While it’s now common for convention centers to include sustainability initiatives in their operating policies, not all such programs are created equal. Planners in search of an environmentally responsible venue can book these convention centers with a clear eco-conscience.
Austin Convention Center
The LEED Gold certified Austin Convention Center is taking steps to support its home city’s ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2020. A dedicated Green Team Committee works with the Austin Climate Protection Program to conceive and implement a groundbreaking Departmental Climate Protection Plan. Environmentally conscious measures affect systems such as lighting, water, HVAC, indoor air quality and cleaning.
Colorado Convention Center
At Colorado Convention Center in Denver, every meeting is a green meeting. As a LEED Gold certified facility and the first venue to be meet the certification requirements of the ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows and Conferences, Colorado Convention Center boasts impressive credentials. Its Environmental Procurement Policy expresses a preference for regional, organic and sustainable materials, in addition to vendors who share the facility’s environmentally conscious values.
Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
The Rust Belt isn’t top of mind in terms of sustainability, but Huntington Convention Center proves it should be. The convention center complex, which includes the Global Center for Health Innovation, earned LEED Gold certification on the strength of eco-conscious initiatives such as installing environmentally friendly design elements, recycling or reusing 67 percent of generated waste, and even operating a sustainable farm to supply the in-house catering team.
Vancouver Convention Centre
British Columbia’s waterfront convention center is a green meetings trailblazer. The world’s first LEED Platinum convention center operates at the forefront of sustainability technologies. Examples include a 6-acre living roof featuring 400,000 native plants and grasses, plus four honey bee hives; a heating and cooling system powered by seawater; and a restored marine habitat contained inside the foundation of the West Building.
