The Green Voice Conversations with Experts series returns to the Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo), May 14–16th at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas. Sponsored by NEWH, the various Q&A-style talks will cover sustainable hospitality, social responsibility, and eco-conscious design practices in 30-minute sessions at the new Social Hub on the show floor.
This year’s lineup begins Wednesday, May 14th at 11:30 a.m. with The Far Ranging Impact of the Food We Serve in Our Restaurants: What You Need to Know. Led by Helen Reed, owner of HL Reed Design and curator of Creativity;SEElogix and Susan Wolfla, executive chef at Mandalay Bay Resort, the talk will explore locally sourced and organic foods. Hear about the challenges and current practices of bringing sustainability to the table and what changes to expect in the future.
Get an inside look into MGM’s sustainable program with Large Companies Don’t Have to Have Large Environmental Footprints: MGM Resorts’ Ongoing Commitment to Organic Development and Lifestyles, Wednesday, May 14th at 1 p.m. MGM’s Green Advantage Program encompasses water conservation, green building, recycling and waste management, supply chain, outreach, and education. As one of the U.S. Green Building Council’s largest LEED Gold–rated achievements, MGM offers experience and leadership in this growing field. Todd Megrath, director of sustainability strategies at MGM Resorts International and Glenn Hasek, founder and editor of Green Lodging News will lead the discussion.
During The Vision of Fred Stitt: How the Award Winning Educator and Architect in the Field of Ecological Design Sees the World on Thursday, May 15th at 11 a.m., the architect, educator, and author will briefly share his lifelong passion for innovative thinking and design. Having worked with young professionals and students since founding the San Francisco Institute of Architecture, Stitt is a pioneer of sustainable design education and a visionary in the field. David Mahood, principal of Olive Hospitality Consulting, will join.
Stop in Thursday, May 15th at 3:30 p.m. for Worms and Organic Waste: How Nature Solves Waste Disposal with Tom Herlihy, CEO of Worm Power and Dina Belon, director of hospitality strategic alliances and development for MindClick Global. Herlihy’s company, the largest agricultural vermicomposting facility in the world, is changing how the industry thinks about organic matter and how it is used. Learn how nature relies on symbiotic relationships with organic matter and how this can affect the future.
For an hour-long overview about the importance of organic farming and food, waste and land management, architecture and design in the hospitality marketplace, join Rendering Nature: How Organic Design impacts the Hospitality Industry from Soil, Food, and Waste to Architecture and Development on Thursday, May 15th at 1:30 p.m. Five green experts, David Mahood, Fred Stitt, Susan Wolfla, Todd Megrath, and Tom Herlihy, will share their set of experiences from different angles on the topic.
