Marriott Kicks Off First Green Fair

More than 3,000 Employees to Participate

Washington, DC -In honor of Earth Day, Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is raising the awareness of eco-friendly practices among its 3,000 headquarter employees as it kicks off its first-ever “Green Fair” in Bethesda, Maryland tomorrow. Local vendors – Whole Foods Market, Green Living, Clean Currents, EcoLab, Starbucks and more –will showcase eco-friendly products and services and educate employees on how to be “greener” at home, in the workplace or on the road.

“We realize that education is the key to leading a green lifestyle,” says Kathleen Matthews, executive vice president, Marriott Global Communications and Public Affairs and co-chair of Marriott’s newly created Green Council. “We are offering our employees and associates environmentally friendly alternatives that can be applied in their everyday lives.”

Among the Green Fair highlights will be a light bulb swap. Marriott associates who bring the first 500 incandescent light bulbs to the Green Fair can exchange it for a compact fluorescent light bulb, which uses two-thirds less energy, saves $30 on energy costs over the lifetime of the bulb and lasts ten times longer. Tomorrow’s activities will also include a global warming update from Dennis Dimick, executive editor of National Geographic Magazine; green travel tips from Kim McKay, author of True Green; a showcase of hybrid cars including Ford’s Escape and Toyota’s Prius and Camry; home interior options from paint and carpet to roof and building materials; a giveaway of 800 reusable shopping bags and more.

Marriott has also engaged customers with eco-friendly tips at hotels across the country. Also, in its first online video contest via YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/MarriottIntl, which has been extended through World Environment Day on June 5, Marriott guests and associates are invited to demonstrate their environmental commitment using video for a chance to win a six-day, five-night “eco-cation” at the Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort in Costa Rica.

As a part of its Environmentally Conscious Hotel Operations (ECHO) program, launched over a decade ago, Marriott has implemented a number of environmental initiatives including Linen ReUse, Group ReLamp and the replacement of 450,000 light bulbs and 400,000 showerheads in the U.S. Since 2004, Marriott has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Partner of the Year Award for Excellence in Energy Management, and has been awarded more ENERGY STAR labels than any other hotel company. Most recently, Marriott was recognized as the first lodging company to receive EPA’s ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award. For more green news, visit www.marriott.com.