EcoGreenHotel

The Bentonville Convention & Visitors Bureau and EcoGreenHotel have teamed up to bring the local hotel community an educational look inside the Green Hospitality movement. EcoGreenHotel’s Jeff Kiec LEED AP will be presenting real world case studies. Bentonville is the worldwide headquarters of Wal-Mart a global corporate leader in the sustainability movement.  Jeff Kiec is the Corporate Director of Sustainability and will present examples of hotel energy efficiency, innovative technologies and green marketing. All case studies are based on real results from around the country. These proven solutions help general managers and building engineers increase their occupancy while lowering their overall costs.

Learn how hotels can quickly and economically stay competitive with leaders in the hospitality industry that are gaining the attention of the green traveler.  The case studies will cover:

• “Eco labels” for hotels
• Swimming pool energy  and chemical use reductions
• Occupancy Based Energy Management Systems
• Guest room and back of the house recycling programs
• Operational cost savings
• Web-based marketing strategies
• And much more…..

There will be no charge for the event and will include a great lunch sponsored by US Energy Solutions. In addition, EcoGreenHotel will provide a free EnergyStar benchmark evaluation to a local hotel as a door prize.

Who should attend? – Hotel Owners, Management Companies, General Managers, Building Engineers, Sales & Marketing Directors

Thursday  February 11^th 11:30am -1:00pm

DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel

301 Southeast Walton Boulevard
Bentonville, AR 72712

Event Limited to 40 participants

Please RSVP to Wendy@bentonville.org

If you cannot make the Bentonville Event you can join us in Arlington TX on Tuesday February 16^th 2010 or Plano TX Thursday February 18^th 2010. Email JKiec@EcoGreenHotel.com for more information. Also contact us if you would like to hold a similar event in your area.

About Jeff Kiec

Jeff Kiec, LEED-AP

Corporate Director of Sustainability-EcoGreenHotel

Mr. Kiec is a veteran in the environmental service industry. His experience includes engineering building assessments, building and operational sustainability audits, and environmental site assessments. As the volunteer Sustainability Director for Deep Ellum, a historic arts and entertainment neighborhood in Dallas, Mr. Kiec is responsible for educating and working with neighborhood businesses and property owners to incorporate sustainable building technologies.

EcoGreenHotel is a valuable resource for hotels dedicated to supporting hospitality sustainability. You can visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com for more information.

Eco-Efficiency, also generally termed “green,” is based on the concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution. In other words, it means doing more with less. So what does this have to do with your bottom line? It helps hotels provide better service while using fewer resources. Thereby, reducing the materials and energy intensity of goods and services lowers the hotel’s ecological impact AND improves the bottom line. It’s a key driver for overall business performance.

Triple bottom line, sometimes called the TBL or 3P approach – People, Planet and Profits, requires thinking in three dimensions, not one. It takes into account ecological and societal performance in addition to financial.
Today, quantifiable environmental impacts include consumption of finite resources, energy usage, water quality and availability, and pollution emitted. Social impacts include community health, employee and guest safety, education quality and diversity.

Why should you consider adapting such an approach?
For one, diverse businesses are learning the benefits of corporate sustainability. Take for example well-known companies such as Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Staples, Bank of America, GE, Home Depot, Anheuser-Busch, Honda, and Dell. It’s simple, factoring these impacts into their overall balance sheets will make these companies more successful because it delivers greater efficiency, makes them more competitive and sparks innovation – all drivers of profitability.

Need even more reasons? A study by A.T. Kearney, Inc, found that in 16 of the 18 industries studied, companies committed to sustainability outperformed industry averages by 15% over the six months from May through November 2008.
“Our study indicates that the market rewards specific companies,” said Dr. Daniel Mahler, author of the study. “We find common characteristics among the leading companies that show that sustainability goes far beyond the narrow definition of being environmentally friendly.”

At the end of the day, in plain English, eco-efficiency equals cost savings that translates directly to the bottom line. Intuitively, doesn’t it just make sense?
Ways to Become Eco-Efficient?
Transforming your hotel to be “green” doesn’t have to be at the expense of financial objectives – rather sustainable businesses are becoming more efficient, more innovative, more connected, more profitable, and more competitive.

However, just like all things, businesses go through phases. The best would be to consult a professional who understands the hospitality industry and sustainable solutions. It’s very easy to find solutions, but does it make sense for your hotel – that is the key factor.
To start, the following points should be incorporated into your hotel’s business strategy – as many are already forced to do given the dizzying energy costs. Let’s try to be proactive by:

* Reducing energy usage
* Enhancing recycling possibilities and options of all materials used
* Utilizing new technology to reduce energy and water consumption
* Recycling more and reducing toxic chemical use
* Maximizing use of renewable and recycled resources
* Purchasing environmentally friendly products, especially for housekeeping

You should also benchmark your hotel to determine your current situation. I have noticed many hotels striving for an Energy Star Certification and, on the flip side, guests seeking hotels that demonstrate green initiatives through certification. This program allows hotels to quantify and track energy and water usage and savings over time.

Wouldn’t you love to cut your energy bills 5-20% immediately? Next phase is to analyze your current situation and identify areas that yield tremendous savings in a short period of time. Our team at EcoGreenHotel offers an entire energy-efficiency package that does just that and more.
Bottom line of eco-efficiency is: completely integrate it into your business strategy – before natural resource prices sky-rocket. I believe the triple bottom line thinking and sustainability are unavoidable.

About Author

Experienced financial and private equity analyst of hotels and real estate investments, Susan Patel, has taken on the entrepreneurial hat at EcoGreenHotel as the lead in business development.

Driven by passion, EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and achieve the TBL. EcoGreenHotel.com is also a great resource for tools, checklists, current news and trends, as well as a marketplace for green products and services at EcoGreenHotelStore.com.

Back

Flip.to, a new social media tool that helps turn hotel guests into buzzing evangelists.

For an example of a hotel utilizing Flip.to look to the James Hotel in Chicago.

The concept of Flip.to is multi-faceted but is based on a simple one- word-of-mouth is a compelling and trusted form of marketing. Flip.to allows a hotel to create evangelists out of its employees, associates, partners – but more importantly – a hotel’s guests and a restaurant’s patrons. Every time one of these target groups uses Flip.to, they become instrumental in reinforcing the hotel’s message by sending it out to their friends and followers on their social networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Email) – in essence, becoming an extension of the hotel’s sales force and public relations efforts.

Flip.to can integrate with a hotel’s booking engine so that each guest can spread the word to his friends and colleagues about their upcoming stay right after they’ve made a reservation – with built-in incentives for both the guests and his or her followers to take action. Flip.to tracks each participant’s activity, so a hotel manager has analytics that show everyone’s activity on all social networks at any given moment.

Find out more about how Flip.to works for hotels and restaurants and sign up for the beta, or contact roncallari@ioptimizemarketing.com for more details.

About EcoGreenHotel
A valuable resource for hoteliers, EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and implement environmentally sound initiatives. The company’s online presence at www.EcoGreenHotel.com and www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com offers a marketplace for green hotel products and services and provides a one-stop venue for green hospitality industry news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.

The atrium lobby of the Embassy Suites Jackson – North/Ridgeland

Potential guests searching for an environmentally friendly hotel in Jackson, Mississippi or throughout Tennessee, the Carolinas, Texas, Alabama and as far north as Illinois need look no further than Kana Hotel Group. Kana recently contracted with EcoGreenHotel to perform an in-depth sustainability analysis of thirteen of its properties, with the dual goals of protecting the environment and boosting profits at the same time.

Kana Hotel Group’s president, Alpesh Patel, said he has three reasons for pursuing the greening process.

“First, it’s simply the right thing to do. We want to be a responsible business,” Patel said. “Profitability is another reason. Energy costs greatly affect our bottom line; in this tough economic environment, anything we can do to reduce expenses without sacrificing guest satisfaction is very important. The third reason – it’s what our guests and team members want. More companies and guests are choosing greener hotels with all else being equal, so this is another competitive advantage that we’re trying to achieve for our hotel. And the greening process has been fun and meaningful for our team members.

EcoGreenHotel president Scott Parisi said his company’s sustainability analysis for each of the Kana properties includes an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Account setup and upload, the property’s current Energy Star ranking, an onsite evaluation of the property by an EcoGreenHotel Sustainability Professional, a comprehensive energy conservation report and strategy proposal, energy procurement opportunities, rebate and incentive opportunities, and cash flow and funding opportunities to allow for project implementation.

“Working with a company like Kana Hotel Group is such an honor,” Parisi said. “They’re clearly doing this for all the right reasons. They’re one hundred percent engaged and committed, as evidenced by the fact that they’ve signed up thirteen of their properties for analysis to become green hotel accommodations. They’re walking the talk, and that’s refreshing.”

The first to undergo the analysis was the Embassy Suites Jackson-North/Ridgeland in Jackson, Mississippi, managed by Kammie Smith. The property has implemented a green team made up of both line level and managerial associates and led by sales manager Meghan Elder. EcoGreenHotel is coordinating the entire project and working with the green team and vendors to ensure proper and timely installation with the least interference in daily operations. EcoGreenHotel is also applying for rebates, incentives and loans to offset the costs of implementation.

From simple acts of recycling paper to biodegradable 100% recycled room keys Embassy Suites has taken strategic steps to go green. Read about Embassy Suite’s green initiatives here at www.greenhotelmississippi.net.

Patel said he is delighted with EcoGreenHotel’s administration of the process.

“We chose EcoGreenHotel for this process because they have excellent expertise in this arena and they have provided true value in the planning and execution of our green initiatives,” he said. “EcoGreenHotel is doing an outstanding job getting the most bang for our buck and delivering everything from A to Z.”

Patel and Parisi both spoke about the process at the 2nd Annual Green Lodging Conference in Orlando, Florida on December 9-11, 2009.

In addition to the Embassy Suites Jackson-North/Ridgeland, these Kana properties are also working toward sustainability to offer their guests green accommodations under the guidance of EcoGreenHotel:
• Hilton Garden Inn Nashville/Smryna TN
• Hampton Inn Knoxville/Lenoir City, TN
• Hampton Inn Knoxville/East, TN
• Staybridge Suites Greenville, SC
• Holiday Inn Express Knoxville/East, TN
• Hilton Garden Inn Charlotte/Mooresville, NC
• Hilton Garden Inn Huntsville/South AL
• Hilton Garden Inn Abilene, TX
• Hilton Garden Inn Winston-Salem, NC
• Holiday Inn Express Knoxville/Clinton, TN
• Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Southland – Matteson, IL
• Hampton Inn & Suites Huntsville/Athens, AL

About EcoGreenHotel

A valuable resource for hoteliers, EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and implement environmentally sound initiatives.

The company’s online presence at www.EcoGreenHotel.com and www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com offers a marketplace for green hotel products and services and provides a one-stop venue for green hospitality industry news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.

EcoGreenHotel’s consulting services guide owners, operators and developers through the journey of developing and/or maintaining a sustainable operation or project.

For more information about EcoGreenHotel, please visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or send an email to info@EcoGreenHotel.com.

There’s an old saying that people age at twice the normal rate when they’re in a meeting.

We now know that unfortunately, Mother Nature does, too.

Meetings and conventions that are run the traditional way have a strong negative impact on the environment, causing an increased demand for energy, paper, water and transportation, and a significant contribution to the waste stream. That’s why hotels and resorts around the world are devising new standards for green meetings – and event planners are embracing those standards.

In fact, venues without meaningful green initiatives are losing business. For example, Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s recent mandate that state meetings and conventions must take place in certified green hotels whenever possible set off a stampede among hoteliers who scrambled to “get their green on” and remain relevant. Similar mandates are happening around the country as more governments and corporations instruct their meeting and convention planners to choose only eco-friendly venues.

And venues are stepping up to the plate by coming up with (and publicizing!) innovative green meeting initiatives. For example, Hilton recently introduced its Hilton Meetings product, which features online tools for organizing meetings, eliminating the need for paper. For the parts of the event that do require paper, Hilton uses recycled products printed with eco-friendly inks. Marriott is donating a portion of its group room revenue to charities that work to preserve the Amazon rainforest. Fairmont’s Eco-Meet program gives planners the opportunity to select a meeting structure that minimizes waste and maximizes environmental awareness.

Attendees at Kimpton Hotels’ inspired EarthCare meetings can take home the paper on which their conference agenda was printed and plant it to produce wildflowers. Rosen Hotels and Resorts pioneered green meeting best practices that recently earned its owner, Harris Rosen, a prestigious Legacy Award from Sustainable Florida. And Individual properties are also developing their own green meeting programs. Among other things, the Sheraton in Reston, Virginia features sustainable menu items for its hungry conference-goers to enjoy.

What can your property do to increase meeting and convention bookings? Implement some or all of EcoGreenHotel’s Top Ten Green Meeting Tips, that’s what! See how many of these tips are already in place in your green hotel, then strive to do even more:

1. Limit paper waste by using e-mail, the web, and listservs for as much advance communication (proposals, menus, banquet orders, etc.) as possible. Offer online registration and paperless billing. Some properties even set up free websites for conference organizers, allowing them to post agendas and workshop handouts online. In your meeting rooms, provide presenters with white boards and water-based, non-toxic markers instead of paper flip charts.

2. For items that must be printed, use 100% post-consumer recycled paper and eco-friendly vegetable-based or soy ink. Print on both sides of the page.

3. Ask attendees to return their plastic name tag holders at the end of the event. Put labeled boxes near each exit – one for the paper part of the tag – which can be recycled – and another for them to drop the plastic holders into on the way out.

4. Offer condiments like salt and pepper, sweeteners, creamer, cream cheese, mustard and ketchup, etc. in bulk containers instead of individual single-use packets. Serve beverages from pitchers rather than in individual plastic bottles.

5. Set tables with reusable tablecloths, napkins, coasters, eating utensils, plates and glasses rather than disposables. Consider eliminating tablecloths altogether to save water in the laundry, and absolutely eliminate all Styrofoam. Use centerpieces of live plants, rocks, edible organic fruit or other Earth-friendly, natural items.

6. Promote paper, plastic, glass and aluminum recycling and vegetable waste composting by stationing a number of recycling and compost bins – each clearly labeled to maximize proper use – in easily accessible places throughout the venue.

7. Develop a menu that features as many locally-sourced, seasonal organic foods and beverages as possible – and try to make the price comparable with conventional menus. Be sure to present plenty of attractive options for vegetarian and vegan diners.

8. Be a good neighbor by teaming up with a local food bank or shelter to arrange donations of leftover banquet food. Donate a portion of the proceeds from each convention to an Earth-friendly charity. Provide meaningful ways for incoming groups to benefit your community. Offer volunteer opportunities like planting trees to offset their carbon footprint, or participating in a beach cleanup.

9. Prepare every staff member – from the front desk receptionist to the waste management director to the purchasing clerk – to maximize their role in each green meeting. Be certain that cleaning crews are trained to recycle everything, and that the chef understands the need to buy locally whenever possible. Get everyone on the same page.

10. Publicize your efforts! Tell the world about what you’re doing. Not only will tooting your own horn bring in more business, but you’ll also be building and strengthening the wave of sustainability that is currently sweeping the globe. Meeting participants and convention-goers will take some of your good ideas with them, and will implement them in their homes and offices. Other businesses will emulate your efforts as well.

Follow EcoGreenHotel’s Ten Tips and soon every meeting will be sustainable – and so will our planet!

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. – EcoGreenHotel, Inc announced today the official launch of it’s new online store www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com. EcoGreenHotel Store is a one-stop marketplace of over 1000 products and services for the green hospitality industry.

For the first time, the hospitality industry now has a reliable marketplace for their green supply needs. Through EcoGreenHotel Store, properties can purchase everything from environmentally sensitive amenities, earth-friendly cleaning supplies and sustainable furniture to biodegradable key cards and marketing services designed specifically for the green hotel industry.

Scott Parisi, President of EcoGreenHotel, states, “Over and over again, environmentally conscious hotel professionals have told us they wished they could simplify things and purchase their green supplies from one location…and so we set out to create the most comprehensive online source for environmentally friendly hospitality goods and services in the industry.”

EcoGreenHotel Store is a green marketplace that:

• Provides one-stop shopping
• Enables easy access to quality green products and services from numerous vendors
• Offers comparable and competitive pricing
• Offers environmentally preferable products that are not “greenwashing”
• Allows hotels to minimize costs associated with labor and time-intensive effort required for researching, identifying, testing and acquiring
• Allows hotels to reach guests who are concerned about their environmental impact
• Offers additional product search support for hotels seeking “hard-to-find” green alternatives and product reviews
• Contributes to the goal of “People, Planet, and Profits”

For the past year, Parisi has collaborated with veteran specialty suppliers including Pineapple Hospitality, DeBlauw Purchasing, T2 Site Amenities, and Ecotek to assemble cost-effective eco hotel products available on the web.  His vision for the store is simple:

“We want the EcoGreenHotel Store to be the go-to source for quality, affordable eco hotel products and services.”

A few benefits of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP):

• Reduce waste and utility costs
• Attract environmentally conscious customers
• Possible new revenue streams
• Improve image: brand and goodwill
• Responsive to employee and guests health and wellness needs
• Economically responsible hospitality supply buying
• Increase stakeholder value
• Minimize environmental footprint

The EcoGreenHotel Store’s virtual shelves are stocked with products and services from dozens of companies, including:

• Azul Conservation Products, home of cool tools designed to preserve precious water resources.
• Hanger Network, creator of the EcoHanger, the ultimate sustainable multi-tasker.
• Swisssol-USA Creative Body Care, maker of incredible natural body care products and dispenser systems.
• Hospitality v-Marketing, the place to go for multi-media content, photography, videography and graphic design for eco hotels.
• Luxur-Eco, wholesaler of lavish environmentally-conscious items for the hotel bed and bath.

EcoGreenHotel has partnered with Ray Burgur, President of Pineapple Hospitality, which is a superior distribution and marketing company dedicated to providing innovative products and services to the lodging industry. Pineapple is currently the largest supplier of eco amenities, cleaning products, and other merchandise being offered on the site.

“Pineapple has played a major role in identifying relationships with additional suppliers that will be offering products on the site,” Parisi said.  “And for advance planning and sourcing of FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) for renovations, PIP’s (product improvement plans) mandated by brands, and supplies for new-build hotels, services provided by DeBlauw will assist hotels of any size .So the EcoGreenHotel Store’s offerings cover the entire scope of the industry.”

EcoGreenHotelStore.com brings all of those products together in one place, making it easy for hotel owners and managers to make the right choices as we move toward a more sustainable AND more profitable future for the hospitality industry.

Parisi continues to seek sustainable products to add to the merchandise lineup at the EcoGreenHotel Store.  Potential vendors are asked to contact him immediately at sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com.

About EcoGreenHotel

A valuable resource for hoteliers, EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and implement environmentally sound initiatives.  The company’s online presence at www.EcoGreenHotel.com and www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com offers a marketplace for green products and services and provides a one-stop venue for green hospitality industry news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.

EcoGreenHotel’s consulting services guide owners, operators and developers through the journey of developing and/or maintaining a sustainable operation or project.

For more information about EcoGreenHotel, please visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or send an email to info@EcoGreenHotel.com.

Photo by AndrewMark

We recently told you about EcoGreenHotel’s exciting new partner in Canada, Bleu Environment – a Montreal-based firm that offers training, carbon neutrality assistance and advice, R & D and marketing services, and help with achieving environmental certifications like L.E.E.D. to all sorts of businesses, including eco hotels.

Well, it appears that Bleu Environment isn’t the only good green thing happening north of the border these days. Check out this article from the Windsor (Ontario) Star. It’s about a utility company called Enwin that recently launched a pilot project entitled “Green Suites.” In this innovative program, the utility pays participating hotels and motels up to $250 for each kilowatt hour saved when the properties make energy upgrades and/or switch to more efficient lighting and appliances.

An Enwin spokesperson said that if the project meets its energy conservation target in Windsor, then “there’s every possibility that the Ontario Power Authority will extend the program across the province.”

And if this concept works in Ontario, why wouldn’t it also work in Quebec, or Saskatchewan, or British Columbia? Heck, why wouldn’t it work wherever in the world you are, too?

Here’s an idea – why don’t each of us send that article’s link to the marketing department of our public utility companies, along with a note encouraging them to develop a similar pilot? Offer your eco hotel as a guinea pig to test the concept.

Then contact us today to find out how we can help you implement a money-saving green initiative at your hotel. Our energetic team of green hospitality veterans will help you find the money to pay for ecologically-sound upgrades, saving you even more in the long run. Whether your property is in the United States, Canada or elsewhere, we’ve got the expertise and the connections to get you started on the path to a sustainable hotel – or to expand upon what you’ve already begun.

Don’t delay. There has never been a better time for hotels to go green!

Smiley faces like these were a fad in the 1960’s. Photo by Aleksandra P

So I was taking a break from my eco hotel duties the other day and was flipping through cyber-space when I ran across this old article from 2007. In it, an analyst was cited predicting that the green trend was nothing more than a passing fad.

“The consumer is consumed with other things, and very rarely have they ever endorsed and embraced the green endeavors,” he said, apparently with a straight face. “It’s basically a card that a lot of people played while it was hot and trendy. And it got overplayed.”

Hot and trendy? Overplayed? Could the guy have been more wrong?

Generally speaking, the difference between a fad and a trend is time. A fad is fleeting, like pet rocks, smiley faces, parachute pants or leg warmers. It comes and goes relatively quickly (and usually, it’s a relief to see them go!) A trend, on the other hand, has staying power. A trend may start life as a fad, but somehow it manages to take hold and stick around. Think shabby chic home décor, or body art.

I believe that environmentalism goes beyond fad or trend. I think it is becoming a new way of life. And to live that new lifestyle, people are consuming accordingly.

Study after study has shown that offering environmentally sensitive options is a major selling point for consumers across every sector, including hospitality. Today’s consumer is more aware of and cares more about environmental issues than ever before… it’s now a proven fact.

And that awareness and concern impacts the purchasing choices all these consumers make, whether they’re purchasing appliances, cars, electronics, food – or a hotel room.

A study conducted by the National Marketing Institute shows that consumer awareness of the environmental impact of their choices went up significantly between 2004 and 2008. For example, 40% of consumers now say that they recognize the impact their appliances have on the environment. That’s up 12% from 2004. Around 43% understand the impact of their electricity usage on the environment (up 7%) and 41% comprehend the effect of their vehicle.

The study’s conclusion was that manufacturers, retailers and service providers should increase their green offerings even more, because the demand for innovative, sustainable alternatives is definitely out there, and it’s growing.

So the next time someone tells you that green is just a fad, or that it’s not worth the time it takes for your eco hotel to pursue or expand its green initiative, show them all the evidence to the contrary.

Then, squeeze into some bell bottoms, set out a few bean bag chairs, a fondue pot and a lava lamp, spin a few 45’s on the hi-fi and invite them over for a friendly game of Twister.

Maybe then they’ll be able to see the difference between a fad and a lifestyle!

For more information visit: www.EcoGreenHotel.com

As the founder and president of EcoGreenHotel, I am always looking for pioneering ideas and solutions to support hospitality sustainability. A very important part of my search for new ideas and technologies is to spend a part of my weekend catching up with Jason Calacanis and his weekly podcast “This Week in Start Ups”.

The thirteenth episode premiered this past Friday the 28^th of August. Every episode I have viewed has added value to EcoGreenHotel and hopefully to our visitors experience. Episode 13 was no different. This week we have taken two ideas from the show and have added them to the EcoGreenHotel platform.

First off, Jason mentioned a new technology called Tweetmeme which allows visitors the ability to view how many times a blog or a news article has been re-tweeted as well as the ability for our visitors to easily share a story with their Twitter network. We have already added this feature to our blogs as well as the EcoGreenHotel.com News and Trends.

The second tool picked up during the thirteenth episode of TWIST came directly from Jason’s guest Matt Mickiewicz, founder of Sitepoint.com and 99designs.

Today EcoGreenHotel is weeks away from revealing our online store front EcoGreenHotel Store which will be the best selection of sustainable products to support the hospitality industry. By utilizing 99designs we will  have the oppurtunity to have our new logo recreated by multiple designers to give us a choice of professionally produced artwork at a fraction of the price through traditional sources.

There is a third benefit I picked up from the show this week and that is an offer from Jason. The offer is for a $500 Apple gift certificate to purchase the new Iphone 3GS for anyone who provides the best recap of Episode 13. So here you go Jason….

This Week in Start Ups-Episode 13

This Week in Start Ups starts every week with a catchy tune from Kanye West followed by a warm welcoming from your host Jason Calacanis. The show is then broken down into segments and lately Jason has been adding a new segment on a weekly basis. Who knows maybe Episode Thirteen’s, 2 hour and twenty minute timeline might not be sufficient time in the spotlight for the Trump like ego maniac entrepreneur which is Jason Calacanis.

Jason, utilizing his marketing genius starts the show by means of Twitter and his audience to thank his sponsors through @DNAMail, @WebSpy, @ Audible_Com, and @Ustream. Who knows someday he may be he will be thanking @EcoGreenHotel.

Recently the weekly guests have started to be announced at the beginning of the show which this week was Matt Mickiewicz, founder of Sitepoint.com and 99designs.  Matt has been an entrepreneur since high school, when he founded what was the precursor to Sitepoint. Haunted by a previous episode where Jason noted that no start ups come out of our northern neighbors made Jason backpedal as he welcomes the Canadian guest and mentions a few other Canadian companies proven to be worthy of praise as a start up including IStockphoto and RIM.

By moving the introduction of the weekly guest to the beginning of the show allows for the guest to participate in the beginning discussions. Starting this week’s show was an over view and a trailer for “We Live in Public” NY giveaway an upcoming Indy film that Jason plays part in and an offer from Jason to send some Mahalo swag in return for anyone in NYC that can check out the film.

“Ask Jason”, is the next segment of the show where Jason and the very quiet Matt fielded phone calls from entrepreneurs that seek advice from the two proven innovators. Before they take their first call the ever becoming more irritating, visitor produced “Insights from Tyler Jingle” comes blasting over my speakers and shifts the spotlight to Jason’s counterpart Tyler Crowley. In my opinion unless we are trying to build a drinking game out of the show, please give us a little less jingle and a little more of Tyler’s always genuine knowledge.

Jason takes his first caller from the 310 and proves that although Jason may be able to spit out population facts for Canada however he is not familiar with the Maryland area code that surround our capital city of the United States. The self admitted nervous caller asks Jason about the difficulty to launch hardware products as a start up and is provided with some great comments and guidance from the power duo. The following caller brings information about a new start up application that will allow users to produce and upload podcasts in a more efficient manner.

After an interview of this week’s guest, Jason introduces the next segment which is the newly created “Jason’s Shark Tank”, a parity of Sony Pictures new TV Series Shark Tank which premiered on ABC on August 17^th, 2009.

The segment will allow entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their idea to Jason and his weekly guest with a chance that they might bite on their idea. This allows entrepreneurs an incredible opportunity not only to bring some capital into a newly formed operation but also have the involvement of a proven marketing genius that has a proven track record of successful start ups. I believe EcoGreenHotel is a great candidate to maneuver through the “Shark Infested Waters”.

Although this week’s pitch was not a fully baked concept to Jason or Matt, they did provide the caller with some great feedback and did not shut the door on the prospect of further investigation of the concept.

Jason shared his view on what an entrepreneur needs to possess to make them a viable candidate to survive his version of the Shark Tank. Being raised by a bartending father and a mother working hard in the nursing profession, Jason has a respect for hard working individuals. If you are a committed, hard working, self made operator that can turn a nickel into a dollar you may have a shot of making it past the Shark Tank. If you are a donkey that needs a dollar to make a nickel you better call ABC and try to get on that other show.

The news is the next segment of the show where Andrew Warner was brought to the table sitting in for Lon Harris. Andrew, Matt and Jason discussed the latest news topics including Apple’s Snow Leopard, NFL Banning Twitter, Yelp and more.

The homework segment sponsored by Audible and promoted with an Incredible Audible Deal, assigns guests a reading assignment the “Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezerich. This story of the founding of Facebook is a tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal and will give a lucky caller the chance to discuss the book with Jason next episode.

We are so close to wrapping up and I thought maybe just once we might just get through an entire episode without the mentioning of Jimmy “Fails” Wales but the Dead Pool segment prompts Jason to make sure that he mentions his rival for the Thirteenth episode in a row. Luckily for us it was only one time this episode!!!

I hope you all enjoyed a deeper look inside EcoGreenHotel and one of the tools we utilize to Support Hospitality Sustainability.

Take a look at the episode I have recapped by clicking on the link The thirteenth episode, I believe that no matter what you are working on this will be a significant tool for you.

Thank you for your time,

Scott Parisi                    President-EcoGreenHotel                SParisi@EcoGreenHotel.com

At EcoGreenHotel, we are working toward the day when every hotel will not only offer its guests a clean, safe and sustainable accommodation, but also offer its employees a healthy place to work. In a nutshell, we support a holistic approach to green lodging, which naturally includes unpolluted air.

That’s why we get more than a little discouraged when we see a hotel implementing a fantastic green initiative yet still allowing its guests to smoke inside the building. After all, one of the most important aspects of a healthy environment is clean air, isn’t it?

And we aren’t the only ones who think that unpolluted air is elemental. According to a 2008 study by J.D. Power and Associates, the vast majority of North American hotel guests agree. A whopping 89% said that they prefer staying in a smoke free hotel environment.

In an effort to support facilities that offer a completely smoke free atmosphere, the fine folks at Pineapple Hospitality created FreshStay®, the world’s leading online directory of 100% smoke free hotels. Recently, FreshStay® celebrated the 4000th property to join its list: the Comfort Suites in St. Charles, Missouri.

Pineapple Hospitality President Ray Burger says the Choice Hotel chain – of which Comfort Suites is a part – has been an industry leader in offering smoke free rooms to its guests.

“In 1984, Comfort Suites was the first hotel company to include non-smoking rooms in every one of its worldwide properties, and it continues its industry leadership today,” Burger said. “In 2007 we listed over 400 Choice Hotels, primarily Comfort Suites and Cambria Suites, as 100% non-smoking on FreshStay®. We now feature over 1250 Choice Hotel branded properties. We also receive regular monthly updates from Hilton and Marriott, and their numbers are growing quickly as well.”

If you’re ready to take your green hotel to the next level and implement a property-wide smoking ban, contact us at info@EcoGreenHotel.com. We’ll be happy to guide you through the process.

Then, sign up to be a member of FreshStay®. For a small annual membership fee (but no booking commission!) your property will be featured in FreshStay’s® popular online directory aimed at Frequent Breathers® everywhere.

For more information visit: www.EcoGreenHotel.com