CHICAGO—This month hoteliers from around the globe will be flocking to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York with one goal in mind: “Powering Business for the New Economy”—the theme for the 2010 International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show from November 13 to 16. OpenWays, the hospitality industry’s first mobile key front-desk bypass solution, gives hoteliers a new platform for sustainability by dematerializing keys and cards and instead sending them over the air to cell phones. Through its new “Plastic or Data?” campaign, which will launch at the IHMRS in Booth No. 2551, OpenWays is giving...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Sustainable Cards, a leading source of sustainable wood for hotel key cards, gift cards and retail point-of-sale signage, announced that Scandic Hotels, one of Europe’s leading hotel chains, will use its wooden hotel key cards in all of its 157 hotels in nine countries. After using an earlier version of the wood card at some of its properties for more than seven years, Scandic Hotels has now decided to implement Sustainable Cards’ new patent pending version of the decade old Swedish invention in all of its hotels. Scandic Hotels, headquartered in Stockholm and long regarded as an industry leader...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Control4, a leader in IP-based home and hospitality control systems, announced that the Control4 platform is being used to enhance the guest experience at Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort located in Antigua, West Indies. Each of the 40 guestrooms, suites and villas, scattered across the 300-acre private island resort, is now equipped with a Control4 system. Guests use a single Control4 remote and simple, on-screen interface to control the television, NXTV system, Bose sound system, DVD Player and iPod docking station. The hotel can upgrade the ZigBee-based wireless Control4 system with additional capabilities, such as lighting control...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Concept Amenities, a supplier of environmentally responsible guestroom toiletries, will be presenting an array of products in booth 1581 during this year’s ISSA/Interclean Trade Show, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The show, scheduled for November 9 to 12 and hosted by ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Assn.), features merchandise from a wide range of manufacturers, distributors and service providers, and not only offers attendees the opportunity to network with peers from more than 65 countries, but also education in the form of technical workshops and certification courses. Concept Amenities will be launching two new collections. French Connection...

MIAMI—Environmental Services and Products LLC (ES&P) has launched a national campaign to bring its Grout Armor treatment to North America to restore and protect floor and wall grout for the hotel, restaurant, retail, health care, corporate and institutional industries. ES&P’s Grout Armor process is provided by a network of service providers. Rick Greenlaw of ES&P reports that grout treatments have traditionally required toxic, harsh chemicals that leave the manufacturer’s original surface damaged and porous. Grout Armor uses no dangerous materials and restores the grout to its original condition. “If people knew how much bacteria and very nasty things were in that...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Greenwise Bankcard unveils its new, patent pending solutions that help retail merchants, accepting credit and debit cards, improve their bottom line, reduce carbon footprint, and raise donations supporting socially worthy causes and charitable organizations through the point of sale. Greenwise Bankcard combines credit card processing services, the Green Receipt “paperless-receipt” solution, and the point of sale fundraising program called Donate Wise Now into one easy package called the Green Suite. Combining proprietary technologies certified to a broad base of hardware and software solutions makes it easy to integrate into most merchant locations.  Greenwise, a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo...

ROSWELL, GA.—Facility and HVAC engineers can now obtain critical operating cost data for HVAC air filters anywhere, any time, thanks to a new mobile smart phone tool from Kimberly-Clark Filtration. The mobile analysis tool works with a variety of smart phones and other mobile devices and is available for free. It allows people to compare the energy costs and environmental impact (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions) of any two similar HVAC systems using different filters simply by entering data into an easy-to-use form. (Online instructions are available to help.) The tool then automatically calculates the energy costs and annual CO2...

BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia recently announced that InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa has successfully achieved “EarthCheck Silver Certification.” This award places InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa as one of the leaders in the ever-increasing market for environmental sustainability.  EarthCheck is a leading sustainability program used by the travel and tourism industry. EarthCheck is a science-based approach to sustainability that establishes a system to track and measure resource use and waste output, and encourages design and operational effectiveness. The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa team has made continuous efforts to remain environmentally,...

NEW YORK—The Israel Ministry of Tourism entered into a new partnership last month with ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents, as the exclusive travel destination sponsor of the association’s Green Program. The partnership comes shortly after Israel launched its One Hundred Years of Green tourism campaign promoting eco-friendly tourism sites around the country. ASTA’s Green Program consists of educational and promotional resources that enable travel agents and suppliers to increase their knowledge of travel’s impact on the environment and highlight their commitment to keeping travel an environmentally friendly business to consumers.  “We are excited to enter a partnership aiming...

MCLEAN, VA.—The Knowland Group, the world’s largest data firm in the global meetings and conventions industry, published a white paper cataloging the timeline and effects of the gulf oil spill on the region’s hospitality industry. Following the April 2010 spill, Knowland conducted numerous surveys with hoteliers. These surveys, along with insight and data linked to the spill response, are analyzed in the document. Knowland’s white paper shines light on how hoteliers can maintain sales in times of crisis. “Through examination of the survey data and responses, the numbers reveal the vast majority of hoteliers were left without guidance as to...