Many cities in the U.S. are embracing green building in the construction and rehabilitation of their convention centers. Green-themed meetings and big events like The Olympics are driving cities to think beyond big bland boxes to how their convention centers integrate with community, respond to natural surroundings and reach thousands of visitors with a message that they are innovative. The following examples illustrate leading practices at some of the recent green convention center projects (organized by category).

Energy performance

• Building energy consumption will achieve about 35-40% of total energy consumption in China
  From the Environmental guidelines for 2008 Olympics in Beijing
• Vancouver has already calculated the carbon footprint of the 2010 Olympics and set a goal to ensure all construction and operating plans address energy conservation and efficiency, and the use of energy sources that produce fewer or no GHGs.

Renewable energy

• Oregon Convention Center in Portland participates in Pacific Power’s Blue Sky program as a Visionary partner, supporting renewable energy development in the region by purchasing wind power equal to 40% of its electric use.
• The Colorado Convention Center in Denver installed a 300 kilowatt-hour solar panel system on its roof (the biggest solar power system in Denver).
• At the Vancouver Olympic Center, the heat generated by the ice rink’s refrigeration plant will be captured and used to heat the Olympic pool being built next door.

Watershed protection

• Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the world’s largest green convention center (which is built on the riverfront), has a ‘gray water’ recapture system recovering water from toilet flushing and cleaning it through the Center’s water treatment facility for reuse.
• To reduce heat island effect, the LEED-certified West Building of McCormick Place has one of Chicago's largest green roofs at approximately 150,000 sq. ft. The roof reduces heating and cooling requirements and helps improve air quality. The building also has a dedicated 3,100 foot-long storm water tunnel to keep approximately 55,000,000 gallons of storm water from the city sewer system annually by diverting the water directly to Lake Michigan.
• Oregon Convention Center’s award-winning rain garden is an extensive system that takes rainwater from the roof of the facility and filters it through a series of settling ponds and landscape features before it is released into the nearby Willamette River.
• The Salt Palace in Salt Lake City installed waterless urinals in the restrooms in the expansion space that saves 40,000 gallons of water per urinal per year.

Operations

• Recycling

  The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) has implemented a well-designed and comprehensive recycling program at its two Boston facilities, according to Boston Green Tourism. They:

  • Provide recycling receptacles in each meeting room and pre-function area
  • Compost food waste and recycle or reuse grease, pallets, glass, metals, bottles and cans, cardboard, plastics—including shrink wrap, carpet and padding, and paper
  • Exhibitors who anticipate excessive waste can arrange for periodic waste pick up with the customer service desk
  • MCCA Event Managers coordinate special recycling needs for various conventions


Pittsburgh’s convention center is equipped to handle all materials entering the building—from recycling plastics and glass to composting food waste and wooden pallets. It was designed with a centrally located recycling room equipped with its own paper baler (pictured right).

• Purchasing

The LEED-Silver certified Monona Terrace convention facility has partnered with the City of Madison, in following with the City's Natural Step initiative to purchase environmentally friendly cleaning products at a bulk pricing rate. Monona Terrace reaps the benefits of purchasing cleaning products based on 3.5 million square feet (all City of Madison buildings) rather than 300,000 square feet (Monona Terrace alone).

• Management

The Colorado Convention Center was the first convention center in the country to hire a Sustainability Program Administrator. The Oregon Convention Center also hired a sustainability coordinator.

Education and outreach

• LEED-Silver certified Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City places its Sustainability practices front and center on its web site homepage.
• The Colorado Convention Center produced a Green best practices checklist for meeting planners.

Transportation

• Seaport Companies, which operate the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, encourages their employees to ride public transportation by subsidizing 50 percent of their commuting costs if they bike or take transit. Also, they house two Zipcar vehicles on site.
• Jackson (Mississippi) Convention Complex is pursuing LEED-certification and installed bike racks and a shower for employees who bike to work, and priority parking spaces for workers who carpool or drive hybrid vehicles.
• The Colorado Convention Center has 70 bikes available for attendees at the Center.
• Massachusetts Convention Center Authority offers a 15 percent discount on monthly parking passes for any hybrid vehicle.
• McCormick Place in Chicago installed bike racks outside.

Resources

• What makes a convention center green? From Boston Green Tourism
• Vancouver’s green convention center
• “Southern convention centers embrace green”
• McCormick Place West Building LEED features
• The LEED-Silver Phoenix Convention Center
• Oregon Convention Center “Practicing Sustainability”