The Westin Nova Scotian Blog

The Westin Nova Scotian will be turning out the lights at the Halifax hotel during Earth Hour 2012. On Saturday March 31, 2012 from 8:30 to 9:30 PM Atlantic Standard Time, the Westin Nova Scotian will join million of people around the world by turning out the lights and reducing power consumption.

With a modern new look and feel comes a new name.  Our Halifax Hotel Cornwallis Room is now known as the Seaport Room!  In keeping with our commitment to promote our neighbourhood, the Halifax Seaport District, we decided to name our lobby level meeting room the same.

Overlooking downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean, topping the 11^th floor of the Westin Nova Scotian, is our recently remodeled and redecorated Crown Suite. The suite is looking better than ever after undergoing a modern make over.

It's nearing the end of Waste Reduction Week, October 17-23, 2011.  Waste Reduction Week in Canada is intended to raise public consciousness about waste and its environmental and social ramifications.  Over the last five years we have made great strides in reducing our waste at the Westin Nova Scotian.

In the spirit of Earth Week, we wanted to share some tips on how to host a green meeting. Here are 8 tips for hosting a green meeting:

1. Think local- hosting your meeting or convention locally can greatly reduce your carbon footprint. If the meeting is for a closer crowd, it will have on flights and road trips.
2. Arrange transportation for delegates- having a shuttle to transport delegates to certain locations, and special events and dinners will reduce the use of personal vehicles and taxis.
3. Choose activities and special venues that are within walking distance- if you decide to host a dinner off hotel property, host it nearby to reduce vehicle carbon emissions.
4. Eliminate paper- post information on your company's website. Use a hotel's digital reader board, and provide information downloadable on flash drives rather than handing out notes.
5. Use pitchers of water instead of bottled water- you can request to have pitchers of ice water on the tables during meetings and conferences rather than bottled water. This will also reduce your costs as bottled water costs much more than tap water.