SAINT LOUIS, MO.—Seeking to provide support and guidance regarding environmental responsibility, the board of directors of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) has commissioned a Green Task Force to help educate and inspire IACC-member conference centers to conserve natural resources while recognizing the current successes at individual member properties. This is consistent with the association’s commitment to providing an exceptional meeting experience at every level.
“The task force was created to educate and guide conference centers toward eco-friendly, business-smart practices,” says Neil Pompan, president of IACC-North America (and COO of EMCVenues). “The Green Task Force will begin to develop an online information network to propel the association and members toward more sustainable operations.”
Headed up by Chair Leslie Vanderzwet of the Banff Centre and Vice Chair TJ Fimmano of Dolce International, the Green Task Force hopes to increase awareness; identify practices that conserve energy, water and other natural resources; increase recycling; and encourage the use of sustainable materials and alternative energy sources that also reduce operational costs for conference centers.
IACC Goal Setting
The Green Task Force, which includes eight IACC members who are in the vanguard of the industry in green practices, has set the following objectives:
• To educate IACC members and meeting professionals about opportunities to become more environmentally responsible.
• To provide a resource for members and meeting professionals to develop their own green programs.
• To recognize those properties that are now—or plan to become—leaders of IACC’s green initiative.
• To help IACC incorporate “green” into the association’s operations and programs.
The goals were established based on a recent membership survey which showed that 66 percent of respondents believed that demonstrating better environmental practices at their property was important to them.
“The members who serve on IACC’s Green Task Force have the experience and the passion for environmental issues and are a great resource to us and to the industry as we move forward with our efforts,” Pompan says.
Chair Leslie Vanderzwet brings an ideal background into her latest role. The Banff Centre, the town of Banff, and Banff National Park have long observed stringent environmental rules and guidelines. The Banff Centre adopted a policy in 2001 which pledges to take “a leadership role in environmental management practices by ensuring all of our programs, activities and operations have a minimal environmental impact and by seeking continuous improvement in our environmental management efforts.”
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