Home Publisher's Point of View Earth Hour, Earth Day Present Opportunities to Educate, Inspire

Earth Hour, Earth Day Present Opportunities to Educate, Inspire

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In less than a month—March 28 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time—Earth Hour will take place around the world. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is the parent organization of Earth Hour. This year, the Earth Hour website is offering a guide for hotels interested in participating in the annual event. Be sure to check it out. At the core of any Earth Hour celebration is switching off or turning down the lights—without compromising guest or associate safety of course. Also key is creating an event or events around the act of switching off or dimming down the lights. Green Lodging News has reported on Earth Hour activities in the past—everything from “Cocktails by Candlelight” to entirely turning off exterior signage. Some companies have used Earth Hour as the kickoff for an entire week or month of Earth-inspired activities that include the celebration of Earth Day on April 22.

Among the suggestions for Earth Hour activities in the hotel guide: creating a special Earth Hour menu, installing a pledge board in the lobby for guests to record their actions, creating a digital pledge board via Facebook, running a special Earth Hour Weekend promotion (Earth Hour will take place on a Saturday this year). Also suggested is using an Earth Hour activity as an occasion to raise money for a charitable organization.

The Earth Hour guide for hotels offers suggestions on how to spread the word about your event—through in-room guest letters or social media, for example. The guide also explains a new WWF program called “Just One,” designed specifically for the hotel industry that will help you to engage your guests year-round to create positive change for the planet both in their backyard and around the world.

Be sure to let me know how your property or company intends to mark Earth Hour this year. If you are looking for activity ideas you can search “Earth Hour” on the Green Lodging News website.

In addition to learning about your Earth Hour plans, I am just as interested in learning about the April 22 Earth Day activities that you have planned. In the past properties and companies have organized beach cleanups, fundraisers, wine tastings, offered special Earth Day packages, held open houses and trade fairs, and even held contests. Search Green Lodging News using “Earth Day” for some good activity ideas.

I will be writing a feature article summarizing Earth Hour and Earth Day activities. Send your news to editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or call me at (813) 510-3868.  

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