WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), being held this year in Monterey, Calif., from September 17 to 19, features a one-of-a-kind opportunity to be part of sustainability leaders from around the world, including featured keynote presenters: Sydney Allicock, executive director, Surama Eco-Tourism (Guyana); Trip Van Noppen, president, Earthjustice (USA); and Amy Carter-James, co-founder, Guludo Beach Lodge and Nema Foundation (Mozambique).“By bringing together industry professionals and community stakeholders from around the world, the ESTC helps strengthen opportunities to learn from experienced ambassadors working directly with communities and conservation programs,” says Dr. Kelly Bricker, chair, The International Ecotourism Society...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced the results of its recent elections for five open positions on the Board of Directors. The new members of the board are Dr. Jiwei Xu, Chair of the Mt. Huangshan Administrative Committee; Heidi van der Watt, Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism-South Africa; Gwen Migita, Vice President of Sustainability for Caesars Entertainment; Clara Torres, Deputy Director of Public Relations for the Mexico Tourism Board; and Guy Chester, Director at EcoSustainAbility. In addition, Jennifer Seif—Executive Director of Fair Trade in South Africa—was elected certification representative. These newly elected officials bring...

LANSING, MICH.—The new edition of Contemporary Club Management, published by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI), introduces readers to the complex world of private club management as a specialized area of hospitality.Edited by Joe Perdue, CCM, CHE, and Jason Koenigsfeld, Ph.D., CHE, for the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the third edition of Contemporary Club Management covers a wide range of topics of concern to those working in private clubs, including club governance, membership marketing, club food and beverage operations, golf operations, and training/professional development. The third edition features two new chapters. “Effective Communication for Club...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has just added a new case study to its website. The case study focuses on Shaw Hospitality Group’s carpet recycling program—an effort that has resulted in more than 1 million pounds of carpet being reclaimed since 2009. Through key partnerships with major hoteliers such as La Quinta Inns & Suites, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Marriott and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, this 500 tons of reclaimed carpet has been diverted from U.S. landfills.The case study specifically addresses La Quinta Inns & Suites’ partnership with Shaw which since 2009 has resulted in 800,000 pounds of old carpet...

NORWALK, CONN.—HEI Hotels & Resorts chairman Gary Mendell announced the addition of a corporate social responsibility initiative to their Managers-In-Training (MIT) Program. As part of the comprehensive training program, the managers-in-training will complete a project focusing on one of the key areas of HEI’s corporate social responsibility platform.“To HEI, hospitality means much more than just providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience for our guests,” said HEI chairman Gary Mendell. “We passionately believe in actively supporting the communities in which we work, caring for our associates, building meaningful relationships with our partners, and reducing our impact on the environment. As...

OCEAN CITY, MD.—Executives at Real Hospitality Group (RHG), one of the nation’s largest third party hotel management firms, announced the launch of their Corporate Responsibility platform. Recently, RHG become the first hotel management company in the United States to sign the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct with ECPAT, USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children.“As a leader in the hospitality industry, Real Hospitality Group is proud to use our sphere of influence to do whatever we can to protect the most vulnerable,” says Rick Day, COO at Real Hospitality Group. “Responsibility to our...

NATIONAL REPORT—At the Bardessono in Yountville, Calif., wood from reclaimed Claro walnut and Bay laurel trees form desks and doors. At the new Jekyll Island Convention Center in Jekyll Island, Ga., reclaimed pine from South Georgia was used to create the flooring in the Ben Porter Salon event room. When the Hotel Vermont opens next April in Burlington, Vt., the hotel lobby will feature reclaimed antique red oak flooring. Using reclaimed wood in flooring, furniture and for other uses is becoming increasingly common in projects as more suppliers collect and revitalize this wood from sources ranging from deconstructed barns...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that it has formally removed shark fin from all of its hotel menus in Asia, effective immediately. The move, which also spans the luxury hotel brand’s global culinary operations, is in line with Fairmont’s commitment to environmental stewardship and supports an earlier pledge to offer sustainable seafood choices in an effort to conserve precious marine species.“We’re proud to be at the forefront of the movement to stop serving shark fin,” said Jean Michel Offe, Fairmont’s vice-president, food & beverage. “It’s a logical step for Fairmont, given our decades long work in greening our hotels...

VIENNA, VA.—Irene Lane, founder of the eco-travel site Greenloons, announces the launch of Greenloons Consulting Services to guide tourism businesses to third-party-certified green status. This is an extension of Greenloons that provides information about and access to third-party-certified sustainable vacations around the world.Greenloons Consulting Services will help clients meet a set of 37 minimum standards developed by the U.N. Foundation’s Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) of which Greenloons is a member. These universally accepted criteria serve as the basis for most eco-certification standards worldwide and have effectively established the GSTC as the global authority on sustainability in tourism. “Out...

MARIETTA, GA.—The Mohawk Group has named Rochelle Routman director of sustainability. Routman has almost three decades experience driving sustainability programs in both private industry and the public service sector.Routman comes to the Mohawk Group from Southern Company and Georgia Power, where she served as chair of the Sustainability Working Group and environmental specialist. She previously held sustainability leadership positions with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. She is a member of the Georgia Solar Energy Assn. and membership chair for the Green Chamber of the South.“Rochelle has a strong track record in sustainability culture development...