High Point, NC (October 17, 2008) – The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) will host the 2008 Sustainability Summit Nov. 13-14, at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. – now known as the “greenest” hotel in America.

In September, the Proximity learned from the U.S. Green Building Council that it had officially achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum status. The LEED program has certified only 12 hotels worldwide – but none of those have achieved the platinum distinction.

The Proximity’s CEO, Dennis Quaintance, is one of two keynote presenters for the Summit, which will offer industry executives and environmental managers an unparalleled program of environmental research, reporting and exploration. Quaintance will provide an overview of the more than 70 energy and health enhancements designed into the 147-room Proximity Hotel.

Attendees who wish to stay at the Proximity are urged to make their reservations immediately. A limited number of rooms are still available at the special group rate of $149 per night. However, the Proximity room block is expected to fill quickly. Additional rooms will be available at a sister property, the O’Henry, which is adjacent to the Proximity.

Summit registration is $300 for the full two-day program. An online registration form is available at www.ahfa.us/events/events.asp. AHFA membership is not required for registration.

A second keynote presentation will be delivered by Charles Kennedy, senior vice president of social trends for DYG Inc., a Danbury, Conn.-based research service specializing in the study of trends in American attitudes, values, beliefs and demographics. His Summit presentation, “The Role of Green in a World Drowning in Red Ink,” will highlight consumer trends that have led to the increasing expression of environmentalism in shopping behavior.

The Summit’s opening day will conclude with a reception honoring the finalists in the first Sage Award competition, a program co-sponsored by AHFA and Cargill’s BiOH polyols. The award will recognize environmental excellence in the home furnishings industry. Following a video tribute highlighting the accomplishments of the finalists, the 2008 winner will be announced.

In addition, several of the Sage Award applicants will share their environmental accomplishments as part of the Summit program. On November 13, a panel of retailers who are at the forefront of defining “green” in the home furnishings marketplace will participate in a panel discussion. Among them will be Dave Bennett, vice president of distribution for Rooms to Go, one of the Sage Award applicants.

The Nov. 13 program also includes an editor’s roundtable that will put industry executives face-to-face with top print and online journalists who cover sustainable products, sustainable businesses and sustainable lifestyles. Among them will be Seth Bauer, vice president and editorial director of National Geographic’s Green Guide. Green Guide is both a print magazine and a website intended for general consumers. It is designed to show people how to make small changes that add up to big benefits for their health and for the environment.

A lunch presentation on November 14 will provide home furnishings marketers with important guidelines for using environmental claims in product marketing. Russell Batson, AHFA’s vice president of government affairs since 2000, will offer an overview of the Federal Trade Commission’s environmental marketing rules, known as the Green Guides. The commission was scheduled to begin a regulatory review of the Green Guides in 2009 but bumped up its plans and began the review this year due to the increase in green advertising claims.

The afternoon sessions on November 14 will turn the spotlight on two award-winning companies where environmental policies and programs were turned into real life actions that not only significantly reduced the corporate environmental footprint but also returned tens of thousands of dollars to the bottom line. In “Show Me the Numbers,” attendees will go inside Bernhardt and C.R. Laine furniture companies and find out how the right environmental management tools can produce extraordinary results. C.R. Laine is the first AHFA member company to achieve Sustainable by Design certification by completing a rigorous evaluation of its corporate environmental footprint, as well as its global climate impact. For each key area on a lengthy checklist, the company established numerical goals and a system for evaluating annual achievement and establishing new goals.

More information on the Sustainability Summit is available by calling 336/884-5000, ext. 137. A complete program and instructions for registering are available at www.ahfa.us/events/events.asp.