Oct. 26, 2010

To help the regional hospitality industry learn how to “go green,” the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development at CSU Monterey Bay hosted a conference on Oct. 4.

The Sustainable Hospitality Symposium made the connection between responsible environmental practices and economic development, and the message wasn’t lost on the 350 people in attendance. That number included about 100 industry professionals and 200 students.

Several speakers stressed that sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry and will impact how event planners select destinations.

“You have a leg up” if you’re going green, said Amy Spatrisano, one of the speakers. She added that the DoubleTree hotel in Portland attributes $4 million in business since 2006 to its sustainability efforts.

Three of the speakers – Spatrisano, Nancy Wilson Zavada and Fiona Pelham – were given Innovation awards, recognizing their contributions to the development of international standards. Spatrisano and Zavada are co-founders of the Green Meeting Industry Council. Pelham, director of Sustainable Event Ltd. in the United Kingdom, is the co-chair of ISO 20121, a standards system for sustainable events.

Participants signed a “green manifesto,” committing them to maintain the sustainable practices that are already under way in the regional industry, and promising to continue to move toward even more sustainable practices.

The event was zero-waste. The day’s schedule was printed on handmade paper embedded with seeds. After the event, the paper was planted and will grow into flowers. The centerpieces on each table included potted plants that will be used to start a garden. And lunch was served on edible plates.

The symposium, held in collaboration with the Monterey County Business Council, demonstrated the university’s vision of innovation, global connection and community engagement as well as its own efforts to go green.