When it comes to being "green," the Monona Terrace Convention Center stands head and shoulders above many facilities of its type.

Consider this: The facility is one of only a handful of convention centers in the United States to be LEED-certified as a "green" building. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a national program of the U.S. Green Building Council that sets the benchmark for high performance "green" buildings. Monona Terrace was also the first convention center to earn a "silver" LEED certification under the LEED program for existing buildings (LEED-EB).

The estimated $111,000 investment required to obtain LEED-EB certification has already proven worthwhile, with eight additional conventions and conferences booked as a result of this move, according to the Greater Madison Convention and Visitor's Bureau. "This has been a challenging project," said Monona Terrace Director Jim Hess. "We started the process with our application in November of 2005, and has taken a team effort to get it accomplished. We are extremely proud of this achievement for our city and for our clients."

Highlights of Monona Terrace's sustainable design include the use of non-toxic "green cleaning" products, as well as significant energy savings, clean energy utilization, and high recycling rates. Replacing traditional cleaning products with "green cleaning" options not only benefits the environment; it contributes to the health of event attendees and employees. The center also uses 49 percent less energy than do convention centers across the country with comparable weather. Even better, 10 percent of the energy purchased by Monona Terrace in 2007 was renewable; current plans call for increasing this figure to an impressive 25 percent in 2008.

As if that weren't enough, an equally impressive 49 percent of all solid waste material generated at Monona Terrace is currently recycled. "We worked with Green Valley Disposal on a waste stream audit to analyze how and what we were throwing away," Hess said. "The audit revealed areas where we were able to make changes in how we dispose of our solid waste stream. For example, in the administrative offices, every office has small trash cans and larger recycle containers. The change to single stream recycling, where all recyclable materials can go into one container, has enabled clients using the facility to more easily recycle while at our facility."

In 2006, approximately 30 percent of office and building supplies, office furnishings, and construction materials were environmentally preferable purchases.

Monona Terrace Convention Center At A Glance
Convention Space: The Monona Terrace Convention Center boasts 85,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. Features include a 37,200-square-foot exhibition hall, a 13,524-square-foot ballroom, a 7,000-square-foot Grand Terrace, 68,000 square feet of rooftop gardens, and 600 parking spaces.
Hotel Rooms Within Walking Distance: 800
For More Information: Monona Terrace Convention Center, One John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI 53703; Phone: (608) 261-4000;
Web site: www.mononaterrace.com

LEED-CERTIFIED: The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace Convention Center is located in the heart of downtown Madison, Wis.