EDMONTON—Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre has received the Building Owners and Managers Association’s (BOMA) “Building Environmental Standards” certification. BOMA’s certification program, or BOMA BEST for short, recognizes organizations like Edmonton Economic Development Corp., which manages the Shaw Conference Centre, for its commitment to the environment. Applications for certification must be verified by a third-party assessor. The application process included showing 12 months of consumption data and a green purchasing policy, documenting in-house green practices, and meeting indoor air quality requirements for clients and staff. BOMA BEST is the successor to BOMA’s Go Green program, which Shaw Conference Centre achieved in 2007.
“Receiving BOMA certification demonstrates that, as a facility, we are moving towards excellence in energy and environmental performance by taking tangible and documented steps,” says Mike Fitzpatrick, vice president and general manager of Shaw Conference Centre. “This is good for the environment and good for business.”
BOMA certification is just the latest recognition for Shaw Conference Centre. Notable recent milestones include:
• Receiving the Recycling Council of Alberta’s 2010 corporate leadership award for its green initiatives.
• Helping clients through an eco report card host an Edmonton green meeting as well as provide a sustainable event planning guide.
• Starting the application process last spring for “LEED Canada for Existing Buildings” certification, an international program that rates how green a building’s operations are.
• Diverting waste from landfills by 40 percent through composting and recycling programs.
• Featuring Alberta products in menus through partnerships with local growers and producers. The centre is also the training base for award-winning Culinary Team Canada.
Opened in 1983, Shaw Conference Centre hosted 710 events and 530,000 guests, and generated $43.5 million in economic impact in 2009.
For more information on the Shaw Conference Centre or other Edmonton conference facilities, visit www.edmonton.com.
