CHICAGO—The McCormick Place convention center has become the largest convention center in North America to be certified to a new international sustainability standard. This certification was introduced in 2012 to promote responsible environmental and social practices in the event industry. McCormick Place achieved Level One Certification to the ASTM Standard pertaining to the Evaluation and Selection of Venues for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences.
“We can all be very proud of this international honor for McCormick Place, which highlights how Illinois is on the cutting-edge when it comes to sustainability and the green economy,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said. “Here in Illinois, we understand that long-term economic development must be sustainable and respect our environment. This well-deserved distinction for McCormick Place will help attract even more conventions and trade shows, driving our economy forward and creating jobs.”
“I congratulate McCormick Place on achieving the international sustainability standard certification,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This highlights Chicago’s continuing efforts to be the greenest city in the world.” I remain committed to fostering opportunities to bolster Chicago as a leader in a modern economic environment. It is critical for all businesses and organizations to operate at maximum efficiency as trade shows and conventions attract thousands of visitors to the city each year.”
One of Nine Voluntary Standards
This sustainability standard is one of the nine formal, voluntary standards developed by the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry to provide event planners and suppliers with specifications for producing events in a more sustainable manner. The standards were created in partnership with ASTM International, an ANSI-accredited standards development organization.
“This is a great honor for McCormick Place and we are proud to receive the ASTM Standard-Level One certification during the Green Meeting Industry Council 2013 Global Conference,” said David Causton, general manager of McCormick Place. “I would like to thank the McCormick Place staff for all their efforts to advance our sustainability program. The certification exemplifies our ongoing commitment to encourage our customer base to host sustainable events. This recognition further enhances our competitive edge and will increase our ability to attract new events to Chicago. I am pleased that we are a part of the city’s vision for a sustainable Chicago.”
The venue standards delineate the procedural requirements for venue selection—the practice of researching, evaluating and choosing the facility for an environmentally sustainable event. The standard specifies performance criteria for staff management, communications, waste management, energy, air quality, water, procurement, and community partners.
McCormick Place Helped GMIC Meet Its Objectives
“GMIC takes seriously our role to challenge our destination and supplier partners to meet ever more rigorous expectations for engaging sustainable practices,” said Michael Luehrs, GMIC Global president. “To have such a positive response from McCormick Place is truly gratifying and has helped us to fulfill the objectives of our event. McCormick Place, through their leading efforts to embrace the environmentally sustainable meeting standards, gives inspiration to event venues everywhere. GMIC is proud to have hosted our 2013 sustainable events conference at Chicago’s McCormick Place.”
iCompli, a division of BPA Worldwide, a nonprofit international auditing organization headquartered in Shelton, Conn., developed the certification protocols for the new standards and performed the independent third party certification of McCormick Place’s compliance with the venue standard.
“When the largest venue in North America obtains independent certification of its sustainability practices, the bar for environmental and social responsibility has clearly been raised,” said Glenn Hansen, CEO of BPA Worldwide.
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