PHILADELPHIA — The Pennsylvania Convention Center has achieved Gold Level certification from the Events Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Events Standards. The ASM Global-managed facility meets the environmental and social responsibility standards set by the EIC’s Sustainability Committee, providing trade show organizers with the ability to host sustainable events.
Over the years, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority has invested significantly in tools and initiatives to reduce environmental impact and ensure efficient operations and clean facilities. In 2016, the facility launched its Green Team, a network of facility and ASM Global staff, service providers and stakeholders who develop, implement and enforce best practices for sustainability programs.
This team also worked in partnership with trade show organizers to help them achieve their own sustainability goals for their shows, including Natural Products Expo East.
“One of those initiatives is to interconnect the two central heating and cooling plants on the east and west sides of the building so that in moderate weather, one plant can heat or cool the entire building,” said Tony Hodgins, general manager of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “That has resulted in significant energy savings for the facility.”
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The institution has also partnered with various sustainability, technology and environmental management companies, including Honeycomb Strategies, Republic Services and Siemens, to help drive innovative change in the areas of utility management and waste diversion, among others.
“The modernization initiatives undertaken through the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority’s partnership with Siemens have been very effective in helping the center manage its energy consumption and that of our customers. The modernized building automation system now allows us to monitor and control air handling units and our energy consumption in real time, as well as provide more detailed and timely reporting that allows us to be a more reliable sustainability partner for our customers,” said Hodgins.
In addition to the Authority’s investments, the convention center is part of the ASM Global Acts program, a corporate social responsibility platform launched by the venue management company in 2021. Through its participation in the program, the Pennsylvania Convention Center has implemented initiatives to increase renewable energy certificate purchases, increase waste diversion rate targets and eliminate single-use plastics entirely.
The facility has increased its daily purchases of renewable energy certificates to 50% and its waste diversion rate target to 50%.
“The Pennsylvania Convention Center takes seriously its role as a steward of the public good. As such, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority and ASM Global are fully committed to having a positive impact on the community in which we operate and to reducing the environmental impact of our operations,” said Hodgins.
Contact Tony Hodgins at thodgins@paconvention.com