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Sustainability and social responsibility go hand-in-hand at Orlando’s premier convention and tradeshow venue.
Known as “The Center of Hospitality,” Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center has long been at the forefront of sustainability in our industry. As the largest LEED Gold Certified Convention Center in North America, the OCCC offers several unique services that allow planners and attendees to be good environmental stewards, while also fulfilling their conference needs.
Give and Take: Helping the Environment
The recipient of numerous green building certifications, the OCCC works closely with exhibitors, attendees and meeting professionals to support and execute green events, procedures and efforts. An on-site Sustainability Coordinator manages all in-house sustainability efforts and is ready to assist planners with creative and smart ways to meet their needs in an environmentally conscious way.
On the roof of the North/South Building, a solar array of 6,000 panels produces 1.5 GWh of renewable energy annually and is one of five renewable energy technologies on campus. Another way the OCCC conserves energy and fossil fuels can be seen right on your plate. In partnership with Centerplate, the convention center’s food and beverage provider, the team cultivates fresh herbs and vegetables used for banquet menus in its 2,000-square-foot Center-to-Table Gardens. By growing all-natural produce on-site, the center can significantly reduce food miles for the thousands of dishes prepared each day.
Give and Take: Feeding the Community
The Orange County Convention Center works with each of its clients to donate unused food and products from events or shows to local schools, hospitals or other non-profit organizations. Recently, the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association donated 176,315 pounds of food—the equivalent of 18 truckloads—which was then provided to Second Harvest Food Bank in Central Florida.
As Corporate and Social Responsibility initiatives (CSR) become more widely adopted, many organizations regularly integrate volunteer programs as part of team-building activities during tradeshows and conventions. Attendee’s walk away feeling inspired by the experience, while local community groups gain much-needed assistance.
Ready to plan a well-rounded, sustainable event in Orlando? Orange County Convention Center has everything you need.