Hotel Roanoke & Conference Ctr, Curio Collection by Hilton 

Executive Chef Supporting Local Farms and Flavors Chef Billie Raper Strives to Advance Green Efforts at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center ROANOKE, VA.— The executive chef at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center is bolstering the hotel's dining and restaurants by purchasing locally grown foods from local farmers and businesses as a way to advance and continue the hotel's green movement. Billie Raper, who also leads the hotel's green committee, is relying on local farmers and businesses to give the region a taste of the bountiful flavors available in southwestern Virginia. “Purchasing locally grown foods is not only essential to our business and practice, but also an added incentive for our guests and diners,” said Raper. “We are constantly striving for ways to advance our green efforts and ways the hotel can be more sustainable. It's an initiative we are constantly developing and practicing.” Chef Raper has worked with local growers for about six years and regularly partners with a Floyd County cooperative called Good Food, Good People, which encourages business owners to purchase produce from farmers in the area. The foods are picked to order and delivered within 24 hours of being harvested to local stores and restaurants. Raper also purchases from Border Springs Farm in Patrick County. “My philosophy on supporting local farmers and businesses is that the hotel was built and put back in place by the community, so I feel we have an obligation to then turn around and support the community whenever possible,” said Raper. “Using locally grown foods is a terrific way to do that and a necessity for us.” The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center is a member of Virginia Green, a partnership program between the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Tourism Corp. and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association. The Hotel Roanoke has had a green committee in place for more than two years and meets on a monthly basis to discuss new steps and initiatives they can put into action. "Our green committee is here to look at everything and talk about ideas and initiatives," Raper said. “It takes commitment, drive and a constant effort from everyone in the organization to continue to succeed. It's essentially part of everyone's full-time job at work and at home.” Green meetings are not only good for the Earth, but they''re great for business. A green meeting can give your group a great reputation, a competitive edge and can ultimately save time and money in the process. As a Green Lodging Facility we are aggressively working to limit our impact on the environment as much as possible. Our team will work diligently to guarantee your meeting is as environmentally conscious as possible and we will work with you to ensure all your needs are met and satisfied. We have a Green Committee in place to research and execute ways to improve our practice and facility. Our efforts are highly committed to being environmentally conscious and our team would love the pleasure to work with you to ensure your meeting is friendly to our environment. Meetings • Bulk Water: Pitchers will be provided instead of individual bottled water. • Recycling Bins: Paper, plastic, aluminum or as needed. • No paper or pens request. • Paper that is used is from recycled paper. • Condiments and food items served in bulk. • Reusable coffee mugs. • Meal 'sign-up', letting us know what meals will be needed to prevent food waste. • Vegetarian meal selections: vegetables consume less land base and energy to produce • If needed, choose centerpieces and decorations that can be reused, such as living plants, or silk flowers. • We use reusable cutlery, dishware and linens. • As a state-of-the-art facility we have the ability to offer telephone and web conferencing for guests who can not travel. • Excess food donated to charity * We also utilize local farmers and produce and have a composting initiative in place Facility • Mass transit: Shuttle available to and from the airport. Within walking distance to downtown restaurant, shops, and entertainment venues. We are also a line stop for the Smart Way Bus (Mass transit between the New River and Roanoke Valleys). • In rooms: optional laundry service, Reuse towel program, glasses/mugs versus disposables, efficient HVAC - individual thermostats, low flow fixtures, optional free newspapers. • Water Efficiency: low flow restrictors (high pressure), sensors on faucets/toilets, low flow toilets, dishwashers that re-circulate, maintenance of drips/leaks. • Energy Efficiency: efficient HVAC - natural gas, skylights/natural lighting design, lighting sensors and high efficiency compact fluorescents, EnergyStar computers, refrigerators, etc., insulation, directional lighting (parking areas, outdoor, non-dome lights that do not cause energy wasting light pollution) • Laundry: water efficient washers (reuse or filter washwaters, energy efficient dryers, environmentally-friendly detergents (using proper amount of bleaches), linen segregation, gentle cycles for lightly soiled.