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The Pineapple has been a symbol of hospitality for centuries. According to legend, captains of New England would mount a pineapple on their fence posts when they had a safe return from sea.  This served as an invitation for family and friends to visit and share a meal together.  Today, the pineapple serves as a symbol for the highest quality in hospitality

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Better Designs Today For a Greener Tomorrow
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Design sustainability expert David Oakey to headline the March 14th
Green Hospitality Conference hosted by Lodging Hospitality
and Pineapple Hospitality, Inc. 

Cleveland, Ohio/Saint Charles, Missouri � March xx, 2007 � About 10 years ago, David Oakey realized he needed to change. As the founder of David Oakey Designs, an independent design and marketing firm specializing in the carpet and textile industries, Oakey was fed up with the waste that went into the design, production and disposal of his firm�s products.

�I had a choice: Either I change the way I looked at designing or I leave the industry,� Oakey says. �I accepted the choice to be environmentally responsible in the design process � to bring the concept of sustainability into everything I do. 

�We will not have that choice in the future,� Oakey adds. �If you do not practice sustainability in your business, you will not be able to compete.�
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David Oakey
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Nature provides constant inspiration at the textile design studios of David Oakey Designs. The firm�s 12,000-square-foot headquarters is situated on six wooded acres in La Grange, Ga., an hour's drive from Atlanta's urban sprawl.
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Talking & Walking Green

Since Oakey made the �green realization,� he has gone on to share his vision of sustainable design with Fortune 500 companies such as Nike, Ford, Wal-Mart, as well as many of the nation�s top universities. He has been featured as a leading innovator in Business Week, Fortune, New York Times Science, Green Futures magazine and many other publications.

Oakey will share his philosophy of sustainability with the hospitality industry at the Green Hospitality Conference (www.greenhospitality.net) � being held March 14 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas � hosted by Cleveland- based Lodging Hospitality magazine and Saint Charles-based Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.

The conference will focus on green lodging opportunities, from energy management to earth-friendly cleaning products, as well as the challenges facing hotel owners and operators seeking to become more involved in the growing industry movement toward sustainability. The conference features interactive sessions on topics such as green hospitality, design and construction, and green power, as well as roundtable discussions on energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality and waste reduction and recycling.

Oakey�s featured speech will tackle the concept of Biomimicry � learning how nature itself can be used as a guide for business practices, design and a model for a way of life.

�There is more awareness of sustainability in the world today, with all the news about global warming and fossil fuels, but we�ve been slow to change the way we�ve been doing business for the past 30 years,� Oakey says. �We need to begin working together to make change happen. One company cannot be completely sustainable on its own. 

�We are all connected in business, in the environment and in bringing awareness to the public,� Oakey adds. �Through events like the Green Hospitality Conference, we can start to make change happen.�
 

Sustainability�
  • It is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. 
  • It relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment. 
  • It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in a very long term. 
Sustainability affects every level of organization, 
from the local neighborhood to the entire planet. 

Carbon-Neutral Conference

The Green Hospitality Conference will be one of the first events in the lodging industry to be certified as �carbon neutral,� an initiative administered by Sustainable Travel International (STI) in which sponsors provide funds to offset carbon emissions produced during the conference and support renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the U.S.

�We believe that elevating awareness about green hotel design, construction and operations is the single strongest thing we can do to get hoteliers involved in environmental issues and sustainable hospitality,� says Lodging Hospitality Publisher Gary Dietz. �We also understand that hotel stays and air travel contribute significantly to global warming. Demonstrating that carbon impacts can be offset sends an important message to hotel owners, operators and major hotel brands.�

Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality, is proud that his company is involved in the carbon-neutral Green Hospitality Conference, helping educate the industry on the importance of sustainable design and operations.

�Becoming a carbon-neutral event demonstrates that the Green Hospitality Conference is about much more than words � that we�re truly dedicated to changing the way we look at, and conduct, business,� Burger says. �By working together in education, design, product development and awareness, we can reach a future where sustainability is not a concept to be strived for, but a given in everything we do.�

�A number of tourism-related events and conferences have offset greenhouse-gas impacts associated with event facilities, and others offer attendees voluntary opportunities to offset greenhouse gases, but this will be the first carbon-neutral Green Hospitality Conference,� says STI President Brian T. Mullis. �As an educational-based event, we collaborated with Lodging Hospitality and Pineapple Hospitality, organizers of the Green Hospitality Conference, on how they could take a leadership position in addressing the issue and offer best practice ideas and options to the industry � and they rose to the occasion.�

Green Is �In� � For Life

Oakey stresses with the growing awareness of sustainability and environmentalism, now is the time to implement change, to be out front in showing your dedication to nature.

�Just look at how Toyota took to this message of sustainable design and how it has benefited them,� Oakey says. �They are so far ahead on hybrid cars � in technology and in public awareness � that American auto makers may never be able to catch up with them.

�The hospitality industry, and all other sectors, really need to look at bringing sustainability to the forefront as a business opportunity,� Oakey continues. �You shouldn�t wait for consumers to ask for it, or for the government to regulate it, or until it is too late and we�ve run out of fossil fuels.�

To learn about turning today�s green challenges into opportunities for all, register now for the Green Hospitality Conference at www.GreenHospitality.net.

About Lodging Hospitality

Lodging Hospitality (LH) is the leading feature publication serving the U.S. lodging industry. Since 1949, LH has been providing lodging owners, developers, operators and marketers with the news, trends and ideas they need to succeed in the $125-billion lodging market. The LH media family includes Lodging Hospitality magazine (www.lhonline.com), which publishes 17 times a year; LHOnline, the publication's online presence; LHTV, an online video offering; and the HOT Conference (www.LHConferences.com), an annual in-person event geared to the operations and technology needs of hotel owners and operators. For more information about the Green Hospitality Conference, please visit www.GreenHospitality.net.

About Pineapple Hospitality

Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple Hospitality� is an EPA ENERGY STAR� partner providing �fresh ideas for hospitality�� including FreshStay� (www.freshstay.com), Environmentally Sensitive Amenities�, the greenSPA� luxury amenity and dispenser system, Numi� Organic Teas, Project Planet� Linen Re-Use programs, Guestat� programmable thermostats, Oxygenics� water-efficient showerheads, the Nature�s Mist� deodorization system, and dozens of other products and programs. To learn more about Pineapple visit www.pineapplehospitality.net, or call Ray Burger at 636-922-2285.



 
9 Rules of Nature
David Oakey�s mentor, Janine Benyus, the author of a book Biomimicry, listed these rules of nature that should be followed in design, business and life:
1. Nature runs on sunlight;
2. Nature uses only the energy it needs;
3. Nature fits form to function;
4. Nature recycles everything;
5. Nature rewards cooperation;
6. Nature banks on diversity;
7. Nature demands local expertise;
8. Nature curbs excesses from within; and
9. Nature taps the power of limits.
Buildings By the Numbers
According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings in the U.S. account for:
  • 65 percent of the nation�s electricity consumption;
  • 12 percent of potable water consumption;
  • 136 million tons of waste annually;
  • 30 percent of raw materials use; and
  • 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions � including sulphur dioxide (49 percent), nitrous oxide (25 percent) carbon dioxide (35 percent) and particulate matter (10 percent). 
Green is Good
Following are a few of the many benefits of developing and embracing green-building concepts:

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

  • Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity 
  • Improve air and water quality 
  • Reduce solid waste 
  • Conserve natural resources 
ECONOMIC BENEFITS 
  • Reduce operating costs 
  • Enhance asset value and profits 
  • Improve employee productivity and satisfaction 
  • Optimize life-cycle economic performance 
HEALTH & COMMUNITY BENEFITS 
  • Improve air, thermal and acoustic environments 
  • Enhance occupant comfort and health 
  • Minimize strain on local infrastructure 
  • Contribute to overall quality of life 
Source: U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
 
Eco Quote

�Remember when we used to say:
�Throw it away?� �

Where is away?�

� William McDonough, a leading expert on sustainability and author of the book Cradle to Cradle.

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Contact:

Ray Burger
President & Founder
Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.
[email protected]
 (636) 922-2285
www.pineapplehospitality.net

Corey McCarthy
Western Regional Manager
Lodging Hospitality
[email protected]
(415) 495-5082

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Also See: Bacteria-Ridden Remote Controls Are The Likely Place for Guests to get a Cold or Flu / February 2007
The Triple Win: greenSPA� Amenities Benefit Hotels'Guests, Properties' Profits and the Environment; Hotels from coast to coast reduce waste to preserve our planet / January 2007
The Triple Bottomline: Fresh BulbTM Eliminates Odors, Cuts Energy Costs and Reduces Global Warming; Pineapple Hospitality announces its Winter Light Sale / January 2007
Global Growth; The FreshStay.com online directory/network of smoke-free lodging properties connects a growing number of owner/operators with travelers from across the globe / December 2006
FreshStay® Reports 2,700% Gain in Smoke-free Hotels; With 2,300 Marriott properties' going smoke free, more than 5% of U.S. hotels will be 100% non-smoking / August 2006
Springfield�s Krystal Aire Inn & Suites Introduces Another Fresh Idea; All Non-Smoking Hotel Installs Energy Efficient, Odor-Neutralizing Light Bulbs / August 2006
FreshStay® Online Network Unites Hotels Worldwide,Fuels Smoke-Free Movement: Kentucky is the 48th state to join the FreshStay® union of nonsmoking lodging properties / June 2006
Turn Trash into Cash; Pineapple Hospitality® and Midas Consulting Identify Eight Red Flags For Hotel Operators to Improve Environmental Practices and Reduce Waste Management Expense / June 2006
PURE Solutions Signs On As A Corporate Sponsor Of FreshStay�; FreshStay�'s rapidly growing online directory of non smoking hospitality properties is the perfect match for the PURETM Rooms program, which converts guestrooms to allergy-friendly rooms within 24 hours / May 2006
Pineapple Lights Up Hotels' Bottom Lines; Hospitality Properties Reap Significant, Sustained Economic Benefits By Embracing Environmentally-Friendly, Energy-Efficient Bulbs; Lighting Retrofits Reduce Costs & Bolster Guest Satisfaction / May 2006
Top 5 States and Top 10 cities for Non Smoking hotels in the U.S.; www.freshstay.com adds 25 non-smoking properties during April -California is the number 1 state and Seattle the number 1 city / May 2006
Zontec� Sponsors FreshStay.com to Identify Best Places Where Guests Can �Breath Easy, Sleep Great�� / April 2006
200 Smoke Free Hotels Join the www.freshstay.com Online Directory in 1st Month / March 2006
120 Smoke Free Hotels Join the www.freshstay.com Online Directory in 1st Month / February 2006
Fresh Air: The New Hospitality Amenity; Pineapple Hospitality Launches FreshStay�, an Online Directory of Hotels Offering Better Indoor Air Quality / January 2006
Gift of the Year: Pineapple Hospitality�s Energy $aving Trifecta / December 2005
Pineapple Hospitality is Now the Exclusive U.S. Supplier of Environmentally Sensitive Amenities�  / November 2005
Got Pineapple? Hotelier-turned-industry-innovator Ray Burger Launches Pineapple Hospitality� � bringing fresh ideas and business-building products and programs to your guests� doors and your bottom line / September 2005


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