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Industry Trends/Innovations - June 2008
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Survey shows business travelers’ ‘green expectations’ growing
The May ’08 CWT Traveler survey results showed 28 percent of readers who replied were with organizations that have implemented “green” initiatives into their business travel programs.
An online survey conducted by an independent research company this spring showed business travelers themselves are highly concerned and motivated about green practices, whether their companies have implemented formal environmental initiatives into their business travel programs or not.
Seventy percent say they always turn out lights when leaving their hotel room and 31 percent say they adjust the temperature when leaving the room. Twenty-eight percent said they would be willing to pay 10 percent more to stay in a green facility.
The top rated (49 percent to 77 percent) actions travelers expected of lodging facilities were: recycling, energy efficient lighting and windows, placing choice cards in rooms about not changing towels/linens daily, and using environmentally safe cleaning products.
Sources: Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Travel Weekly
TSA continues to roll out its ‘self-sort’ security lanes
In more than a dozen U.S. cities from Seattle to Boston, travelers are offered the opportunity to choose an airport screening lane based on their travel frequency and screening expertise. As previously reported in CWT Traveler, this concept was modeled after the "black-diamond" method ski resorts use to designate slopes based on skiing ability with the skier deciding on his or her level of prowess.
The “Black Diamond” setups offer lanes for the frequent travelers who know the drill and are prepared to move quickly through, those who travel less frequently, and those who have small children or special needs and need more time.
While some say that travelers are confused as to which lane they should choose, the fact is that it doesn’t matter—the program is voluntary and the TSA doesn’t care if people move to a different lane. In fact, TSA officers sometimes route people to shorter lanes to speed up the screening process. Several airports report a speed-up in the expert lanes—in Orlando this has amounted to a 30 percent to 40 percent increase over the average lane before the program was initiated. TSA officials there also report that security is enhanced as the screening area has become much calmer and in a calmer environment a nervous person is more noticeable to officials trained in behavior detection.
Source: wsj.com
Green meetings make good business sense
The shift toward a more environmentally friendly approach to meetings and conventions is becoming increasingly noticeable—especially with this summer's upcoming Republican and Democratic National conventions. These two events are high-profile examples of how environmental concerns are becoming an important part of meeting planning.
If not monitored closely, thousands of meeting attendees in large-scale events over the course of a few days can generate plenty of waste, not to mention the significant carbon footprint from air travel.
Recently, corporate social responsibility has become a priority for many companies around the world. The combination of a genuine concern for the environment and a public demand that companies do their part—has led to the growth of green meetings.
Companies have also become more sophisticated in their requests. Not only has recycling become a firmly established standard, meeting planners are now moving onto other practices, such as asking for locally grown or organic food, or requesting hotels and convention centers that put an emphasis on energy efficiency and water conservation. Other companies are implementing programs such as tree planting to offset the carbon footprint of air travel.
The good news for meeting planners and companies is that environmentally friendly meetings do not have to be more expensive. With a closer look at the "green" elements that can be incorporated into a meeting, meeting planners will likely find numerous ways to be cost efficient while also being conscious of the environment.
Source: CNN
