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When people check their emails, often they are on high alert for responses they’ve been anticipating, work-related messages and a brief skim through anything that’s relevant—including newsletters. It’s easy to say, “I’ll come back to that,” and then leave an email to collect dust in their inbox. So, how do you make your newsletter stand out from the rest? Here are tips for experts on getting opens.

Make it personal.

People crave authenticity in a world where almost everything is automated. A clinical email may come off as cold, and that can feel off-putting. A simple “hi guys!” is better than a subdued “hello.”

Set aside time to focus solely on the newsletter.

If you’re simply regurgitating information or phoning it in when you write your email, readers will be able to tell. You might be juggling 20 tasks at once, but newsletters are your time to connect to your entire audience. Take an hour to put in research; write, edit, then re-write. When you think you are finished, go back and add your voice to it—see step one.

Keep it relevant.

It’s easy to go on small tangents, but people read your emails for key nuggets of information. Don’t bury them within walls of unrelated text. If your newsletter is full of information, but there are key points being made, consider underlining or bolding them so they stand out.

Hyperlink resources.

Sure, people can Google, but the chances are low that they’ll take the time to look up something that doesn’t pique their interest. Do everyone a favor and hyperlink that study you’re referencing.

Add a dash of color.

Reading too much black and white can feel bland. Add a dash of color here and there—for example, use red for headings rather than a bold black to spruce it up.

Add visual media.

Everybody loves a good picture, and it can be a nice break from plenty of text. If you can find one that fits in with the theme of your email, use it!

Stay consistent.

Whether your newsletter is weekly or monthly, consistency is key. Use the same color scheme and organize the information in a similar fashion. Essentially, you want people to be able to look at your email and immediately know who it’s from and what they’re about to read.

Flight

If you’ve ever considered visiting or holding an event in New Zealand, this blog is designed to get your wheels spinning.

Tourism New Zealand just hosted a dozen U.S. meeting and incentive planners, and one lucky journalist, to experience its many treasures and attend the annual Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) trade show. Let me just say that Tourism New Zealand, Auckland Convention Bureau and Air New Zealand, among others, rolled out the red carpet.

Air New Zealand

Many things stand out, but I was most impressed by the variety of ways we got around the North and South Islands. For starters, we flew business premier class from the United States. This included impeccable service and seats that easily convert into 6-foot-6 long flat beds. Although I didn’t wear the spiffy socks that were in the airline’s amenity bag, I certainly appreciated the thought. With my own personal TV monitor and gourmet food, I wasn’t ready to get off the “air hotel” when I landed in Auckland from San Francisco in less than 12 hours.

Air New Zealand is regarded as one of the top international airlines and offers routes throughout the world, not just to and from its native country. North American gateways are Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Honolulu. International hub cities include Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Buenos Aires.

Luxury Yacht

Our first activity once we got to Auckland was taking a luxury yacht, Pacific Mermaid, for a leisurely ride to Waiheke Island. The yacht is used for executive excursions and has hosted many foreign heads of state. It can hold up to 80 for receptions, 50 for buffet dinners and 30 for seated dinners. It features four elegant bedrooms, so overnighters are possible. This was such a great way to begin our fam trip, recognizing immediately that Auckland is all about boats.

Ferry Service

island-wine-tasting

Even if you’re not able to splurge for a private yacht to give your execs a once-in-a-lifetime luxury experience, there’s reliable ferry service thanks to Fullers. We took the Pacific Mermaid to Waiheke Island and returned to Auckland on the ferry, which only took about 30 minutes. Fuller is a leading cruise and ferry operator based in Auckland. It offers a range of cruises and tours around the islands of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, with leisure service to Auckland’s newest volcano, Rangitoto Island, and Waiheke Island.

Waiheke Island is a must-see and easily accessible thanks to the ferry service. A cross between Napa Valley and Maui, Waiheke features 30 wineries that help keep New Zealand vintners among the most competitive in the world. A day of tasting wasn’t enough.

America’s Cup Boat

America's-Cup

The Kiwis love their boats, which is one of the reasons they were such great hosts during the 2000 and 2003 America’s Cup races. That success still resonates today thanks to Explore Group, which sails out of Auckland and Bay of Islands, New Zealand, as well as Sydney and Hamilton Island, Australia. Explore offers unique products including sailing, marine wildlife, diving and cruising in amazing places aboard boats once used for America’s Cup racing.

We learned how to grind, but mostly got to tour Auckland Habour with our guides doing the work. It was a bonus that we got to see someone bungee jump from Auckland Harbour Bridge in addition to learning about the history and importance of boats in and around New Zealand.

Motorcycles

Motorcycle

There were many surprises during our week-long fam trip, but we were definitely keen on getting picked up by motorcycles and driven from Skycity Grand Hotel to Auckland War Memorial Museum. Our hosts from Tourism New Zealand and Auckland Convention Bureau confirmed they can coordinate transportation and rides for up to 200. It seems like there were water views at every turn, and our group bonded as we road through the downtown streets and scenic roads. The Auckland museum has the largest collection of Maori art and artifacts in the world!

All-Terrain Vehicles

Jeep

On the South Island in Queenstown, there are all kinds of things to do, including bungee jumping, ziplining, mountain biking and riding the luge at the Skyline Queenstown adventure park.

Nomad Safaris helped us get to know New Zealand’s gold mining history. We rode in fully-equipped Land Rover Defenders through riverbeds and over small boulders to pan for gold. It’s estimated that about half the people in each group accompanied by Nomad guides strike gold and we actually had a few participants uncover small specs. I never felt scared on the very bumpy ride, but our feet did get a little wet as we drove through several feet of water. The ride also showcased locations where Lord of The Rings was filmed and an exclusive high-country farm.

Jet Boats

Jet-boat

Outside Queenstown in the small village of Glenorchy, adventure-seekers find a jumping off point that is life-changing. Dart River Jet Boat trips transport riders into New Zealand’s protected wilderness, offering up spectacular views of snow-covered mountains, forests, waterfalls and mist-induced rainbows. We entered Mount Aspiring National Park, which is part of Te Wahipounamu-Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area.

Helicopters

helicopter-ride-new-zealand

After speaking with many tour operators, hospitality providers and tourism officials, it’s evident that every trip to New Zealand should include a helicopter ride. It’s a part of the transportation system.

The Helicopter Line is New Zealand’s leading helicopter company, operating a fleet of predominantly AS350 Squirrel helicopters. With service in and around Queenstown, Mount Cook, Twizel, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, The Helicopter Line shows off New Zealand’s parks, glaciers, lakes and snowcapped mountains.

During our fam trip, we toured the national park by jet boat before being picked up by helicopter to explore New Zealand’s awe-inspiring mountains. We stopped on a peak for a few photos and to soak in the ambience. The next thing we knew, a guide from the helicopter service was serving us New Zealand sparkling wine.

New Zealand is full of surprises.

Remember the days of dropping a coin in a slot and getting a bag of chips, candy bar or cold beverage out of a machine? Those machines still exist, but some clever “in-vend-ors” have created some new machines for our bustling, grab ‘n’ go society.

Check out some of the new machines you might see next time you’re at a hotel, airport or trade show floor.

Champagne

After returning to the hotel after dinner, you and your colleagues might want to pop the cork for a nightcap. But what to do if the bar already had its last call? Moet & Chandon has a vending machine in select hotels that sells miniature bottles of bubbly on-demand. It can be found at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, Paramour Bar at The Phipps in San Antonio, The Pendry Hotel in San Diego, MGM National Harbor in Baltimore, The Ritz-Carlton Naples in Florida, Bijou Nightclub in Boston, and The French Laundry and Thomas Keller Restaurant in Yountville, California. Cheers!

Salad

Farmer’s Fridge vending machine sells fresh salads in jars. The salads are stocked fresh each morning and leftovers are donated to people in need nightly. The machines are available at a variety of workplaces and public spaces throughout Chicago and Milwaukee.

Electronics

Best Buy Express is a self-serve kiosk at major airports throughout the United States that sells electronics, such as cellphone and computer accessories, digital cameras, storage devices, MP3 players, headphones, speakers, portable gaming devices, gift cards, travel adapters and chargers. ZoomSystems, which makes Best Buy Express, also makes Macy’s e-Spot, an electronics vending machine.

Cosmetics

Put your best face forward at meetings after a quick on-the-go stop at a vending machine that sells cosmetics. As of January, Benefit’s Glam Up & Away pink bus-shaped kiosks could be found in 34 airports in the United States, with plans to expand to Canadian airports this spring. It sells brow products, mascara, primer and more.

“High-traffic airports are the next beauty battleground for prestige cosmetic brands,” says Jean-Andre Rougeot, CEO of Benefit Cosmetics. “Benefit has been successful as the pioneer in selective makeup self-serve vending machines in U.S. airports, and is excited to expand this concept into Canada.”

Sephora, L’Oreal, Smashbox, Proactiv, Elizabeth Arden, Chanel, Clinique and The Honest Company also have vending machines that sell cosmetics and beauty products.

Toiletries

Oops! Forget your toothbrush and toothpaste at home? Darn it! Have a headache, but no pain reliever in your bag? CVS Pharmacy has an easy fix to your crisis with its health-and-wellness vending machines, which were placed at airports and train stations, such as La Guardia Airport (LGA) and Boston’s South Station, last year.

“Our new CVS Pharmacy vending machine program allows us to extend that convenience beyond our brick-and-mortar locations to offer customers on-the-go essentials in the locations where they often need them most, like airports, hotels and other transportation hubs,” says Judy Sansone, senior vice president of front store business and chief merchant at CVS Pharmacy.

Each machine sells more than 70 products, including eye and oral care, over-the-counter medication, first-aid items, batteries, lint rollers and stain removers.

Cars

Press B3 for a Beemer or C5 for a Jag! The loose change that’s been collecting in your jar all these years may get you a new vehicle in your garage. Carvana’s car vending machines can be found in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Nashville, as well as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida. Customers can shop the inventory online or on their mobile device, and visit the vending machine for same-day pick-up. The machine is eight stories tall and holds up to 32 cars. After dropping a commemorative coin through the slot, prepare to be mesmerized as the car of your choosing descends a transparent tower via an elevator until it reaches you on ground level.

Custom

Have a creative idea for your event? Meeting professionals and CVBs looking to customize a vending machine for their conference or trade show booth often turn to Innovative Vending Solutions. Many installations are actually money-less. Planners and organizations use them to encourage engagement with customers, who have to interact with the machines to obtain freebies. For example, people may be prompted to enter their information, post on social media or scan their badge in exchange for the give-away. This tactic is not only a way to create a memorable experience, but also to discourage people with sticky fingers from grabbing a handful of your promotional items off a table. The vending machine acts as swag police, in a sense.

The Visit Houston vending machine dispensed items such as T-shirts, drink koozies, bags, USB drives and earbuds. The company has worked with other tourism boards, airlines and hotels, as well. Each machine comes wrapped with custom graphics for your brand, company or event, and stuffed with whichever products suit your agenda. Machines are available in a variety of sizes.

Dream Hotel Group, which owns Dream Hotels, Time Hotels and Unscripted Hotels, is offering planners 12 percent commission for meetings and groups that are booked and confirmed throughout 2018.

CEO Jay Stein wants meeting and event planners to know that the international company—with seven properties in the United States and one in Thailand—supports them. “In a time where travel agents and meeting planners seem underappreciated, we want to remind them that Dream Hotel Group is here, and we love their business,” he said in a press release.

The move comes at a time when other hotel companies are cutting or considering cutting commissions to third-party planners. Marriott cut its commissions in North America from 10 to 7 percent starting last month. Hilton will do the same starting Oct. 1, and Hyatt is deliberating whether to follow suit.

Stein says that Dream Hotel Group does not take its relationship with planners for granted. “We recognize and value the important role our intermediary partners play in attracting business and group bookings to our hotels,” he said. “The decision to increase group commissions demonstrates Dream Hotel Group’s commitment to supporting and maintaining a mutually beneficial partnership with third-party planners, particularly independent event organizers, with whom we have built long-standing relationships.”

To obtain the commission, reservations for events must be booked and finalized by Dec. 31. There must be a minimum room occupancy of 10 on the peak night of the event. The offer does not apply to any previously booked business, or reservations subject to cancellation or availability.

Dream Hotel Group’s properties are Dream Hollywood in Los Angeles; Dream Downtown in New York City; Dream Midtown in New York City; The Time New York in New York City; The Time Nyack in New York; Dream South Beach in Miami; Unscripted Durham in North Carolina; and Dream Bangkok.

Water is an absolute necessity for life—and it’s running out. The time to focus on reducing water usage and increasing eco-friendly practices is now. Hotels are realizing this, and they have begun to do their part in reducing water usage as much as possible.

One of the first and best ways to start reducing water waste is by documenting it. Recording and measuring water usage each month is a great approach to finding out where it is going and where it can be reduced. From recycling sprinkler water to installing low-flow faucets, there are many methods that can be used to reduce water wastage. These hotels are not only keeping the planet green, but blue, as well.

InterContinental San Francisco is Low-Flow

InterContinental San Francisco is a LEED Gold-certified hotel. Approximately 2 million gallons of water are saved each year by utilizing low-flow faucets and toilets, as well as other water-reduction features. By adding an HVAC water system, the hotel estimates about 1 million gallons of water are saved each year. To take it a step further, the hotel has instated waterless urinals in its public restrooms, a move estimated to save half a million gallons per year.

Saving Water in the Desert at MGM Grand Las Vegas

It’s referred to as an oasis in the Mojave Desert, but MGM Grand Las Vegas is serious about its water conservation. By converting natural grass surfaces to water-efficient desert landscaping and artificial turf, the hotel has lowered exterior water usage. It has also succeeded in using less water from Lake Mead, with water consumption down by 21 million gallons through exterior irrigation, and well water providing 60 percent of the property’s cooling-tower water needs.

Environmental Protection Agency Approved

The Environmental Protection Agency launched the WaterSense H2Otel Challenge to get more hotels to reduce their water footprint and “ACT”: Assess water use, change products and processes, and track water-saving progress and achievements.

More than 860 hotels have signed up for the challenge so far; hotels that would like to participate in the challenge will be given the necessary information to reduce their water-footprint and lower spending.

Construction is never ending in New York City. Cranes can be seen and jack-hammers can be heard on just about every block. One of the areas that has undergone a major transformation is Times Square. Several years back, The Crossroads of the World shut down to vehicles and became a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. In recent months, Midtown Manhattan has debuted a series of brand new attractions perfect for groups to experience a wide array of hands-on exhibits.

NFL Experience

Go from the sidewalk to the gridiron at the new NFL Experience Times Square, opened in December by the National Football League and Cirque du Soleil Entertainment. Huddle up with your draft picks to strategize a game-winning meeting and dine on delicacies from each of the 31 NFL stadiums.

Inside the 180-seat 4D stadium theater, guests experience the different weather elements players encounter on the football field, such as wind and snow. Two event spaces are available for smaller groups, as is a complete venue buy-out for up to 1,000 attendees.

Opry City Stage

Want a break from Broadway showtunes? New York has gone country with the December opening of Opry City Stage, the first satellite location of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. Transport up to 500 guests to Music City USA in the heart of Times Square for Southern comfort food from Blue Bird Cafe and live entertainment.

“The Opry has always enjoyed a warm welcome in New York City, and we believe Opry City Stage will appeal to both New Yorkers and tourists who will now be able to hear authentic country music in one of the world’s most famous entertainment centers,” says Colin Reed, chairman and CEO of Ryman Hospitality Properties. “With its millions of annual visitors from around the world, Times Square is a logical place to debut the Opry City Stage concept, which we believe can be expanded to other tourist-focused markets in the near future.”

Spyscape

Do you have what it takes to be in the FBI? Thinking about auditioning to be the next James Bond? Get out your magnifying glass and go undercover at Spyscape, which just opened up shop on February 16. Dodge bullets, crack encrypted codes and detect liars in an interrogation booth at New York City’s interactive spy museum during experiential team building activities. It features 60,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a situation room to hold board meetings.

Gulliver’s Gate

The world’s largest interactive museum of miniatures began wow-ing crowds last year. The size of a city block in width, the 50,000-square-foot Gulliver’s Gate is like a Christmas village on steroids. Visitors will go on a journey through technologically advanced, interactive and immersive exhibits of 25 cities on five continents. Your imagination will run wild as you take in shrunken scenes and landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal, 9/11 Memorial, Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hoover Dam, The Beatles crossing Abbey Row, The Louvre in Paris, Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, the Colosseum in Rome, the Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. There are 967 miniature buildings, 102 bridges and 233 cars that’ll put even the most elaborate LEGO display to shame. Guests can even have a 3D model made of themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=gQCHjLF2LD0

Magic Hour at Moxy Times Square

Warn your Instagram followers that their feed will blow up with your posts from Magic Hour, the rooftop at Moxy Times Square. The carnival and amusement park-themed space is designed for adults to have some cheeky, childish fun. Visitors enter a dark lobby with a funhouse mirror that leads to five different environments, including an elephant room, a topiary garden and a miniature golf course. Go for a spin on the antique carousel, which has lounge couches and cocktail tables instead of horses. The year-round venue has a retractable roof and serves state fair food with a modern twist.

“We made Magic Hour more about attitude than exclusivity,” says TAO Group co-founder Noah Tepperberg. “If you’re here to have fun, no problem!”

Moxy Times Square opened in September 2017 and is housed in what was the New Mills Hotel from 1907. It has 612 guest rooms and more than 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Marriott International’s Moxy Hotels will be expanding with two more NYC locations this year in downtown and Chelsea.

National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey

Photo Credit: National Geographic Encounter

Hold your breath and dive right into National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, an immersive underwater adventure in Times Square. Don’t worry, you don’t actually get wet. Visitors can virtually play with sea lions, humpback whales and other marine life in a dry atmosphere. Three rooms accommodate private events and a 40’ customizable LED wall. Up to 1,000 people can be accommodated and full buy-outs are available.

“Our guests loved the space. The video walls for branding and scene setting, step and repeat area, cocktails, food and service were best in class and the ability to walk through the experience itself made the event very unique,” says Mitch Glazier, president of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in an online testimonial. “Thanks so much for hosting us. The music industry has found a new one-of-a-kind space for events in NY!”

Ziegfeld Ballroom

The historic art deco Ziegfeld Theatre originally opened in 1969 as a single-screen movie theater. Until closing in 2016, it was a popular venue to host some of Hollywood’s biggest film premieres. Meeting professionals are in luck because it reopened last fall as Ziegfeld Ballroom. A mile outside of Times Square, the almost 10,000-square-foot column-free ballroom can fit 1,400 guests. Meetings can also be held on the balconies of this three-story venue. It offers state-of-the-art technology, a hydraulic stage and a full-service kitchen.

Green is the new black—for hotels, especially. In the past decade the hotel industry—particularly the big-box giants—have wholeheartedly embraced green initiatives. And for good reasons. Energy- and water-saving investments are not only better for the environment, but they are also great for the bottom line. Now, with the public becoming increasingly aware of the effects their eco-actions have, hotels have also seen the marketing advantage good environmental stewardship can reap.

United States

LEED Platinum Hotels

The “Oscar” of green is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from U.S. Green Building Council, and highest of the high is Platinum rating. Only five U.S. hotels have achieved that status. Here they are to take a bow.

Bardessono, Yountville, California

All wood used throughout the 62-room hotel was milled from salvaged trees. Nontoxic, nonallergenic materials were used in construction. Linens are organic, and cleaning supplies are eco-friendly. Recycling and composting is extensive. The restaurant and spa source primarily from organic producers. Green materials include soy fiber-based rugs and green-certified fabrics.

Hotel Skyler Syracuse, New York

Part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, this 58-room hotel in a building nearly a century old uses a geothermal system for heating and cooling—harnessing the earth’s constant temperature in 16 vertical wells. Guest rooms feature eco-friendly amenities.

The Hotel at Oberlin, Ohio

At the edge of Oberlin College campus, this 70-room hotel was first in the country to use solar, geothermal and radiant heating and cooling. Wood used came from a dismantled, 19^th-century farmhouse. Bathroom amenities are locally produced.

Proximity Hotel, Greensboro, North Carolina

The more than 70 sustainable practices at this 147-room hotel include solar water heaters, use of salvaged wood in construction, geothermal cooling for the restaurant’s refrigeration system and an eco-friendly elevator that feeds captured energy back into the building’s electrical grid.

W San Francisco

At this 31-floor, 404-room property near Moscone Center, dramatic energy- and water-saving measures are supplemented by the fact that more than eight in 10 hotel employees use alternate methods such as bus or train to commute to work.

More Green Hotels

Of the hundreds more hotel properties that can claim green cred, here is a sampling that stand tall.

1 Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

The second you view its website, it’s apparent that all 1 Hotels are dedicated to sustainability. This 426-room property in South Beach, in particular, is making many smart moves to reduce its carbon footprint. It has installed energy-efficient heating and cooling, LED lights to reduce electricity use, low-flow plumbing to conserve water, and it controls portions in the restaurants and bars—avoiding 395 tons of food waste. Sister property 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is equally green.

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Caesars Entertainment, this hotel’s corporate parent, instituted its CodeGreen program in 2008, and it quickly became an integral part of Caesars Palace’s sustainability efforts. By 2014, all Caesars casino-resort properties in the United States were Green Key Certified. In 2016, Caesars made the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) A-list “across core areas, including climate, water and supplier diversity). By 2020, it hopes to reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent, and by 2025 it intends to divert 60 percent of waste from landfill.

Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park, North Carolina

Certified as LEED Silver, this 165-room property boasts a 33 percent reduction in water use, 21 percent of materials composed of recycled content and 76 percent of all wood extracted from sustainably managed forests. It also consumes 30 percent less water and 25 percent less energy than comparable hotels.

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, Bonita Springs, Florida

Hyatt’s hotels are becoming hot spots for waste diversion. This 454-room resort has introduced an ORCA Green Machine food waste composting system; the system utilizes microorganisms and recycled plastic chips to break down and transform food waste into environmentally safe water in a day’s time. In doing so, the resort has saved 7,000 pounds of food waste.

InterContinental San Francisco

A LEED Gold-certified hotel, this 450-room InterContinental property has replaced incandescent light bulbs with linear and compact fluorescents, reducing energy use by 65 percent; installed low-flow sink faucet aerators in all bathrooms, saving 30 percent of restroom water use; and has floor-to-ceiling windows in their meeting spaces, allowing natural light to flow in and reduce energy consumption.

MGM Resorts International

The big environmental news from this major hospitality company is partnership with Chicago-based Invenergy, North America’s largest independent renewable energy company, to build a new solar farm 25 miles north of Las Vegas. This photovoltaic array will generate 100 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, all of which will be purchased by MGM to help power its 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip. The project will be operational by the end of 2020. It’s not the first solar investment for MGM. In 2016, the company completed expansion of the nation’s largest contiguous rooftop solar array at Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

International

&Beyond, Africa

&Beyond, a safari and hotel company based in South Africa with properties in several countries, is committed to green initiatives for the land, animals and people. Large proponents of recycling, conservation awareness events, water-saving efforts and reduction of pollution are just a few of their green action areas. &Beyond also created the Phinda Private Game Reserve, targeting “the underlying conservation issues to its interaction with the community.”

Accor Hotels, Worldwide

Accor Hotels’ 21 Planet Program is geared toward reducing its carbon footprint to zero, and it has already made impressive strides. From recycling orange peels to make marmalade to onsite organic gardens, to a mission of making every new and renovated hotel low-carbon-emitting, France-based Accor Hotels is a hotel company at the forefront of the eco-movement. Brands familiar in the United States include Fairmont, Sofitel, Novotel and Swissotel.

El Nido, Philippines

El Nido is a group of sustainable island resorts dedicated to sustainability. Their sewage treatment plants ensure that untreated waste water never finds its way to the ocean; rainwater systems capture, filter and store water for its facilities, and all lighting became compact fluorescents a decade ago.

Longitude 131 Degrees, Australia

Longitude 131 Degrees is a 235-room, luxury resort located just outside a UNESCO World Heritage site, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, in the Northern Territory. From the construction of its guest cabins to the design of the lodge, the resort is eco-friendly at every turn. Buildings stand on stilts, allowing for easy removal if necessary and a pristine desert floor. Floors are insulated with stone to capture heat in winter months and cool warmer ones. And if you’re thirsty, don’t expect a plastic bottle—Longitude 101 offers reusable water bottles to reduce plastic waste.

Soneva, Maldives and Thailand

Since its inception in 1995, Soneva has been a pioneer in green initiatives. In 2000, the original hotel, Soneva Fushi, was awarded the President of Maldives’ Green Resort Award. In 2008, Soneva began monitoring its direct and indirect carbon emissions and banned bottled water. By 2015, Soneva had begun recycling glass bottle waste into glass art, launched a program to provide clean stoves to families in need, installed the largest solar plant in the Maldives and founded the Soneva Foundation, which funds programs to overcome social and environmental challenges. Its properties include Soneva Fushi and Sonevi Jani in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand.

Tiamo Resort, The Bahamas

Tiamo, an “eco chic” resort on South Andros Island uses eco-friendly products for housekeeping, solar panels and water heaters and energy-efficient air-conditioning. Guests can request no housekeeping services to save on bed linen and towel laundry (and receive hotel credits). Composting benefits the resort’s organic garden and farm.

Celebrations of Earth Day have mushroomed since 1970, and communities across America are honoring the Blue Planet on the event’s 48th anniversary. Traveling? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun and education. From marches to trash pick-ups to speaker panels, here’s what on tap.

San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco is supporting the Save the Redwoods League’s 100th anniversary. The theme, appropriately, is Stand for the Redwoods/Stand for the Future. The free event in the city’s Civic Center Plaza will feature a speaker tent with panels on climate change, recycling and more. There will also be entertainment throughout the day, including a celebrity chef showcase, fashion show and live music.

Join in on clean-ups for the 24th Annual Oakland Earth Day in the East Bay. Get a group together post-meeting to join the restoration projects in creeks, parks and neighborhoods. Your green thumb will thank you.

Chicago

Chi-town is getting in on the Earth love, too. Its 29th annual Earth Day Cleanup and Community Celebration begins at 9 a.m. sharp, with a clean-up in Humboldt Park. Then plant a tree, listen to live music and stay for the closing celebration and lunch.

One Earth Film Festival and the City of Chicago are partnering to present five screenings of Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, a documentary on renewable energy from James Redford. You’ll learn more about how sustainability not only helps create jobs but brings communities together across the country.

Boston

Boston Public Market is hosting its first Agricultural Festival for Earth Day. There will be a variety of activities, from face-painting to cider pressing, as well as educational opportunities. Learn about beekeeping and container gardening, for example.

If your heart is where the animals are, then the Franklin Park Zoo Party for the Planet is perfect for you. Spend time with representatives from local conservation organizations, including Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and Massachusetts Clean Cities Coalition, as well as zookeepers for a variety of animals.

Southern California

The Camp, “a green, eco-friendly retail campus” in Costa Mesa, California, is hosting Earth Dayfest, a “celebration of the environment, health and wellness.” Perfect for both children and adults, the agenda is packed with activities. Take a free yoga class in the Tree House or a pottery workshop in between viewing live art and exhibitions.

Pit stop in Los Angeles? Check out the third annual citywide Earth Day LA. Featuring more than 70 educational exhibits on sustainability, you’re bound to learn a thing or two about how you can contribute to sustainability efforts.

New York

Hang out in Union Square, where as many as 400,000 people will interact with a range of local businesses, environmental organizations and government agencies to raise eco-awareness.

Want to burn some calories while saving the planet? Participate in the Earth Day 5K Green Tour, which leads you around green spots in New York City, include a rooftop farm, composting site and natural food cooking school.

Miami

Miami, well-known for its celebration-ready vibe, is supporting eco-friendliness all over the city. For a three-day affair, head to Climakaze Miami at Miami Beach Botanical Garden, for a party with sustainability at its core, including a dance/bike/swim triathlon and an eco-arts gathering.

Or stop by the Earth Day Festival at Wynwood Yard. Grab a beer (with proceeds going to environmental charities) and catch a green initiatives panel or attend a sustainable cooking class.

Hyatt Hotel

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is viewing the overall, long-term financial impacts as it decides whether to cut its commissions paid to third-party planners for North America group bookings, which Marriott and Hilton already have decided to do.

“There’s an economic reality,” said Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian in an interview with Travel Weekly at the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in Buenos Aires, which ended yesterday. “The issue for us is not to just treat it as a cost issue and say we’ll follow it because it will have a reduction in this line item on our P & L. We are thinking about it more holistically. What is the whole value equation? What is the net bottom line result of how we go to market? That may or may not look like what Hilton and Marriott have done.”

Marriott cut commissions paid on North America group bookings on all its brands from 10 to 7 percent at the end of March. Hilton announced that it will do the same on Oct. 1, but still is paying 10 percent commissions until then.

Group bookings account for 40 percent of Hyatt’s total rooms revenue. Hoplamazian said that group bookings are a “big and important piece of the puzzle” for the company, and that meeting planners are “really important partners.”

Rather than simply focus on the cost of delivery, Hyatt will be looking at the total net impact of the revenues being generated in determining whether or not to cut commissions, he said.

Hotel rooftop bars and lounges continue to be on the upswing of the trend cycle. Sometimes, in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, all groups need to do is go upstairs at their own hotel to experience a relaxing local vibe, from sweeping city views and culinary delights to perfectly crafted cocktails (at Hotel Via, Proper San Francisco and Archer Hotel Napa, for instance).

If you do want to venture beyond your hotel to a rooftop bar/restaurant, consider these five popular spots in San Francisco that earn raves from residents. All have private event opportunities that still capture the local vibe.

Jones

Located three blocks from Union Square, Jones makes all the “best” lists. This lushly landscaped, second-story spot is surrounded by tall buildings that give it an intimate courtyard feel. It features multiple bars, as well as private and semiprivate event spaces for groups of 50 to more than 1,000.

The Roof at Twenty Five Lusk

This recently opened new-American restaurant, lounge and bar in SoMa features a living wall and pizza oven, along with small bites. Private events for 15–450 guests can be accommodated; private dining rooms (with audiovisual options) can be converted for conference space.

El Techo

This Mission neighborhood stalwart for Latin-American street food and cocktails on a rooftop with expansive city views. It’s situated above its sister restaurant, Lolinda, an Argentinean steakhouse. Buy-outs are possible for 60 guests. Reservations are taken for groups of 20 or more; your group should be prepared to stand in line if it just pops in.

Dirty Habit

Also a perennial top pick, located on the fifth floor of SoMa’s Hotel Zelos, Dirty Habit is known for its huge selection of spirits. Partial and full buyouts are possible; private dining rooms for 150–500 guests are available.

B Restaurant and Bar

This contemporary California restaurant and outdoor terrace atop Moscone North overlooks Yerba Buena Gardens, and offers great city views. Buyouts are possible for up to 400 guests.

Read more about San Francisco Bay Area in Carolyn Koenig’s story, “Bay Area Hotel Mini-Boom: New and Renovated Properties Boost Meetings,” in the upcoming May issue of Smart Meetings magazine.