The Color of Green Is ...

... well, money. Isn’t that the old saying? But in today’s world, the color of green can also be hospitality, and that whimsical graphic on our cover is a not-so-subtle hint about the focus of this edition of Southern Hospitality Magazine™.

Green is here to stay. There is no escaping it. You see it on TV, you hear it on the radio—it’s on your kids’ T-shirts for crying out loud! I guess what I’m saying is, you might as well embrace it, and I’m pleased to have a knowledgeable group of contributing authors to help us do just that.

Regular contributor Jaime Forth gets us started with “state scene” on page 4, which features Florida’s Green Lodging program. Now in its 4th year, this voluntary program is changing the way hotels do business in the Sunshine State.

Our own Apryl Chapman Thomas tells us that hotels are going green all over the Southeast with her look on page 10 at what some of the region’s properties are doing to build sustainable practices into their everyday ways of doing business. She profiles four very different locations—Emory Conference Center and Hotel, Sandpearl Resort, 21c Museum Hotel and Callaway Gardens—but their message is the same: little things can make a big difference.

And those little things can be pretty easy as well as inexpensive to implement, as Renée Loux explains in “Big Myths ... Simple Solutions” on page 11. In addition, to help get you started in your search for green products, Apryl provides a “Green Amenities Roundup” on page 14. The list includes ice cream, green tea and coffee! Who knew? Going green can be delicious, too!

Finally, to help you make sense of the different certifications out there, Deborah Brauser provides a basic primer on the Florida Green Lodging Program, LEED certification and Green Restaurant Association certification.

There are other “green” goodies scattered throughout this issue, and their message is clear: Green can turn to gold when hospitality providers implement any of the many ways to incorporate eco-friendly products and procedures into their operations. Hoteliers and restaurateurs all over the Southeast are discovering “green is the color of money” type of benefits to their bottom lines ... and the earth thanks them for it.

Rounding out this edition are some great recipes, a look at what customers really want (page 8) and the 411 on franchising (page 23). And don’t miss our newly updated 2008 Buyers Guide. It begins on page 26.

Here’s to going green,
Debbie Dewell, Publisher

P.S. Thanks to Swissôtel Chicago for sharing its tips for going green. These helpful hints begin on page 10 and include a mini-article on “Greening Your Meetings” on page 22.