Mandarin Oriental Miami: Green as Can Be!

The Mandarin Oriental Miami, part of one of the most luxurious hotel chains in the world, has begun implementing “Green Efforts,” in their hotel in order to become more conscious of the impact they are having on the environment. 

The Mandarin Oriental has partnered with Clean The World, a program which recycles donated soap. More than 2.6 million soap bars are discarded every day by hotels in the United States, and all of this soap ends up in landfills. Clean The World takes this soap from hotels, reprocesses it for sanitary reasons, and then donates the soap to homeless shelters locally and impoverished countries worldwide. Nearly 26,000 bars of soap have been donated to those in need just from the Mandarin Oriental alone!

Some other great green efforts that the Mandarin Oriental Miami has implemented include adding low flow systems for faucets, showers, and toilets in order to conserve water, outfitting exterior and lobby lighting with low energy florescent lighting, and use of a computerized Energy Management system. The Mandarin Oriental Miami also has recycling programs for paper products, plastic, aluminum, light bulbs, pallets, TVs, and computers. This hotel even has a “Light Patrol” that conducts a daily walk through to ensure that all un-used lights are turned off! For their efforts, the Mandarin Oriental Miami was awarded the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Lodging Program designation, also known as the Green Palm. 

As the Mandarin Oriental Miami has shown, just a few small steps can make a big impact on the environment. Don’t you want your next stay to be in a green hotel?

For more information, please visit: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/about_mo/media/press_kits/miami/miami_green.aspx

Ritz-Carlton Boston Common

In true Ritz-Carlton form, the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common combines contemporary sophistication and classic elegance for a truly luxurious experience whether traveling for business or leisure. 

Located in the heart of downtown, this hotel is the perfect place to experience the history, culture, night life and culinary indulgences the city has to offer. Most rooms offer views of the picturesque Boston Common (the city’s 50 acre central public park) which is just down the street from the hotel. Also just a short walk way is the start of the Freedom Trail (a walking path through the downtown area linking 17 significant landmarks in our nation’s history), Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston’s Theater District, Chinatown and Little Italy.

Gym-goers and health-nuts will love the 100,000 sq ft spa, fitness and sports complex, The Sports Club/LA. Featuring a salon, a full-range of spa treatments, a health-focused restaurant/bar/café, over 40 different sports and fitness options including: a junior Olympic pool (indoors), a full basketball court, squash courts, a boxing studio and a myriad of instructor-led classes.

Connected to the 19-screen Loews Theater Boston Common, guests can visit the upscale theater to catch a recent release, or groups can use the theater’s videoconferencing capabilities to connect with others around the world. 

With 11,000 total square feet of truly flexible indoor meeting space, this hotel is a perfect fit for small, intimate groups and can meet and feed groups of 150+ with ample breakout space. All meeting rooms are located on the same level in two adjacent wings with a large ballroom on each side, providing privacy when there are multiple groups in-house. The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom is 3,574 sq ft and features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Boston Common and city skyline as well as state-of-the-art built-in audio-visual equipment.

In mid-2010, the Ritz completed a $11 million renovation of the 193 guest rooms (including 43 suites), meeting spaces and public areas emphasizing community, creativity and “the fine art of living.” Shortly after, the lobby bar and hotel restaurant were also renovated and re-branded with the goal of appealing not just to hotel guests but also become a hotspot for locals looking for a more stylish and relaxed gathering place.

As of January 2011, the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common has earned AAA 5-Diamond Status and is one of only three hotels in Boston and about 100 hotels in the country to achieve the 5-Diamond standing. 

CEIR Report: Study Predicts Steady Industry Growth for Rest of 2013

The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) is predicting "steadied growth" for 2013. Data collected for the first quarter of 2013 CEIR Index was in line with CEIR forecast and reveals that the Total Index increased by 1.3 percent compared to the same period in 2012, but fell behind real GDP which gained 1.8 percent during the same period.

http://www.internationalmeetingsreview.com/research-education/ceir-report-study-predicts-steady-industry-growth-rest-2013-96053?utm_source=newsletter&amp%3Butm_medium=email&amp%3Butm_campaign=unknown&amp%3Butm_content=96053&spMailingID=17946468&spUserID=NDYzMTcyNDIzMTUS1&spJobID=232882564&spReportId=MjMyODgyNTY0S0

What the Federal Government Shutdown Means for Meetings

As the first week of the government shutdown comes to a close, all industries are trying to understand how the lack of federal support will affect their businesses.

Check out this article from the Professional Convention Management Association on how meetings and conferences will be impacted until the end of the shutdown.

http://pcma.org/be-in-the-know/pcma-central/pcma-news/news-landing/2013/09/30/what-the-federal-government-shutdown-means-for-meetings#.Uk8O52TXjoE#ixzz2gmUOfSqB

Lied Lodge and Conference Center

Going green seems to be a big trend with hotels and some meeting space venues, but it seems that these efforts are just to keep up with the trends rather than actually trying to conserve. The Lied Lodge & Conference Center has made efforts to create an upscale- rustic property that has promoted sustainability long before it was cool. Located on the same site as the Arbor Day Farm, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, the home was originally owned by J. Sterling Morton the secretary of agriculture under Grover Cleveland and the founder of Arbor Day.

            The 260 acre grounds are covered with more than 270 different varieties of fragrant trees, not including apple orchards, sunflower and wildflower fields and rolling vineyards. In between the trees in an Eco-friendly 18-hole golf course and a greenhouse are located. Not to mention a grove of hazelnut trees that are being studied by leading regional researchers and the Woodland Pavilion which Disney helped design to teach people what the world would be like without trees. A bio diesel tractor is available for farm tours and the farm has many more opportunities for education on conservation. They even provide each guest with a tree to take home with them and plant.

The lodge was built in 1993 and when constructed it was built in order to preserve, protect and conserve. The hotel’s lobby was crafted from Douglas firs, and for every tree that they cut down for construction they planted a new one. The Conference Center is IACC Certified and can accommodate up to 300 people. Wood chips are burned for the heating and cooling system and guest can even watch the process as and learn on site. All the food is farm to table including apple slices and wine from the on site vineyards.  If your interested in a visit more information is available at liedlodge.org .