“We thank all of these industry members for their leadership and commitment to green meetings and events and to CGA in particular,” said Kristin Clarke, director, CGA. “Their expertise and on-the-ground experience and investments are helping associations lighten their environmental footprints, engage attendees and meet budget constraints simultaneously.”
Affiliated Power Purchasers International (APPI Energy), which has joined CGA as a top-tier industry partner, is an independent energy-consulting firm endorsed by the ASAE and 140 other associations as their exclusive energy-consulting partner. The company provides energy procurement and management services to more than 2,300 diverse clients and has a mission and operating model based on one premise: to provide superior, independent consulting services that reduce business operating expenses.
New CGA partner Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Seven Springs, Penn., offers 18 meeting rooms with 60,000 square feet of meeting space in a beautiful outdoor adventure-land setting.
The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) presented Seven Springs Mountain Resort with the 2009 Silver Eagle Award for Excellence in Water Conservation/Water Quality by a ski resort. In addition, the resort also has extensive recycling programs, has installed rain gardens to combat runoff erosion and rewards guests who “go green” with a Seven Springs Mountain Resort gift card to be used throughout the resort for each night they opt-out of housekeeping services.
Shenandoah National Parks and Delaware North Parks & Resorts at Shenandoah are new joint members of CGA. The parks and resort follow the GreenPath environmental management system to ensure sustainability excellence. Shenandoah National Park uses fresh, seasonal produce and locally produced organic foods whenever possible in its new food menu to reduce its carbon emissions footprint, help planners save money, and ensure high customer satisfaction.
Virginia Green Travel Leader-certified Richmond Hilton Garden Inn is another first-time CGA industry member. General Manager John Cario notes that the hotel’s efforts related to sustainability are “the right thing to do” for the future of the earth. Their efforts include seasonal, local sourcing whenever possible for its restaurant, recycling of kitchen oil and soap, in-room temperature controls that make adjustments easy for guests and more. The hotel aggressively reduces energy and water use, offers a digital newspaper, and even composts raw food waste.
Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg joined CGA this spring to communicate its sustainable services to its clients and learn what other properties are doing to go green. A recipient of the AAA Four-Diamond Award every year of its existence, this resort also is recognized as a Virginia Green Lodging and practices extensive sustainable operations, such as onsite tree planting, recycling, local sourcing of food and beverages, and “green” greens for eco-friendly golfing.
Renewing top-tier Convene Green Alliance industry members include the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority.
The new Nashville Convention Center, which opened in May, features over 118,000 square feet of exhibit floor space, 25 meeting rooms, a green roof and many eco-friendly elements. In 2014, ASAE will hold its Annual Meeting & Exposition at the facility, which is within walking or a short shuttle distance from 2,000 hotel rooms.
The Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority also has renewed its membership as a top industry partner. The Atlantic City Convention Center offers 500,000 contiguous square feet of meeting space and is convenient to all of the city’s extensive hotels. A longtime advocate of sustainable meetings and CGA, it also has some of the most innovative and extensive green initiatives of any convention center, most notably its 290,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels.
In addition, Atlantic City has a new hotel to offer meeting planners: Revel Resorts. The resort, which has 250,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space, is themed around the idea for “make functional fun.”
The ASAE Convene Green Alliance is a community of sustainably minded association and nonprofit meeting professionals as well as leading industry partners. The CGA mission is to provide education, share first-hand experiences, network with peers and hospitality experts, and leverage the collective voice and buying power of all CGA members to lessen the environmental impact of associations and the meetings/events they sponsor.
