Colorado Convention Center Celebrates 3rd Annual Green Week Challenge

April 17, 2017

As one of the greenest convention centers in the country, the Colorado Convention Center couldn’t just let Earth Day come and go without doing something significant. But reserving just one day of the year to honor the environment while bringing awareness to the importance of sustainability doesn’t seem to be enough for the LEED Gold-EB-certified convention venue.

For three years in a row, the Denver-based facility has been taking an entire week to recognize Earth Day, while educating its employees in the process, via its Employee Green Week Challenge, taking place April 17-21.

CCC employees are invited to participate by choosing two sustainable activities from a list of six options, which include:

·      Taking alternative transportation

·      Participating in one of the volunteer opportunities offered by the CCC’s CLIMB committee (which represents the coming together of the facility’s sustainability, safety, wellness, employee relations and volunteer committees)

·      Creating sustainability within their departments

·      Committing to one behavior change in 2017

·      Eating vegetarian for a week

·      Creating their own challenge  

In addition, participants must complete a Sustainability Quiz, which includes five simple questions to help raise employee awareness about the CCC’s extensive sustainability program.

“Our Employee Green Week Challenge is a way to both engage employees in our programs at the center and encourage behavior change at home,” explained Lindsay Arell, CCC sustainable programs manager and brainchild of the Green Week Challenge.

She continued, “The quiz is also an important component to help educate and gauge employees understanding of our programs. For example, this year we included a quiz about recyclables and compostables at the center. We also put (the Challenge) in ‘action’ for our volunteer program.”

This year, convention center employees have three fun volunteer opportunities to choose from, including at the city’s annual 9Health Fair, Cayleb’s Kindred senior dog rescue and The Blue Trees Project, an environmental art installation about global deforestation.

Once participants submit their completed Green Week Challenge checklist by the May 1 deadline, they are then rewarded with a $10 Gift Card to Chipotle.

Each year, approximately 30 employees have participated in the facility-wide activity, although Arell said she hopes to involve at least 50 people this time.

But does just one week of more environmentally responsible behavior actually leave a lasting impression in the form of permanent healthier and/or greener habits?

“I don’t ask participants to report that back to me, but I have learned some really interesting ideas from staff through the challenge, in fact, I had one person in the administration office take it upon herself to revamp some of the signage to include some items she saw going into landfill that could be recycled,” Arell said.

She added, “The feedback has been very positive from employees and they love sharing their stories. In the past, the alternative transport (option) has been very popular (and) I also expect to see a lot of employees participating in the volunteer opportunities. It’s just a great way to educate (staff) and do something unique to recognize Earth Day.”

And for a convention center in a city like Denver, historically known for its love of all things outdoors, and now, for environmentally conscious trade shows and events, it just makes good green sense.

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Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact