Several NSC Hotels Thinking Green
There are 24 official hotels for this year's National Safety Council Congress & Expo. Smart Meetings magazine highlighted green initiatives by five of them, as well as by the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Five of the 24 official hotels for this year's National Safety Council Congress & Expo in Philadelphia have adopted green initiatives recently, including tables and chairs made from recycled materials in some meeting rooms at the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown and a composting program at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, which "sends some waste to its roof to fertilize the garden that grows herbs and vegetables for its on-site restaurants," Josef Aukee reported in the October 2011 issue of Smart Meetings magazine.
The conference takes place Oct. 30 through Nov. 4, with the expo set for Oct. 31 through Nov. 2.
Aukee's article in the magazine also highlights recent moves by these designated hotels, including:
- An energy management system controlling HVAC at the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown.
- A 33 percent reduction in energy consumption by the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia since 2005 and its use of minerals, not chlorine, to salinate the indoor pool and hot tub.
- The Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, which is the only LEED Gold-certified hotel in the city, Aukee reports. Its blankets are made from 100 percent recycled content, it offers parking discounts for hybrid cars, and it uses recycled wall coverings, according to his article.
- Light sensors and timers used by the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing to reduce energy use.
- Sofitel Philadelphia, which received the highest recognition in this hotel chain's Green Key Eco-Rating Program.
The expo and other activities during this conference will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which is "moving the entire facility to a more sustainable footprint," CEO Ahmeenah Young of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, which oversees the center, told Aubee. The center recently completed a $786 million expansion that increased its size by 62 percent and made it the 14th largest convention center in the United States, the Inquirer reported in July. This was the most expensive public works project in the state's history, staff writer Suzette Parmley reported.
The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, headquarters hotel for the conference, completed a $17 million renovation of its meeting space this summer. This hotel is the only one connected by a skywalk to the convention center.