March 19, 2013
Dear Boston Green Tourism Members,                                                  

 

Our next Boston Green Tourism meeting will be Thursday March 21 from 2:30 to 4:00 at Westin Copley Place's Turner Fisheries Restaurant & Bar, in the Ipswich Harbor Room. Directions are here.

Thank you to our hosts: Glenn Ralfs, Rob Vass and Willie Garcia.   

 

Dan Ruben 

MEETING AGENDA

Boston Green Tourism Meeting 

 

March 21, 2013

 

Location: Westin Copley Place's Turner Fisheries Restaurant & Bar, in the Ipswich Harbor Room  

Hosts:       Glenn Ralfs, Rob Vass and Willie Garcia

 

2:30 to 2:40     Introductions 

 

2:40 to 2:45     Update, Dan Ruben   

                                                                                                                                      

2:45 to 3:10     Metering & Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS)                                                            Jeffrey Long, Professional Services, Sales Engineer, Schneider Electric
                          Brian Ricci, Buildings Solutions, Strategic Accounts Manager, Schneider Electric                           
    

3:10 to 3:25     Zagster -- The Newest Green Amenity 

                           Timothy Ericson, CEO and Co-Founder, Zagster  

                                                                         

3:25 to 3:40     2013 Mass Save Program Incentives  

                           Kevin Lubinger, Program Manager, Energy Efficiency, NSTAR Electric and Gas 

                         

3:40 to 4:00      Discussion: TripAdvisor Certification, Earth Hour, Earth Day 

IDEAS
Saunders Hotel Group Develops Creative Strategy for Purchasing 
Greener Products and Services

Scot Hopps wrote an illuminating article about how the Saunders Hotel Group (SHG) greens its supply chain.(How a Company Can Extend Its Sustainability Reach Upstream, Green Lodging News, March 5).

He noted that it's a challenge for independent hotels and small groups to buy environmentally-friendly products and services. They do not have enormous purchasing power, and their purchasing agents might not be well versed on how to assess items for their environmental attributes.

SHG evolved a four-part strategy to meet this challenge. First they wrote a Sustainable Purchasing Policy. Second, they crafted a one-page version of that policy so their purchasers would have a quick reference. Third, they sent a letter to their vendors that explains the policy. After taking these steps, SHG felt that they were still not getting the traction with vendors that they were seeking.

So, they added a fourth step. SHG purchasers now ask vendors about the green attributes of their products and services when they request quotes and bids from them. The vendors responded well. It seems thatvendors are most interested in discussing sustainability when the sale is on the line.

Kudos to SHG for their persistence, and for lighting the way on green procurement.
ARTICLES
Sustainability in the Kitchen -- Food and Drink                                      
Green Hotelier, July 27, 2010.

This article covers a range of strategies for greening hotel restaurants, including food purchasing and waste reduction.

Many Green Products Now Available for Bed Bug Detection, Elimination
Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News, November 8. 

Marriott Helps ˜Clean the World'
Press Release, February 25.

Marriott, "has become an official hotel partner of Clean the World, a non-profit that collects, recycles and distributes discarded soaps and other hygiene amenities to communities in need." 
2013 MEETINGS   

March 21: Westin Copley Place 

May 9

June 20  

August 1

September 12

October 24

December 5

 

See you Thursday at Westin Copley Place!