A little more than a year after breaking ground on its LEED Silver CAESARS FORUM conference center in Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment says its 550,000 square-foot facility is on pace to open in March 2020. Green Lodging News asked Caesars some questions about the $375 million complex that will feature two of the largest pillarless ballrooms in the world.
1. Please provide a few examples of what has been sourced locally for the construction of the center. At Caesars Entertainment we help local communities flourish through economic contributions, in the form of employee wages and benefits, payments to vendors for goods and services, and payments to governments for taxes and licenses, among other things. Please note our concrete and steel was sourced in the United States.
2. Will a high percentage of the construction waste be recycled? Yes. At Caesars Entertainment we have various innovative programs and local partnerships to enable our company, guests and employees to eliminate waste and this construction project is no different. Throughout construction and once CAESARS FORUM is open for business, we are committed to reduce our impact on the environment.
3. What about the center will make it energy efficient? All of the HVAC and lighting systems, including occupancy sensors, are energy efficient and we are running at 21 percent below ASHRAE 2013. Caesars Entertainment is keeping the environment in mind as the CAESARS FORUM is being constructed in order to meet the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. Energy efficiency is an important consideration in the design of CAESARS FORUM.
- The building will be equipped with demand-control ventilation using CO2 sensors to ensure spaces are heated, cooled and ventilated optimally while minimizing energy use.
- LED lighting will be used extensively throughout the facility with advanced lighting controls that deliver optimal lighting levels while minimizing energy use.
- Fault detection will ensure mechanical systems are operating efficiently and being maintained for optimal performance.
All of this and more is expected to make the conference center 24 percent more energy efficient than a typical building.
4. Will renewable energy technology be incorporated into the project? Caesars Entertainment is actively looking into renewable energy technology. Plans are still in development.
5. What about the center will make it water efficient? Fixtures are water efficient, plants that require minimum irrigation are being used all throughout the property. At Caesars Entertainment, we are conscious about how we use water, because it shows respect for our local communities and the world we live in. CAESARS FORUM will minimize water waste by incorporating low-flow fixtures, urinals and water-closets throughout the facility as well as drought-tolerant landscaping. CAESARS FORUM is expected to be 44 percent more water efficient than a typical building, saving over 4.6 million gallons of water per year
6. How many employees will eventually be employed? Any idea how many will eventually work on the construction? 800 to 900 on the construction.
7. Aside from employing many, how will the new center benefit the local community? We help local communities thrive through economic contributions by taxes we pay, the jobs we create and the suppliers with whom we engage. Within our Responsible Meetings program, we have our Meetings for Good offering, which helps clients contribute economic, social and environmental benefits to society at our meeting venue locations through partnerships with local nonprofits. These offerings will be included at the CAESARS FORUM.
