LODGING LEADERS
117 | Practical Hospitality Sustainability with Aurora Dawn Benton
LODGING LEADERS
Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton (formerly Reinke) is a passionate and dynamic speaker and consultant who specializes in sustainability for the hospitality industry. Aurora launched Astrapto LLC to help owners and management teams with practical and strategic approaches to sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Aurora’s favorite quote, from Fernando Trias de Bes, is “Better a mediocre idea with brilliant execution than a brilliant idea with mediocre execution.” She believes sustainability strategies are generally straightforward, but require dedication and diligence to come to fruition. Her services and tools turn sustainability from a lofty idea to a feasible reality.
In addition to her love of sustainability, Aurora loves teaching and nurturing future leaders and entrepreneurs. She co-founded a social enterprise incubator, has judged international business plan competitions, and is a volunteer social entrepreneur coach.
In This Episode, Aurora Reveals:
- The power of triple bottom line impact – running a business with the goal of generating positive returns in three areas: People, Planet and Profit.
- Practical ways hotels can become more sustainable, including forming a “green team” and doing a purchase audit.
- The ROI for sustainability initiatives, the importance of measurement, for example, food waste, and building a solid business case.
- One trend hotels should really be going after as part of their sustainability strategy.
Resources & Links
Aurora Dawn Benton
- Email: aurora@
astrapto. com
Astrapto LLC
Key Hospitality Sustainability Resources
Rather than trying to become an expert on sustainability, follow these resources (on Twitter, subscribe to their newsletters, or check out their educational offerings) to learn what is most relevant for the hospitality industry.
- GSTC – the Global Sustainable Tourism Council sets forth recommend criteria for hotel sustainability certifications (such as Earth Check, Bioshpere Responsible Tourism, and Green Key)
- ITP – the International Tourism Partnership has created free tools such as the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative and the Hotel Water Measurement Initiative
- AHLA Sustainability Committee publishes a number of helpful guidelines and basic business case scenarios for green initiatives
- GBTA – the Global Business Travel Association has a Sustainability Committee and has included sustainability criteria in their standard Hotel RFP template.
- WTTC – the World Travel and Tourism Council publishes economic impact and other industry indicators.
- UNWTO – the World Tourism Organization supports sustainable, ethical, and socially responsible tourism
- WWF – the World Wildlife Fund partners with hospitality companies such as Royal Caribbean and Hilton to promote sustainable practices
News and Blogs:
LODGING LEADERS
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316 | Pandemic Trailblazer: Hunter Hotel Investment Conference leads lodging industry’s 2021 event circuit
The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference will be the industry’s first large event to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta event will be a hybrid format of in-person and virtual access, also an industry first. Lee Hunter, chairman of the conference, knows the level of expectation is high among other conference planners as well as industry professionals eager to network after more than a yearlong hiatus. Episode 316 of Lodging Leaders podcast features Hunter as he tells what it takes to re-launch the industry’s conference circuit amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
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315 | COVID Comp Sets: The pandemic has dramatically altered hotels’ playing fields
The coronavirus crisis has dramatically altered the traditional competitive set most hotels use to benchmark their business performance. During the pandemic, properties have reduced services; they’ve closed either permanently or temporarily; or they’ve transitioned to alternative uses by contracting out to essential travelers or social agencies in search of housing. Episode 315 explores the genesis of the hotel industry comp set and how the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the strategic business tool. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.