Pineapple to Donate $1 for Every Attendee at AH&LA Events

Helping fund the Nature Conservancy's tree-planting initiatives in the Amazon

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. June 20, 2009

SAINT CHARLES, MO, June 17, 2009 - Pineapple Hospitality and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) are trading dollars for trees at industry events throughout 2009.

As part of the AH&LA's Green Partner program, Pineapple Hospitality is pledging to donate $1 for every attendee of this year's Summer Summit, AH&LEF Golf Classic, HotelPAC Broadmoor Classic and Fall Conference. AH&LA, in turn, uses each dollar to plant a tree through the Nature Conservancy's

Plant A Billion campaign.

With the Summer Summit approaching on June 23-24 in Chicago, AH&LA already has pledged to plant 840 trees to offset the carbon footprint of the event. And with the support of Pineapple Hospitality and AH&LA's other Green Partners, hundreds - if not thousands - of more trees will be growing by year's end.

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"Even in these difficult economic times it is the support of our hospitality customers and strategic partnerships with BITAC, Cypress Hotel & SPA, INNCOM, Pure Rooms, and USFI that enable us to Partner with AH&LA on this endeavor with The Nature Conservancy," says Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality.

"All of the Strategic Partners of Pineapple Hospitality firmly believe in the importance of taking a more environmental approach to business - and trust that sustainability is what's going to sustain the hospitality industry as we go forward," Burger continues. "I can't think of a better way to show our support to this industry and to a greener future than by partnering with AH&LA and the Nature Conservancy on this important initiative."

Pineapple Hospitality is the premier distributor of "Green" Hotel Products and Marketing Programs for the Hospitality Industry. Along with its Pineapple Partners - a group of companies within the industry that share the same environmental ideals - Pineapple Hospitality is working to both educate and supply the industry with a wide selection of products and programs designed to promote sustainability of both the environment and the bottom line.

Plant A Billion

Ray Burger

President

Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.

[email protected]

(636) 922-2285

The Nature Conservancy is working with partners like AH&LA to save and bring Brazil's Atlantic Forest back from the brink - restoring 2.5 million acres and planting 1 billion trees over the next seven years - through its Plant A Billion drive. The reforestation efforts will remove 10 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year - the equivalent of taking 2 million cars off the road. The campaign also will protect 10 critical watersheds in the Atlantic Forest Region, helping provide hydro-powered electricity to more than 70 million people.

With the help of national companies like Disney, AT&T, VISA, and many more, combined with local efforts and associations, the Nature Conservancy already has planted more than 5.2 million trees - though that still leaves a long way to go toward 1 billion.

The Conservancy's mission was the perfect match for what AH&LA was trying to achieve through its Green Partners program.

"We chose the Nature Conservancy's program based upon their longstanding reputation as an environmental leader, and in light of their Plant A Billion campaign, which is dedicated to planting a billion trees in Brazil 's Atlantic Forest," says Netanya Stutz, Marketing Manager at AH&LA. "We were also drawn to the simplicity of the campaign: $1 = 1 tree. We took this a step further and applied this formula to AH&LA events, where 1 person = $1 = 1 tree, and posed this as an opportunity to engage our eco-conscious members to help us offset the carbon footprint at our events.

"There is the potential for an unlimited number of Green Partners at each event, and event size ranges from 110 to over 1,000 attendees, so we have the chance to plant thousands of trees this year alone," she adds. "Our hope is that this opportunity will gain momentum throughout the year, and that each event will have more Green Partners than the last."

Find out more about the Nature Conservancy and its Plant-A-Billion campaign at www.plantabillion.org.

Upcoming Events

When times get tough, it's easy to target travel and conferences as places to cut budgets. But it's actually times like these that make increasing education and building relationships all that more important.

Find out more about the four AH&LA events being sponsored by Pineapple Hospitality as a Green Partner and be a part of the 1 person = $1 = 1 tree campaign.

Summer Summit

The AH&LA Summer Summit is the association's annual summer meeting where members of the lodging industry gather for committee meetings, educational programming, networking opportunities, and the AH&LA Stars of the Industry Awards luncheon. If you've never attended a committee meeting, this is your prime opportunity to see what they're all about, while getting to know industry leaders in an intimate setting.

Being held June 23-24 in Chicago, the Summer Summit is your chance to meet other like-minded hoteliers by attending any of over a dozen committee meetings. The event provides attendees with the information they need to make more strategic decisions, while using the combined expertise of all guests to benefit the industry as a whole.

Last year's event drew 210 attendees, and this year's Summit looks to be even bigger - despite these tough economic times. The keynote speaker is Geoffrey Colvin, FORTUNE Magazine's senior editor at large and one of the world's most respected financial journalists. Colvin will share key tactics for weathering a financial crisis and positioning your business to be stronger once the recession passes.

AH&LEF Golf Classic

Whether this is your first time or you're a seasoned veteran, the Golf Classic is the most inviting event of the year to connect with industry decision makers. There's just no venue that compares to friendly competition for developing key partnerships that generate deals, both now and in the long-term. This three-day event allows for invaluable networking and business opportunities while providing vital funds for American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) scholarships.

Held August 23-26 in Pinehurst, N.C., this event offers community and connections along with unlimited golf at one of the country's premier golfing destinations.

The Foundation distributed almost $1.3 million last year to support key industry initiatives in education, research and outreach programs. With about 110 key hospitality leaders and executives in attendance last year, events like the Golf Classic are crucial sources of funding.

HotelPAC Broadmoor Classic

Held September 3 at The Broadmoor luxury golf resort in Colorado Springs, Colo., the HotelPAC Broadmoor Classic Golf offers three days of unlimited golf and networking opportunities with industry leaders at a spectacular resort. Along with the education you'll receive, the event allows AH&LEF to provide on-going support to those seeking careers in the hospitality field. In 2003, the Foundation awarded more than $476,000 to 330 students and lodging industry professionals.

144 attendees made the trip last year. And as one of HotelPAC's top-earning events, the golf tournament is also one of the most successful methods for raising vital funds which support industry-friendly candidates for federal office.

AH&LA Fall Conference

Held each year in conjunction with the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), the American Hotel & Lodging Association's (AH&LA) Fall Conference brings the lodging industry to New York to meet on the top issues facing the industry. Delegates attend committee meetings, educational seminars and social functions.

Last year's event hosted 1,013 attendees, featuring more than 30 educational sessions focusing on strategies for success in hospitality.

Set for Nov. 6-10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, the Fall Conference ties in directly with IH/M&RS - the largest hospitality tradeshow in the world, attended by more than 35,000 professionals.