Eco-Elegant Willard Green Meeting Conserves, Inspires

-- Hotels, 5/7/2008 3:04:00 PM

Washington D.C. May 7, 2008 -- A leader in Sustainable Hospitality© the Willard InterContinental in Washington D.C. has unveiled its Willard Green Meeting, a multi-optional, eco-conscious meeting structure which incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of a meeting, minimizing negative impacts while raising awareness.  Crafted to planner's specifications, The Willard Green Meeting offers sustainable food, beverages, supplies, amenities and team-building eco-opportunities, all within a luxurious, urban environmentally-friendly hotel setting. A Willard Green Meeting Guide
is available for planners on www.washington.intercontinental.com.

"As many organizations undertake numerous corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, The Willard Green Meeting serves to reflect our clients'objectives by helping to neutralize environmental footprints and enhance consciousness," said Hervé Houdré, General Manager. "We have designed a product built upon our own fundamental green practices, enhanced with natural sounds, tastes, textures, fragrance and hands-on charitable opportunities, all of which serve and support meeting goals."

The Willard Green Meeting offers stimulating sustainable menus, "eco-vision breaks", team-building environmental experiences, eco-ice-breakers and well- being exercises, among other delightful eco-friendly offerings for meetings, conferences and events. Special features of The Willard Green Meeting include delightful, "Eco Vision" Breaks - nature-focused meeting breaks which provide attendees the opportunity to experience through delicious foods, sights and sounds, local and exotic environments in need of care and preservation.  Themes currently include the Eco Break, DC Experience and Mount Vernon breaks.  

Clients will also be offered inspiring team building eco-opportunities that go beyond their meeting. The Willard is linked to several local and national organizations which support the community and the environment. Opportunities such as a cherry tree planting ceremony at the national tidal basin with the National Park Service's National Capital Cherry Tree Replacement Fund; a Pershing Park clean-up with the National Park Service; or an Anacostia River Patrol cruise and conservation presentation by the Earth Conservation Corps, are among the offerings which subject to availability, can be customized to fit with meeting schedules.

Citing the Willard's considerable ecological accomplishments, the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) recently awarded the Willard InterContinental with its Environmental Award for Hospitality Sustainability. The hotel has laid the foundation of sustainability for future generations of hotel employees, guests, friends and stakeholders through Willard InterContinental – The Next 100 Years.  The program's holistic approach encompasses scores of interwoven sustainable efforts.  Some of the hotels achievements include 100% wind energy to power hotel, 10% reduction in electricity consumption due to the use of CFL Compact fluorescent lights, conversion to green cleaning products, elimination of oil-based paints, 123 tons of recycled waste, 17 tons of composted organic waste and 100,000 gallons of water savings, among others.