Los Angeles Convention Center Goes Dark for Earth Hour, Joining the City of Los Angeles and AEG Facilities-Affiliated Venues in a Global Call to Action in Support of the Environment
On March 25th, 2017, the Los Angeles Convention Center will join millions of people and organizations worldwide in “going dark” for World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour, a worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet. From 8:30 to 9:30 PM, the LACC will turn off its non-essential lights, primarily focusing on West and South Hall towers, as a symbolic call to action to protect our planet. As part of a global Earth Hour campaign organized by the City of Los Angeles and AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s industry-leading corporate sustainability program, the LACC joins City Buildings in six districts and more than 50 AEG Facilities-affiliated venues in 27 cities, eight countries and four continents across the globe in celebrating its commitment to the environment.
Environmental initiatives at the LACC span across numerous categories including energy, water, and waste reduction. The venue is 36% more energy efficient than the median building in the entertainment building use category; LACC’s overall waste diversion rate for 2016 was 75%; and the venue has reduced overall water use by 15% since 2013. The LACC is also proud to be the first of its size to achieve LEED EB: O+M Gold recertification.
“We are excited to join the Earth Hour movement for the fourth year in a row,” said Brad Gessner, senior vice president of AEG Facilities and general manager of the LACC. “We unite with the City of Los Angeles and AEG venues to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to environmental issues.”
Earth Hour is an annual event designed to engage millions of people worldwide on a broad range of environmental issues. Each year, more than 7,000 cities show their support for environmental issues by participating in Earth Hour. The LACC will be engaging with the Earth Hour community via social media channels and has “donated” the LACC Facebook feed to the Earth Hour cause, where @ConventionLA will promote the movement through tailored posts and reach over 66,000 individuals between March 22-25.
“We’re proud to be a part of Earth Hour 2017,” said John Marler, AEG’s senior director of energy and environment. “It is central to our AEG values to use our platforms to raise awareness of the critical environmental challenges facing our world.”
In 2010, AEG established a set of 2020 environmental performance goals across five areas, including energy and climate, water, waste, responsible purchasing, and education. In 2016, the company released its fifth AEG 1EARTH Environmental Sustainability Report, which provides an update on progress towards AEG’s 2020 goals and shares stories of AEG’s involvement in Earth Hour and other environmental events worldwide. Click here for Earth Hour Video.
The Los Angeles Convention Center is renowned internationally as a prime site for conventions, trade shows, and exhibitions. Professionally managed by AEG Facilities, the LACC attracts over 2.5 million visitors annually. The facility is an integral economic component to the Southern California area; based on historical averages the total economic impact based on direct and indirect spending is $548 million annually, generating and sustaining over 5,900 local jobs. The LACC also remains an enduring symbol of environmental sustainability and social responsibility, and is proud to be a LEED Gold certified facility. For more information, please visit lacclink.com.
