Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Provide Opening Keynote for First-Time Industry Event

Green Key Global;

Green Key Global, the operators of the leading green hotel certification program, the Green Key Eco-Rating Program, was invited to participate in the 1st Annual Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference in Dallas, TX next week. Roxanna Lopez, LEED Green Associate and Green Key Operations Manager for the United States, is part of the panel discussion titled “Best Practices: Carbon Measurement & Tracking,” which will take place on Thursday, October 3rd at 10:30 AM.


The conference, which is being sponsored by Lodging Magazine, runs from October 1-3 at the Omni Dallas, and is headlined by the opening keynote provided by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose reputation as a resolute defender of the environment has made him a leader in a variety of environmental causes. In addition to Kennedy, the speaking roster includes a "who's who" of industry leaders from academia, the media, hotel companies, certification programs and more.
"We are delighted to have Roxanna and Green Key participating in our inaugural event," said Bill Corsini, Publisher of Lodging Media, producer of the Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference. "Their presence, along with other distinguished panelists and speakers, has helped elevate our conference content and credibility tremendously."


The Conference is organized into different tracks to appeal to various hotel industry stakeholders – owners, general managers and department heads, engineers and more. The "Best Practices: Carbon Measurement & Tracking Panel," which is being geared to the owner/investor track, will be moderated by Ian Lipton, President and COO of the Carbon Accounting Company. In addition to Lopez, the other panelists are:


• Steven Farzam, COO/Vice President, The Shore Hotel (Santa Monica, CA)
• Eric Ricaurte, Principal, Greenview



“Green Key is excited to have been invited to participate in this inaugural event,” said Tony Pollard, Managing Director for Green Key Global. “Hoteliers are increasingly seeking new resources related to sustainable initiatives and we’re pleased to be able to contribute to building that knowledge base through the Carbon Measurement panel.”


The Green Key Eco-Rating program ranks, certifies and inspects hotels based on their commitment to sustainable operations and practices; with more than 3,000 member hotels, it is the largest such program in the world. The program consists of a 160-question self-assessment that results in a ranking of 1-5 keys, as well as on-site inspections. In addition, members receive comprehensive performance reports, a membership plaque, access to exclusive member resources, listing on the www.greenkeyglobal.com website and exposure via Green Key’s network of marketing partners, including AAA, Travelocity and Expedia. Green Key is also the preferred green certification partner of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA).


There is still time to register for the 1st Annual Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference. For more information on Green Key, visit www.greenkeyglobal.com, call +1.888.752.7061 or email info@greenkeyglobal.com.