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Participatory gathering to develop ideas for making a new Cleveland convention more useful to the region -- more than just a plain convention center.

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Sponsored by CatalystStrategies.

GCBL reader Matt Russell agrees, “a green convention pitch could be a creative and innovative approach to selling the City of Cleveland as the host of the GOP convention.” And he wonders how to make it happen.

In that vein, we spoke to Boston Green Tourism founder Dan Ruben about how Boston and New York greened the 2004 national conventions, how it led to a larger effort to green the convention and hospitality industries, and what Cleveland should be thinking about. Read the Ruben Q&A and then check out the Boston case study to start formulating ideas for Cleveland.

The Plain Dealer reported today that the 2008 National Republican Convention Site Selection Committee will visit Cleveland next week, the last stop in its tour of host cities on its short list. The story leads with the news that city leaders have raised $8 million in cash pledges plus $10.5 million of in-kind contributions toward the cost of hosting the event (which will cost upwards of $75 million, most coming from national sources).  As we come down the home stretch, GreenCityBlueLake offers, once again, another arrow in the arsenal that Cleveland should use next week:

If Cleveland wants a competitive edge in its bid to host the 2008 Republican National Convention, it can plan to make it a green convention. Here's how:

Sometimes lost in the debate of should Cleveland build a new convention center, is what type of building can transform the region by offering a vision of what buildings can be in the 21st century? How has green building technology helped some cities — most notably, Pittsburgh — create forward-thinking convention centers instead of giant, single-purpose, energy intensive boxes? How will the design of a Cleveland convention center determine its ability to act as an economic catalyst by creating vibrancy on the street and downtown? And if Cleveland is selected to receive it, would a year-round exhibition center for medical equipment and devices insure financial viability? 

A good summary of green and urban-friendly criteria for a new convention center was issued in November 2007 by Positively Cleveland (the Convetion and Visitors Bureau). Here are the key points:

Ultimately, Positively Cleveland envisions a convention center campus with stunning architecture that makes a bold, dynamic statement about the city. It will be state-of-the-art, possessing all the latest technology. It will be “eco-friendly,” incorporating both green practices and green building design. It will operate as a viable business, offering parking, copy centers, retail opportunities and other visitor experiences within its complex. It will be accessible, connected to a headquarters hotel, easily reached by public transportation and within walking distance of entertainment options like dining, sporting events, concert venues, theaters and shopping. And it will be designed for future use, ensuring the community’s continuing return on investment by being flexible (changing meeting rooms), expandable (future growth), adaptable (multiple and mixed use) and upgradeable (implementation of yet-to-be-discovered technologies).

Read the entire Positively Cleveland report here.