Santa Monica, CA - April 23 - A representative of the Environmental Media Association (EMA), as well as former SQA winners will give the panel address at the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce 2012 Sustainable Quality Awards Luncheon themed "Green Messaging and Media." The Awards Luncheon is scheduled to be held at the Sheraton Delfina on May 2.  

The Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) were created in 1995 to honor businesses in Santa Monica that have made significant achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, social responsibility and stewardship of the natural environment.

EMA is partnering with this year's Sustainable Quality Awards to highlight the power of the entertainment industry and the media to educate the public on environmental issues, as well as to motivate others to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. Expert businesses will share their experiences in using sustainable messaging to market their business to the public, and further their mission.

"This is an exciting time for the Entertainment industry as many leading companies have incorporated sustainability into their everyday operations.,"says Laurel Rosen, President of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. "At this year's event we have the opportunity to showcase how media and messaging makes a difference in our communities."

In addition, TV host, speaker and sustainability expert Sarah Backhouse will return to emcee the event.

The Sustainable Quality Awards Grand Prize is awarded for combined excellence in three areas: economic development, social responsibility, and stewardship of the natural environment. In addition, excellence awards will be awarded to businesses with outstanding achievements in any one of the three areas. 

Celebrating its 17th year, the 2012 Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) is pleased to announcetwo SQA Grand Prize winners and four winners in the Excellence Categories:

Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows SQA Grand Prize

"We're more than just a hotel - we are an urban oasis for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, we're a meeting place for neighbors and community members and we're the setting for families to be joined."

The visionary statement and business model of the Fairmont makes this establishment a leader beyond the hospitality industry. The hotel also boasts a strong employee retention record with over 141 on staff for over 10 years. Employees enjoy benefits above and beyond most programs featuring medical and discounts at local fitness clubs, to Educational Assistance Programs - which offers financial assistance for part-time studies related to career objectives within the company. They strive to employ underrepresented members of the community by participating in recruitment seminars with organizations such as Chrysalis. Fairmont's Green Partnership program, created in 1990, states a commitment to sustainable tourism including minimizing the hotel's operational impacts on the planet. All carbon-causing activities are reported annually to calculate the company's carbon footprint per corporate guidelines. Energy efficiency measures range from phasing in LED lights, and energy management systems to control devices and having staff members turn off lights in unoccupied rooms at night. Water use is cut via no-flush water free urinals in men's restrooms. Guests who drive a hybrid receive discounted valet parking rates.  The Green Partnership also includes community outreach, which is an integral part of the commitment to sustainability. Every year, Fairmont participates in events such as WWF Earth Hour, California Coastal Clean-Up and Bowl-a-thon and provides in-kind donations to over 200 Santa Monica and surrounding charities. An SQA judge noted "The Fairmont operates their hotel like a family".

Healthy Spot  SQA Grand Prize

Healthy Spot is an all-in-one pet retailer providing preventative and proactive canine care, eco-friendly products, and a variety of services ranging from doggie-day care to pet grooming. Products used are organic, natural, raw or eco-friendly and made with responsible manufacturing practices. The backbone of Healthy Spot's mission statement is "To be leaders in our field, we must stay ahead of the curve in terms of knowledge and services".

The more diverse the company is, the more economically sustainable it will be because it will be better able to weather slow economic periods than a less diverse company.  Healthy Spot opened their doors in 2008 with four employees -and four years later, with sustainability as a priority in their business model, they have forty employees on payroll. Healthy Spot offers a range of products and services which are not often found in pet supply establishments. They demonstrate their environmental commitment by ONLY selling biodegradable doggie bags (bio-bags) and bio-training pads. Notable green building features include solar tubes in restrooms that provide natural sunlight, and a tank-less water heater. Last year Healthy Spot invested $1,400 in water conservation retrofits. Thinking outside of the box, the company uses discarded dog hair from the grooming salon which is spun into yarn and then turned into clothing! Social responsibility is one of the pillars in operating a sustainable business - and Healthy Spot also embodies this practice by donating to local charities and collecting unwanted pet items like leashes, crates, and toys for Operation Blankets of Love which distributes these items to pet shelters and rescues.

Bridgid Coulter Design   Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment

Bridgid Coulter Design (BCD) is aresidential and commercial interior design firm specializing in full service residential, boutique hospitality and interior design consultation. Sustainable practices are implemented in their design projects as well as the studio in which they work. Contractors salvage materials from demolitions to reuse in other projects. For example, the company repurposed a concrete driveway, cutting the slab into stepping stones throughout the project, eliminating almost 50 concrete pads from being hauled.  In addition, BCD donates or repurposes any unused furniture for charity projects. For furniture and shipping deliveries, they hire local companies to wrap items in reusable blankets and eliminate the use of disposable packaging. In their own office, BCD procures all sustainable products from 100% post-consumer recycled copy paper to ZERO VOC paints on their walls. Bridgid Coulter Design's mission states; "We believe great design enhances the health, mood and wellbeing of all who experience it and will innovate and adjust at every opportunity to create designs that inspire conversation, demand reflection, bring delight and respect the planet.

FIG Restaurant  Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment and Social Responsibility

FIG Restaurant, housed in the Fairmont Miramar, works with local farmers, growers and purveyors to source products for their seasonal menus. They define 'local' as food within 100 miles of their location exceeding the "local" requirement of the US Green Building Council. To do their part for the planet, FIG Restaurant bottles its own filtered tap water onsite in reusable water bottles. Their well vodka is certified organic and comes in recyclable and refillable bottles.  A recently installed cooling tower reduces energy use during down time. FIG restaurant also participates in Santa Monica's Food Waste composting program and the Santa Monica Farmer's Market Restaurant of the Week program. Used fryer oil is collected by a company called Further that turns the purified glycerin into products like hand soap - which FIG then purchases for use in their restrooms - completing the recycling loop. Community outreach is an integral part of their commitment to sustainability via Fairmont's Green Partnership program. FIG also has an exhaustingly long list of donations to charitable events, ranging from silent auctions to raffles. 

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel   Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is a luxury resort located in the heart of the Santa Monica oceanfront. Their hotel operations emphasize energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and green building materials throughout the establishment. Loews Santa Monica has a long history of environmental responsibility through a well-established Green Team consisting of key staff. Loews was one of Santa Monica's first luxury hotels to participate in the City's Food Waste Composting program, initiated in 2007. The newly renovated hotel features eco-friendly materials throughout the facility, such as photocells on exterior lights that turn on when the sun sets, and turn off with sufficient daylight. Their Ocean Spa and Fitness center features signature organic treatments and products.  To reduce traffic congestion, Loews installed bike racks for team members and offer priority parking for carpool and rideshare. To reduce paper use and their carbon footprint, all sales packets are electronic so they can be viewed without printing. The Loews Santa Monica Beach hotel also achieved recognition through the Santa Monica Green Business Certification.

Media Policy Center  Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment

Media Policy Center  (MPC) isa media foundation dedicated to building better communities through empowering productions and localized outreach.

All of the foundation's documentaries and TV series promote environmental change through the adoption of sustainable best practices. Notable productions are Eden's Lost & Found - a 4-hour PBS documentary set in four American cities. Their current project, Designing Healthy Communities, looks at how our built environment links to the rapidly deteriorating public health of the majority of US citizens such as obesity, diabetes, heart, asthma, cancer and depression.  In addition, their Going to Green educational series addresses many aspects of sustainability from Watershed Management to Green Building, to Green Collar careers (and more!) The series is used by many educational institutions - including Santa Monica College. MPC practices in-house what they produce for the screen. When establishing MPC, the founders made a point of having a work space close to their homes. The foundation promotes sustainable purchasing and local errands by foot, bike or public transportation. MPC's answer to how they go about offering employee training about environmental issues is, "We eat, breathe, and sleep environmental sustainability."

Two of the Sustainable Quality Award Winners participated in the Sustainable Works Business Greening Program. Healthy Spot and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel also achieved Santa Monica Green Business Certification (www.smgbc.org). The Business Greening Program is a FREE service for businesses located in Santa Monica and provides the SQAs with several strong candidates each year. Contact Sustainable Works at 310.458.8716 x6 for more information or visit www.sustainableworks.org.

By recognizing local businesses that have thrived through the adoption of more sustainable practices, the Sustainable Quality Awards hope to inspire other companies and individuals to adopt their own environmental measures to help conserve our natural resources.

Pre-paid tickets are $55 for Chamber members and $60 for non-members until April 24th. Please reserve tickets by calling 310.393.9825.  Tickets can also be purchased at www.smchamber.com/SQA.

For more information on the Sustainable Quality Awards visit smsqa.com.