The Institute for Innovation and Economic Development To Hold Second Annual Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism Conference January 17 - 19, 2012

Mark your calendars for the Second Annual Sustainable Hospitality and Tourism Conference to be hled on January 17 - 19, 2012 at Portola Hotel and Spa. End Quote

Salinas, CA (1888PressRelease) December 02, 2011 - The Institute for Innovation and Economic Development, a collaborative effort between California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and the Monterey County Business Council (MCBC) along with the OffSet Project is hosting a conference on January 17 - 19, 2012 at the Portola Hotel and Spa highlighting Monterey County as an international Eco-Tourism destination!

The conference will offer local and International experts focusing on economic development achievable through sustainable event business practices that optimize resources, minimize costs, and produce a bottom line that is integrated socially, environmentally, and economically.

"The future standard will provide a framework which event planners, venues, and other members of the event supply chain can use to implement, maintain and improve sustainability within their way of working." -Fiona Pelham Co-Chair ISO 20121

This conference is designed for businesses and municipalities that want to:
• Promote sustainable hospitality and tourism
• Take advantage of sustainability initiatives to increase ROI and attract new business
• Develop sustainable initiatives that engage all departments within their corporate structure
• Walk away with an action plan on how to apply and market sustainability initiatives for their specific operation

Attendees to this conference will also have access to free quarterly follow-up workshops and online sustainability software.

The Details:
Dates: January 17 - 19, 2012
Location: Portola Hotel and Spa
Cost: $450 per person ($395 early bird registration ends December 15th)
Continuing Education Credit: 2.0 CEUs available through CSU Monterey Bay Extended Education
Vendor & Speaker Inquiries: Kristin ( @ ) OffsetProject dot org
Sponsorship: MALeffel ( @ ) MCBC dot biz
Online Registration: http://hospitalityconf.eventbrite.com
Hotel Package ($149 / night): https://resweb.passkey.com/go/sus2012

"Join other regional industry professionals at this two and a half day, interactive event where we will be discussing the importance of international standards for sustainable management systems," said Kristin Cushman, Executive Director of the Offset Project. "This conference is designed to equip area businesses and municipalities with the best tools to succeed using a triple bottom line approach. Attendees will participate in discussions and activities including planning, implementation and troubleshooting of green initiatives that will increase their return on investment and draw in new business from around the world."

Featured Speakers Include:
Fiona Pelham is managing director of Sustainable Events Ltd., chair for ISO 20121, a management system for sustainable events inspired by London 2012 Olympic Games, and President for Meeting Professionals International UK and Ireland Chapters. Fiona presents internationally and has a unique perspective based on experience with event logistics and strategic implementation of sustainability.

Paul Salinger, Vice President of Marketing for Oracle and Board Chair of the Green Meeting Industry Council, will share from thirty years of experience in the event industry on how corporate social responsibility increases the bottom line. In 2007, Paul took on the role of champion, strategist and evangelizer for Oracle's global green meetings initiatives and has been leading the effort to bring sustainability into the event marketing practice as a core value and standard business practice.

Sponsors include Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay, and Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB).

For more information, go to innovation.csumb.edu or contact the Monterey County Business Council: info ( @ ) mcbc dot biz 831-883-9443 www.mcbc.biz.

Press Contact: Marci Bracco (831) 747-7455

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