The Florida Green Lodging Conference

Visit Gainesville and The University of Florida TREEO Center are excited to offer the inaugural “Florida Green Lodging Conference” at one of the first designated green hotels in the state, the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center. Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the nation’s leader in designating hotels as green with a goal-based program that tracks continuous improvement.  With the terms “green” and “sustainable” being used every day to describe all kinds of consumer items and activities, visitors to Florida (over 35 million annually) now have the opportunity to stay in hotels that employ environmentally friendly practices. According to Visit Florida (2006), these guests contribute over $14 billion to the local communities in the state.

The demand for green hotels increased after Governor Crist's Executive Order 07-126 requiring state agencies to contract meeting and conference space with facilities that have the DEP Green Lodging Designation. The government sector is leading this trend with the association corporate markets. US EPA also requires that meetings and conferences be held in green hotels and is in the process of developing standards for green meetings.

"Florida Green Lodging Conference" provides much needed education to hoteliers who are concerned with rising operational costs and lower occupancy due to the current economic downturn. Emphasis will be on the economic benefits of "going green" for the lodging industry. Experienced professionals will talk about what changes can be made to the hotel building envelope and processes that give the greatest Return on Investment (ROI).

We encourage you to attend this inaugural conference and learn from recognized industry leaders how to improve your bottom-line while leaving the smallest footprint on the environment.

Regards,

Conference Co-Chairs