Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword in the entertainment and hospitality industries. Implementing sustainable practices in a convention center:
- Keeps costs down for our clients
- Ensures the health and well-being of our community
- Communicates our dedication to responsible and efficient practices
That’s why OPCC strives to be the most sustainable convention center in Kansas City. Read on to learn more about this little-known facet of our facility.
Why is sustainability important to the hospitality industry?
Convention centers have a longstanding reputation for producing a lot of waste in a short amount of time. With the influx of thousands of visitors in a matter of days, it can be difficult to manage waste during and after an event.
In addition, higher utility bills for a convention center means that a venue may have to increase their prices to help cover those costs.
With the size of most convention centers (our facility is 262,000 sq. ft.!) it can easily consume a high amount of utilities, which can place a large burden on the surrounding community’s infrastructure.
Learn more about how OPCC combats these issues by reading on.
Why is OPCC the most sustainable convention center in Kansas City?
In addition to the recycling, green chemical, and food and beverage sustainability programs that are now standard in our industry, Overland Park Convention Center focuses much of our time and money on energy consumption.
Current projects underway with Schneider Electric include an energy conservation program to reduce utility consumption for the entire venue. In fact, we put $2 million toward the initiative!
After an investment grade audit, our team selected the following projects for the program:
- Update and expand building automation system
- Replace cooling tower
- Variable speed kitchen exhaust
- Retrofit existing lighting systems
While these projects are not glamorous, they are necessary measures we’re taking to ensure we keep costs down and do the responsible thing for our community and our guests.
This initiative started in 2017. The first priority of the initiative was to replace all venue lighting with energy efficient LED lighting throughout the year and finish the project in 2018. Funding for this project came directly from our convention center’s account, as opposed to making it a capital project.
More about the Overland Park Convention Center’s general sustainability practices:
In addition to the Energy Management Initiative we detailed above, our sustainable convention center in Kansas City has a number of other policies to help keep us “green.”
- Dictate very specific policies for exhibitor move-ins that encourages efficient use of heating, cooling, and lighting systems
- Place occupancy sensors in bathrooms, storage closets, and hallways
- Installed low-flow restroom fixtures to save water
- Incorporate green seal compliant cleaning chemicals
- Purchase locally grown and baked products
- Offer vegetarian meal selections to reduce the carbon footprint associated with meat*
- Donate surplus food to a local food bank
Meet the Overland Park Convention Center
Have questions about our sustainability initiatives? Want to learn more about what OPCC can do for your next event? Reach out today and discover the difference it makes working with an award-winning event venue.
*It takes up to 1,847 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef in the US market. Vegetarian options require significantly less resources and energy to produce.