Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page 11)

Green Beat By Terri Hardin terri.hardin@nielsen.com Greenest Planner Profile: Jodi Morrison ‘The Woman Who Out-Greened Moscone’ wins MN-sponsored award On March 24, Oracle Corp.’s Jodi Morrison, along with independent event producer Harith Wickrema, and Kim Boriin, CMP, of Guardian Investor Services LLC, will be awarded the Greenest Planner designation at the Green Travel Summit, at the Fairmont Newport Beach. The awards, sponsored by MeetingNews and Successful Meetings, acknowledge the passion and dedication to green ideals that these planners not only express but inspire in others. Morrison is the first of the Greenest Planners to be profiled. “Not only does Jodi Morrison plan the largest annual meeting [Oracle Open World, held in September], in San Francisco’s very green Moscone Center,” said Robynne Weaver, convention services manager for the San Francisco Convention & Vis- itors Bureau, she is the most proactive meeting planner that the CVB has ever worked with. According to Weaver, 45,000 people attended Oracle Open World 2008 and not one plastic water bottle was served. Throughout the four-day event, Morrison promoted green practices in transportation (from public transit, walking, and bicycling, to group transportation via alternative-fuel vehicles), waste reduction, local sourcing, community donations, and, lastly, carbon offsets. Morrison taught Weaver that standardization is key to avoid greenwashing, and to use audits to accurately measure the impact of new green initiatives. “It is no wonder Oracle is seen as the leader in green conventions; year after year, Jodi and her staff set the bar higher and higher,” said Weaver, who also warned, “Keep an eye out for even more green advancements to come from Oracle Open World in 2009!” 2010 Winter Olympics Aims for Sustainability New 6,000-seat venue strives to be among world’s greenest curling rinks The opening of the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, which recent opened in February, completes the sports venue inventory for the city’s 2010 Winter Games. The center, expected to be the setting for curling and wheelchair curling events, is a 100,000-sf, 6,000-seat facility and is being touted as one of the world’s greenest curling rinks. Aiming for the gold standard in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the eco-friendly structure uses captured rainwater to flush toilets, which, along with the showers and sinks, use low-flow water systems, cutting water use by up to 30 percent.A high-performance envelope insulates the building to maintain ice-sheet-perfect temperatures, while a mix of electricity, natural gas, and solar energy power the site. Excess heat from ice-making is channeled to warm the rest of the building and the adjacent aquatic center. Just south of downtown Vancouver, in the Riley-Hillcrest neighborhood, the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre is on one of the highest points of land in the city, with views of the North Shore mountains and the city center. Sustainable Websites From Coast to Coast T Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre Surrounded by green space, the sweeping interiors are graced with a blend of traditional and contemporary works by Canadian First Nations, Inuit, and Metis artists. Post-Games, the site will be used as a multipurpose community recreation center, offering ice hockey and curling rinks, as well as a gym, library, and adjacent aquatic center (which was built at the same time as the center, for construction efficiency). The center recently hosted the World Wheelchair Curling Championships in February, followed by the World Junior Curling Championships in March. H he cities of San Francisco and Philadelphia have added green pages to their websites. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau has formed a partnership with Greenopia, a consumer guide that rates each business with one to four Green Leaf icons to demonstrate its level of environmental commitment. Greenopia’s Green Leaf ratings help make decisions that reduce their impact on the environment. These ratings will be available soon on the SFCVB site: www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/green. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched Philly Green Meetings at www.philadelphiaUSA.travel/green, which will highlight ways that the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Philadelphia’s hospitality industry are contributing to a healthier and greener environment. Green initiatives address air quality, waste management, energy efficiency, and water conservation. www.meetingnews.com March 23, 2009 MeetingNews 11 http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/green http://www.philadelphiaUSA.travel/green http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 23, 2009 Contents What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com Meetings Mean Business As 'Meeting Matter' Marriott Unveils Promo Columbus, OH, Addresses Convention Hotel Issues People Making News Orlando Strives for Cost Transparency Is Biz-Class Air Travel Dead? Greenest Planner Awards Mid America Insider Report: Conference Centers Destination Insider: Mississippi Gulf Coast Las Vegas Destination Insider: Cleveland Ad Index Live from the Forum

Meeting News - March 23, 2009

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