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this is a good article that goes over some trend changes in events, such as the Super Bowl, with regards to green initiatives. the Super Bowl committee developed a list of programs to make the event more sustainable; donating carbon credits, recycling, free bike programs, and more. I specially found it interesting that they recycled all the promotional material by collecting it and making it into other consumer products such as bags and wallets. I've always wondered why events as big as this one dont have recycling programs for the incredible amounts of wasted promotional items. When you think about it, not only does this help reduce waste but also helps generate some revenue from the products that are eventually sold. The article also shows that this trend seems to be happening at all levels from the committees, to the teams, and even the consumers! 

Consider of one the most important factors of computer network through internet, security, business can be attacked from both inside and outside the company network. Therefore, computer network security is very important to prevent and protect the organization from internal and external attacks. This research paper talks about the importance of computer network security, the current situation and the future trend. It focus on the Delphi technique installation in the future corporations, which is designed as a group communication process that aims at conducting detailed examinations and discussions of a specific issue for the purpose of goal setting, policy investigation, or predicting the occurrence of future events. Common surveys try to identify "what is," whereas the Delphi technique attempts to address "what could/should be". I learnt about this technology on a graduate course Meeting and Convention, the certificate of Delphi is an requirement in the convention industry right now, and I think it will be widespread used in the future.

M3 made its first appearance at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) event. M3 is a hotel accounting software. M3 works with industry leaders and is highly certified. M3 software can be integrated into any hotel. M3 software eliminates expensive servers, training, staff, setup, and maintain costs. I think M3 is expanding its arena by attending trade shows that will also give them more exposure in the industry. 

The article points to the fact that energy is a major issue for hotels, which can be solved by going green and by implementing 3 energy-saving factors. 1. Using low energy devices and replacing all incandescent bulbs with LED-based lightning. 2. Adopting renewable source of energy. 3. Using connected devices, which make it possible for managers to monitor the power consumption. So today going green it's the long-term option for companies who want to save their prosperity.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel received a second win for the Green Globe Certification. This was achieved by implementing energy saving techniques through the use of grey water from the Dubai Municipality used primarily for irrigation purposes. Additionally, a room management system was installed for 126 renovated rooms to monitor, manage and control the energy consumed within the rooms.

In today's society, being green is very important to many consumers but not all. The green conscious consumers have come to expect that the companies they do business with have the same beliefs. A companies green initiatives could be the deciding factor for some whether or not they frequent a business. Hospitality businesses must be aware of these green expectations from their consumers. They also must know how to communicate specifically to their green consumers explaining their specific green practices.. The article supports this when it states: "Green consumers are reasonably distinct in terms of identifiable characteristics and behavior patterns. Targeting specific marketing strategies to potential green consumers is likely to be more effective than directing these strategies to the entire population by assuming that all members of the population are potential green consumers," Unfortunately, it sometimes can be rather difficult to target green guests. It is much harder to identify these types of guests in comparison to non-green conscious guests. Also about 75% of green conscious guests aren't willing to really impact the comfort level of their stay to save the environment. Green guests may be green conscious but studies have shown they aren't really willing to give up the comforts such as daily housekeeping, high-pressure showers and fresh linens instead of reusing sheets during an extended visit. The article supports this when it states: "Although industry research has shown that a significant percentage of hotel guests would prefer to stay in a hotel that cares about the environment, guests are not always that predictable. Barber noted that a study by a major national hotel operation opposite findings: 75 percent of their guest respondents said they would not give up daily hotel room service activities." This is why green initiatives specifically targeted at green consumers are essential. The green consumer even though they may no

This article is about the Starwood brand reloacate their headquater in Stamford. This action creates more than 800 jobs to Connecticut and it becomes a LEED certified showcase to their hotel brands. The new headquater will be a good model for saving energy and water and using economic-friendly lights. In addition, Starwood is also one of the largest hotel operators in New York City which is the only city in the world to boast all nine Starwood brands.Harbor Points is also focusing on urban redevelopment which converts an industrial area into a commercial/residential district and exciting urban destination.

A good example of CSR (Coporate Social Responsibility) on Starwood's part to join the LEED movement. I do wonder what they did with their old headquarters in White Plains, NY. Did they sell it to an environmentally friendly buyer or just wash their hands of it.

The Hotel Show has put it focus into green initiatives and businesses that present the products to help businesses in the hospitality sector to "go green." The show brings in businesses and hosts seminars that help hospitality-based businesses make their "green" contribution by buying products and conducting practices that yield results like reducing energy output.

This article is all about hotels going green and trying to get LEED certified. The one Boston hotel is doing things like having dual flush toilets, low flow showers, shampoo and conditioner in bulk dispensers, and a roofing material that reflects the sun to save energy costs. Another thing involved with getting LEED certified is getting energy from abouther source, this particular hotel is using the wind. It is expensive to do and doesnt appeal to everyone, hotel managers must figure out whats in the best interest for them and getting people in and out of their hotel.

To add onto Marilyns comment, not only are hotels doing the basics to go green, but a lot of hotels in california are taking the extra step, such as The Kimpton Hotels, and The orchard. They have changed the carpets and wallpaper for lower emission. They added recycle bins in every room in all 40 of their hotels across the country. Lastly, and one of the the additions I find most beneficial is their implementation of key card energy control, where a room key will be needed to activate the electricity in each room, and also shutting all electricity off when they leave.

This article is about how starwood hotels are trying to become fullscale eco-friendly but some are hotels are only greenwashing. This article is stating that it is not enough to use one green practice and call yourself an eco-friendly hotel.

All of the restaurants operated by IHG(InterContineal Hotels Group)in U.S. and Canada become a certified green restaurant. There are criteria such as energy, water, waste, food, packaging, chemicals, and building materials to meet the standard. This is very impressive that huge brand hotel have demonstrated sustainable strategy to contribute on environmental sustainability. The InterContinental hotel groups made outstanding accomplishments by representing that 95%of waste could be diverted away from landfill.

Hospitality organizations, hotels specifically, are using a company called Global Green to calculate their carbon emissions. Global Green uses a carbon calculator to determine the carbon footprint of an organization; the amount of negative carbon emissions that are contributing to the earths ozone layer erosion. Global Green members recieve a status of their footprint based on electricity use, shuttle travel, water, gas and use of other natural resources. Hotels use this information to determine strategies to reduce their carbon footprint. Hotel Inspira, Green Globe certified, in Lisbon, Spain has completely eliminated its carbon footprint and even offset is carbon emissions by contributing back to the environment (with solar panels, water recycling and other measures).

"Being "green" is more than just complying with local municipal codes; it's about going above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference."

As Peter Greenberg reports, it's simply not enough anymore for hotels to "go green." It is a hotel's responsbility to go above and beyond to help maintain a sustainable environment and limit the polution they are putting out into the world. I found how the initiatives by the Ritz Carlton in Charlotte, NC as well as the efforts from the Palazzo In Las Vegas particularly interesting as both hotels are in markets that one might not assume to be on the cutting edge when it comes to going green and receiving high marks for LEEDS certification. The Ritz-Carlton, a brand known for luxury lodging, might be expected to offer the highest level of service when offering valet parking to their guests. A typical guest might expect to see expensive cars utilizing the valet, however the Ritz has created a bike valet which encourages eco-travel amongst their guests. Personally I find this added "green" feature impressive. I think it allows guests to see just the lengths the hotel is going to in order to go above and beyond the standard green codes. Las Vegas, a city built on the ideas of excess, would not be a location where I would think of many hotels utilizing Green practices. The city is known to run 24 hours 7 days a week non-stop. The Palazzo uses solar panels, water conservation, as well as energy conservation to operate as a Silver LEED certified hotel. This hotel is able to make an impression on it's guests as they are able to operate successfully while conserving resources that will supply Nevada residents additional resources for years to come. I think Greenberg points out perfect examples of who the hotel industry should take notice of in regards to "Going Green." If these hotels are using it to their advantage, shouldn't everyone else?

This is an article that compares the new form of cloud property management systems versus the original installed in the property PMS. It compares the features missing from both ends such as the fact the installed PMS can not get free upgrades but it does not require IT expertise. The article makes a great point in stating that both systems can be great for a small business, where as most people assume only an installed PMS works for a small business because it is the more affordable option but because of the fact that one person is usually running the small business they can benefit from having access to the PMS from anywhere which is only capable from a cloud PMS. It is also important to remember that when moving to a new system it can not be assumed to be exactly like the previous system.

Module 8: "Everything in the business world is about the bottom line, and the accounting department of an organization is the keeper of that bottom line's flame." The following article, Accounting and Bookkeeping For The Tourism Industry gives and inside look and new perspective into the accounting and bookkeeping within the hospitality and tourism industry. The following are a few topics that are required in order to successfully run financial aspects within the travel industry; cash-flow, operation & cost budget, pensions, foreign currency, accounting system integrity and accounting & reporting standards. I was interested to read all of the possible job opportunities that are available in accounting and booking sides of the travel industry; for example - opportunities to travel to exotic locations, work/live abroad, possible events, etc. It is clear to read that employees in both accounting and booking are vital today and their role continues to play a major role in the overall success of the industry. "Just as the history of the tourism and hotel industry has grown and evolved into the mega economic force it is today, so has the bookkeeping necessary grown into a mega accounting career that the tourism business could not live without."

The purpose of this article was to review the available literature on the subject of ensuring software integrity for IoT (Internet of Things) devices, focusing on detecting and preventing modification of the original software, so that the device cannot be used for unintended purposes. The literature reviewed; secure boot, trusted boot and runtime security. Concluding that no one single control is going to adequately protect a device the solution based upon 25 years of experience is to create a multi-layered approach to security that starts at the beginning when power is applied, establishes a trusted computing baseline, and anchors that trust in something immutable that cannot be tampered with. Additionally, because a device built today can become a major problem tomorrow, due to them having hardcore keys "set and forget", the internet will then have literally billions of obsolete hosts in the coming years. Therefore it is important for MIS Managers/ Consultants investigate how to change the game in order to mitigate the damage or economic value of new systems being breached and by asking questions such as 'Can we even in the presence of a malicious attacker offer some limited form of security for the most valuable transactions (such as e-banking) or assets?' and 'Can we make the 'business' of the attackers less attractive by applying security technologies that are particularly tailored towards destroying the business model of the attackers?'

Summary of sustainability trends in the Hotel Industry

This article gives us a few tips about how to streamline the facilities management systems, to make the processes easier to track as well as reducing cost and waste. The first tip is to implement a computerized maintenance management system for the property. This CMMS would allow you to track preventetive maintenance schedules, which would alleviate excess labor on the staff. CMMS also allows the staff and even guests to submit maintenance requests electronically. Another tip is to adopt Energy Star's Portfolio Manager, which helps to track the property's performance and use of gas emissions, energy, and water. Third tip is to connect thermostats in guests room to the PMS. This would be able to not waste unnecessarily when rooms are vacant. Lastly, streamlining the property's waste management operations by producing less waste. Switching from paper copies to digital, using refillable containers, re-using leftover materials, and donating food and beverage leftovers to shelters should be adopted. Hotels these days need to be going green, and all of the above are ways in which we could start. This is a great article with helpful tips for hoteliers who are beginning.