York & Scarborough Conferences celebrate sustainability success

York and Scarborough Conferences were pleased to celebrate the success of one of their key venues in Scarborough recently when the Crown Spa Hotel won the ‘Sustainable Tourism Award’ at the 2011 White Rose Awards. 

Sustainable practices are becoming increasingly common across the region and are driven just as much by venues wanting to make a social and environmental difference by the demands of the conference buyer. During the last 6 years, The Crown Spa Hotel Green Team has continually reappraised each area of their environment policy, and the White Rose Award is the latest in a long list of prestigious awards the hotel has won in this area.

“The Crown Spa fully deserves this award, and each of the venues in the York & Scarborough portfolio aspires to win honours like these of their own.  As a destination, we are keen to promote the implementation of sustainable practices to go some way towards counteracting the environmental impact of our businesses, whilst creating an excellent environment for meetings and events”, said Laura Freer, Business Tourism Manager for York and Scarborough Conferences.

Richard Frank, Managing Director of the Crown Spa Hotel, said of their award: “Our main strategy is to investigate and implement new technology or practices to reduce CO2 produced directly and indirectly from fossil fuels and to agree as a management team on on-going best practice, which enhances the efficiencies of the business whilst maintaining the buildings historic Grade II Listed architecture.”

And the Crown Spa is just one of the York & Scarborough Conferences venues making waves thanks to their green credentials.  Many of their other venues, such as the Holiday Inn and Aldwark Manor, have won “green” awards within their organisations in their own right, and others, such as the National Centre for Early Music and Woodend in Scarborough have reclaimed older buildings as part of their venue and have installed “living roofs” to cool or insulate and keep energy expenditure under control.  All show their dedication to running their venues and events in as sustainable a manner as possible though a variety of innovative means. 

For further information about organising an event in one of York or Scarborough’s sustainable venues visit www.yorkandscarborough.com

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Editors’ Notes

• York & Scarborough Conferences is the official business tourism body for York & Scarborough 
• York and Scarborough Conferences is supported by Visit York, Welcome to Yorkshire, City of York Council, Scarborough Borough Council and tourism businesses in York and Scarborough.
• Key facts include:

-        In York business tourism generates a total of £203 million turnover annually and York was ranked 7th in the top ten business tourism cities in England in 2007

-        Scarborough generates £9 million of business tourism spend annually and won the title ‘Europe’s Most Enterprising Place’ at the European Enterprise Awards 2009

The Crown Spa Hotel, Scarborough

The management team at the Crown Spa Hotel recently submitted planning permission for 16 Triple Blade 1KW wind turbines on the roof of the property, which will stand next to the existing 24 solar hot water panels. Each wind turbine will produce 2,200 KWh of energy based on average wind speeds in the area. The total scheme will produce around 35,200 KWh per year, roughly around 5-8% of the hotel’s electrical consumption – equivalent to the electrical energy used by 8 average UK houses.

For more news and a free image bank visit www.yorkshire.com/mediacentre

For further information please contact:

Victoria Sowerby – Welcome to Yorkshire

Email: victoria@bandhcommunications.co.uk   

Direct Line: 0113 243 4713 

Mobile: 07968 732630

Laura Freer – York & Scarborough Conferences

Direct Line:  01904 554453

Email: lf@visityork.org