PHILADELPHIA—Students of Temple University’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management and Fox School of Business honored local, national and international businesses with regional offices for their eco-friendly practices during the second annual Green Initiatives Awards. The event was held on the morning of April 29 at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia. The sustainable event management students researched, evaluated and nominated businesses and secured sponsors and trade show participants under the guidance of Professor Harith Wickrema, who also serves as president of Harith Productions and is an expert at producing carbon-neutral events. The students are overseeing the event as well, incorporating an array of innovative green elements such as locavore cuisine (locally grown/raised), edible printed menus, name badges on “plantable” seed paper and more.
The Green Initiatives Awards were hosted by CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen, vice president and co-anchor of Power Lunch and Nightly Business Report. Speakers included Shawn M. Garvin, administrator for EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region, Don Smolenski, president of the Philadelphia Eagles and champion of the team’s significant environmental initiatives, and Professor Geoffrey Lipman, director of greenearth.travel, a global think tank network and former assistant secretary general and spokesperson of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). A lively panel featured top executives discussing their companies’ corporate sustainability practices and how others can serve the community while boosting the corporate bottom line. Katherine Gajewski, director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, which developed Greenworks Philadelphia to make Philadelphia the country’s greenest city by 2015, also contributed.
“In addition to the significance of recognizing corporate sustainability leaders, what is unique about this event is that it is entirely student-run,” said Sustainable Management student Casey June. “This hands-on experience is invaluable. The Green Initiatives Awards are truly #TEMPLEMADE.”
Green Initiative Award recipients and panel participants include:
• Brandywine Realty Trust for its breadth of green initiatives and sustainability leadership in the real estate industry;
• Reed Smith for its leadership in implementing environmental responsibility into global corporate policy;
• TD Bank for utilizing renewable energy to power ATMs, opening more than 60 LEED certified stores and offices, and continued commitment to paper-saving methods; and
• Ace Group for leading innovative and sustainable practices in the insurance industry.
A new “Disruptive Innovation” award, honoring a company whose new product offerings “shake up” business-as-usual with sustainable innovations, went to Integral Technologies, Inc. An on-site vendor exhibition showcased products and technologies that have lifted profitability for businesses even as they reduce carbon emissions, waste and pollution.
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