentic sense of place through a wisely managed tourism campaign.The awards committee judged the nominees based on how their efforts preserve the environmental, cultural and historical integrity of a destination and how the program demonstrated leadership and innovation and accomplished its goals. The Platinum award is the top-level award.Travel Oregon received the honor for its work implementing...

PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN—The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten has completed a solar installation that allows the resort to produce six to eight hours of its own power during peak times. The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa is the first Westin hotel or resort in the world and the only major resort in the Caribbean to complete and utilize solar panels to replace its energy consumption throughout the resort.The resort began taking advantage of the island’s abundance of sunshine in 2007 with the installation of solar panels to heat the water used in the property’s guestrooms....

LYNDEN, WASH.—Pacific Northwest-based furniture artist Greg Klassen is set to premiere his River Collection at the upcoming Architectural Digest Home Design Show. River is a customizable collection of modern handcrafted tables that take their name from their inlaid “rivers” of hand-cut blue glass. Made to order and available directly from the artist, River is intended for residential and hospitality environments.Klassen makes each River Table from salvaged trees that would otherwise be discarded, retaining their live edges and inherent grain patterns. His curated inventory of wood slabs include western maple, walnut, elm and cedar. Tables can be ordered in a...

CORAL GABLES, FLA.—The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has announced the details for its new Caribbean Hospitality Industry Education Forum (CHIEF). The event will be held October 3 to 5, 2014, at the El Conquistador Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, in Puerto Rico. CHIEF will offer sessions on the state of the industry, new outside-the-box approaches to areas such as social media and managing distribution channels as well as other sessions that focus on operations, sales and marketing, sustainability and financial efficiency. CHIEF will be an educational and sales setting with a strong focus on the use of...

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA—Do you think you could ever get to the point of being able to describe your hotel as the greenest on your continent? If you followed the lead of the innovators behind Hotel Verde in Cape Town, South Africa, you might be able to. The hotel was built with sustainability in mind from the ground up. It’s literally in the walls since the construction includes Cobiax void formers—recycled plastic balls placed strategically within the concrete slabs that are required for the various floors. They dramatically reduce the amount of concrete required, while maintaining the structural integrity.Andre...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, has received a 2014 Climate Leadership Award for excellence in greenhouse gas management. The award, cosponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recognizes Ecolab for publicly reporting and verifying corporate greenhouse gas inventories and achieving aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.“We are serious about the efficiency of our internal operations from both an environmental and an operational perspective,” said Emilio Tenuta, Ecolab Vice President, Corporate Sustainability. “We set meaningful reduction goals, measure progress and are transparent in our reporting. The Climate Leadership Award...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—According to the latest “Energy Infrastructure Update” report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Energy Projects, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) accounted for 37.16 percent of all new domestic electrical generating capacity installed during calendar-year 2013 for a total of 5,279 MW.  That is more than three times that provided for the year by coal (1,543 MW—10.86 percent), oil (38 MW—0.27 percent), and nuclear power (0 MW—0.00 percent) combined. However, natural gas dominated 2013 with 7,270 MW of new capacity (51.17 percent). Waste heat provided the balance of new generating capacity—76 MW...

SYOSSET, N.Y.—Emerald Brand has officially released its first annual Social Responsibility Report in conjunction with its 2014 Catalog. The 2013 Social Responsibility Report showcases the company’s various efforts in environmental sustainability and community outreach throughout 2013. Highlights include the formation of a company-wide Green Team, stricter sustainable sourcing policies, reductions in shipping emissions and electricity usage, participation in tree-planting events, and contributions to global disaster relief efforts. Emerald Brand has been a major player in the sustainability sector since its inception in the late 1990s. The Brand started with just four recycled paper products and has grown to include more...