User Guide. National Sustainable Lodging Network User Guide (last updated: March 2011)

Transcription

1 User Guide The National Sustainable Lodging Network, consists of an online community of sustainable hospitality practitioners and a clearinghouse to support the work of this community. The P2Rx Centers created this social network and information clearinghouse website using the NING platform in order to: Provide forums for sustainable hospitality practitioners to share information on practices and challenges, Elevate sustainable hospitality programs and the facilities that participate in them, and Increase the adoption of sustainable practices in the sector. In order to gain access to the site, the first thing that you will need to do is join the NING network at: Sign-In Page 1

2 You can join by clicking here and creating a NING account. Sign-Up Page Enter your address, password, and birth date, copy the phrase below, and then click here to sign up. Create Profile Page 2

3 You will be prompted to create a profile with your name, country, and zip code, so that you can view the National Sustainable Lodging Network website. Click here to join. Main Page Welcome to the National Sustainable Lodging Network. You will immediately notice that this website has a lot of information and it may seem overwhelming at first. We encourage you to explore the content and features posted to the site and to add your own information or submit comments. If you want to finish updating your profile, click on the My Page tab at the top of the screen. You can add personal information and upload a photograph. Profile Settings Page 3

4 You can also update your profile s privacy settings; notification settings; and page display settings. By changing your privacy settings, you can control what types of information can be viewed by other members of the National Sustainable Lodging Network. 4

5 Updating your notification settings makes it easy to control the amount of s you receive from the Network. The default setting includes notifications for every update that occurs on the network including activity updates from other members and minor changes to the content. To reduce these s so that you receive only substantive updates of your choice, you may select only the types of updates that you wish to receive. The page display setting allows you to customize the appearance of your page display on the site, such as updating its colors or patterns, and rearranging the features and content on your personal page. Users can also add third party applications to their profile using the NING apps directory. 5

6 You can also connect this site with your twitter account and share information this way. To familiarize yourself with the rest of the site layout and content, start by examining some of the content included on the main page, or click through each of the top navigation tabs to review the features of the site. The Forum located near the top of the main page contains discussion threads that focus on specific topics related to sustainable hospitality and are a way for members to pose questions and interact with each other. Unlike the Discussion Forums within individual Groups, which are discussed later in this document, this public Forum can be seen by all members. It is a great way for federal, state, and local sustainable hospitality program managers to connect with lodging facilities and communicate with each other openly. Further down on the page is a list of Recent Publications and other documents related to sustainable hospitality. There is also a state-by-state list of sustainable hospitality programs that provides links to Lodging Facilities certified as green by their respective programs. 6

7 To learn a little more about the National Sustainable Lodging Network and the partners responsible for this network, click on the About Us tab at the top of the navigation screen. About Us From here, you can find even more information about the purpose of this initiative and why we think it s important. Mission Statement 7

8 Additional instructions for using many features of the site are included here. How to Use NING The National Sustainable Lodging Network is also intended to serve as a clearinghouse of P2 information for the hospitality sector. The collection policy describes the types of information that are collected and presented on the network, as well as the types of materials that may not be appropriate for showcasing on this site. Collection Policy 8

9 Going back to the main page, check out the Group tab at the top of the screen. Groups Individual state groups encourage networking among participating facilities and state and local programs. There is also a dedicated group for hospitality program managers to network among their peers and share information. This is a closed group and members must be invited or approved to join. Program Managers This is a special group dedicated to program managers from federal, state, and local sustainable lodging programs. This is a closed group and is designed so that the program managers can network among their peers and share information, not otherwise appropriate for broadcasting to their program participants, others working in the field, or the general public. Since the Hospitality Program Managers Group is a closed discussion group and members must be approved, you will have to submit a separate request to join this group. Click here to request access. Request to Join 9

10 You can leave a comment, or just hit the Send Request button and your request will be forwarded to the Group Creator for approval. You will receive a welcome once you are approved. Similarly, there is a dedicated group for lodging facilities. This group is specifically meant for facility managers, general managers, and other staff from lodging facilities. Lodging Facilities 10

11 The welcome message at the top of each group page explains the purpose of the group. In addition, there is a comment wall for members to post messages, within each group there is also a discussion forum for members to interact and pose questions or information resources about shared topics of interest. (Scroll down on page). Click here to view a detailed list of all of the previous discussion threads. Discussion Forums 11

12 You can sort by the latest activity, how recent the discussion is, or how many people have responded. You can find out more details and send a response by clicking on the title of each discussion. Or you can add your own discussion by clicking here. Add a Discussion 12

13 The next tab on the main navigation page highlights P2Rx information resources, such as the Hospitality Topic Hub. Sustainable Practices 13

14 It also includes links to P2 options for different categories of sustainable practices noted within the Topic Hub and an RSS feed of case studies. RSS Pages The next tab contains links to training materials from past sustainable hospitality events throughout the U.S. Training Materials From this page, users can access PowerPoint presentations and other materials from past conferences, workshops, and webinars. (Click through each to view all of these pages individually) 14

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16 The training materials are linked directly to the conferences, workshops, and webinars that are posted to the Calendar and Events page. Calendar & Events You can add an upcoming event by clicking here and inputting the necessary information, including a photograph or logo (if desired). Please make sure to label your events as a conference, webinar, or workshop so that it matches up consistently with the navigation for the Training Materials. Add an Event 16

17 One you click on add event you will be forwarded to another page where you can invite network members and other people in your address book to attend. Invite to Event 17

18 Posts from members and guests on a specific topic or idea related to sustainable lodging can be found by accessing the Blog tab. Blogs Recent blog posts are listed on this page. By clicking on the title of the post, users can view all the details and make comments in response to individual blogs. Or you can add your own, by clicking here. Add Blog Post 18

19 The video tab provides links to a handful of videos of sustainable training initiatives and best practices at lodging facilities. Videos 19

20 Users can sort videos according to the date they were posted, the number of views they ve received, and their rating. Users can also add new videos by clicking here and pasting in video links from YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo, or another online video service. Add Videos The last tab that we are going to review is probably the most important because it deals with the heart of the network, its members. Members Page 20

21 You can view the membership to see who is on the network and where they are from. Users can click on individual members to leave a comment on their wall. Comment Wall So, if you think that the National Sustainable Lodging Network site is valuable as way to interact with others and as a one-stop online resource for information about sustainable lodging initiatives, invite your colleagues and others who may be interested. You can enter addresses manually, import them from your address book, or just send your friends a separate with an invitation link. Invite Friends 21

22 We hope that this was useful to you and we encourage you to continue to explore the National Sustainable Lodging Network and find out more about what it offers and how it best works for you. For more information, please contact your Regional P2Rx Center or contact Andy Bray, NEWMOA and P2Rx Center for Regions 1 & 2 at ext. 306 or abray@newmoa.org. 22