The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Monday announced the Philadelphia has been ranked as one of the top ten U.S. Cities for Green Meetings by GreenBiz.com, a list developed based on industry standards for sustainable meetings and convention practices.
Greenbiz.com cited a number of factors at the Pennsylvania Convention Center that led to its high ranking, including its LEED Gold certification for its 2011 expansion; its use of 100 percent decomposable and biodegradable food and beverage products and Green Seal-certified cleaning products; its use of renewable energy; and energy-efficient lighting and other energy-saving initiatives.
“We are excited that our efforts to enhance the sustainability of the Center are being recognized by the green industry,” said John McNichol, Acting President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. “We have made a concerted effort to make the facility a national leader in the race to provide environmentally sustainable meeting space. This ranking affirms our commitment to the environment and lets our customers know that we are focused on sustainability in our daily practices and long-term strategic plan.”
The rankings of convention centers were developed based on standards for sustainable meetings as set forth by the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange and the American Society for Testing and Materials.
The ASTM/APEX standards for sustainable meetings provide a barometer of environmental integrity across nine sectors of event production: transportation, audiovisual, accommodation, onsite office, meeting venue, food & beverage, exhibits, destinations and communications.