Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page 24)

MIDAMERICA REGIONAL continued from page 13 receive LEED certification. Chicago also leads the country with five Green Seal-certified hotels. Hotel Monaco Chicago, Hotel Burnham, Hotel Allegro Chicago, InterContinental Chicago, and the Talbott Hotel all recently received Green Seal certification, an environmental lodging standard with requirements in waste minimization, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste-water management, and green procurement. Finally, Indianapolis has taken environmental friendliness to a whole other level, with the new $1.1 billion Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal at Indianapolis International Airport. The 1.2-million-sf facility is the largest LEED-certified building in the Midwest. Energy is conserved by the design and construction materials of the terminal. The roof reflects energy, which can reduce cooling costs, while the daylight available throughout the building reduces the need for artificial light. Taxi time for jets has been cut significantly, reducing the amount of fuel needed to reach gates and cutting emissions. The airport’s taxiways are lined with channels to collect glycol used for de-icing aircraft; the material is recycled. The new airport also has incorporated sustainability in its design, construction, and furnishings by reusing parking lots and runways, demolition materials, and glass, paint, and flooring. Ground-transportation centers for local transit systems have been added, and the airport has even gone back to nature. Red maples, redbuds, switchgrass, honeylocust, hemlock, and tulip trees are among the native Midwestern species planted throughout to cut pesticide use, erosion, and maintenance costs, helping keep the airport green in more ways than one. I Feelin’ the Music Think there’s nothing to do at night in the Midwest? The following music hotspots beg to differ—and can help your delegates loosen up and get down. Kansas City has its own eponymous style of jazz. KC’s Jazz Ambassadors (www.kcjam.org) organizes jazz and barbecue pub crawls for groups and can supply musicians for events. Minneapolis has produced many musicians; First Avenue (www.first-avenue .com), the nightclub made famous by Prince’s “Purple Rain,” is available for events. The 22,000-sf club, which has a 1,000-sf dance floor, holds up to 1,900. Chicago is known for its blues clubs. Local event planner Marsha Goldstein, president and founder of My Kind Of Town (www.mykindoftown.net), takes groups to blues clubs around the city, or she can bring musicians in. Cleveland has a thriving music scene, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Event space rentals are available. —MG 24 MeetingNews March 23, 2009 www.meetingnews.com http://www.kcjam.org http://www.first-avenue.com http://www.first-avenue.com http://www.mykindoftown.net http://www.visitmilwaukee.org http://www.visitmilwaukee.org 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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