Successful Meetings - November 2008 - (Page 10) 11.08 & ANALYSIS > Supplier News NEWS Wyndham Takes Green Global Wyndham Worldwide launched its environmental and sustainability program, Wyndham Green, and the Wyndham Green website with a “Global Green Day.” The event, which took place at 35 Wyndham offices around the world including Fort Lauderdale, FL, Redmond, WA, and Indianapolis, IN, as well as South Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, incorporated educational components and access to eco-friendly products and vendors. “The goal of Wyndham Worldwide’s Global Green Day was to educate and formally launch our global Wyndham Green resource center to all associates,” explains Faith Taylor, who officially took the helm as vice president of sustainability and innovation for all of Wyndham on September 1. During the next year, Wyndham > ON THE RECORD Worldwide will implement initiatives Lyn Santos: preserving including enhanced recycling and water paradise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 13 reduction programs, the addition of sustainable Blue Harmony Spa and Fitness > CALENDAR Centers, allergy-sensitive CleanAir Upcoming industry rooms and meeting spaces, and workevents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 15 ing with both new and existing proper> SUPPLIER NEWS ties to achieve LEED (Leadership in Portland, OR convention Energy and Environmental Design) cercenter earns silver LEED tifications. rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 16 One creative strategy is the rollout of ecologically friendly uniforms for hotel staff that are made with recycled polyester fibers from plastic beverage bottles. Customer-facing employees will wear the machine-washable uniforms by the end of 2009 and back-of-the-house employees will wear them by 2010. The uniforms, which were created by the Cintas Corporation, are available in two collections, one geared for urban properties and the other for resorts, and in a variety of colors and design options so properties can tailor the look to their destination and needs. “Wyndham Worldwide has a unique opportunity to leverage our scale and adopt practices that will have a significant and lasting environmental impact,” said Stephen Holmes, chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide in the Global Green Day announcement. “While each individual act may seem small and insignificant, our collective actions are truly meaningful given our global footprint. We are committed to conserving our natural resources, preserving our habitats, and preventing pollution.” Some components of Wyndham Green will remain consistent across all properties, while others will vary to comply with local standards. “There are a set of 10 basic standards (e.g. reduce energy, reduce water and waste, recycle, donate, use and purchase eco products, and improve air quality) that are consistent and then we encourage and want regional application of these programs accordingly and to also meet local legislation and requirements that will differ per region,” says Taylor. “We will measure and quantify and a big push is to have a system that allows us to do so.” Wyndham also has an alliance with Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, serves organic and Fair Trade coffee, and uses environmentally friendly cleaning products from Ecolab. —Kinley Levack NOVEMBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS Inside 10 successfulmeetings.com http://www.successfulmeetings.com
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