Tourism

Convention Center Goes Green

The 600,000-square foot Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center has made significant improvements in the facilities Recycling, Energy Conservation, Water Conservation, Operations and Food & Beverage efforts on the way to certification as a Silver LEED Existing-Building certification. These efforts include:

Energy Conservation

• Retrofit of existing lighting with new energy-efficient lighting.
• Installation and use of a Building Automation System for temperature and lighting control, and utilization of natural daylight in most pre-function areas.
• Lower lighting levels during event set up and tear down and implementation of conservative lighting schedules during non-event hours.
• Reset dishwasher rinse temperature at 180 degrees and eliminated use of rinse chemicals.
• Support renewable energy by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for off-site renewable wind energy systems. Through this program, the facility is “100% carbon neutral” – which has an impact similar to that of planting 85,276 matrue trees, or not driving 21,145,089 miles over a two year period.
• Coated the curtain wall at the front of building coated to allow light and reflect heat, coated skylights in the atrium, and installed white (reflective) single ply roof membrane
  

Water Conservation

• Installed closed loop system of treatment for cooling towers which reduced water consumption approximately 65% (savings in water/sewage charges and water lost)
• Installed water-saving devices for toilets, urinals and faucets in all restrooms.
• Upgrade existing landscaping design by making better landscaping choices more suitable to the South Florida climate and sustainability, including use of indigenous plants that are hardy and require less water, and replacing concrete sidewalks with porous paver systems.
• Minimizing the amount of areas covered with conventional turf grass.
• Installing and maintaining high-efficiency irrigation of micro or drip irrigation systems which will apply water directly to the roots of plants, using 30% to 50% less water than conventional sprinkler irrigation.

Operations

• Ample availability of recycling stations throughout the building.
• Use of environmentally-friendly cleaning products and paper towel and tissue made from 100% recycles materials.
• Reduction of paper usage by using electronic communications systems and double-side printed documents.
• Reduction of use of pesticides and herbicides.
• Use of low-fume emitting paints.
  

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Earns ISO 14001 Registration

Concessionaires at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) have taken their environmental efforts to a new level with the guidance of Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services.

Delaware North is believed to be the first airport concessionaire in the United States to achieve International Organization for Standardization (ISO) registration for its environmental management system at FLL. Delaware North received its ISO 14001 certificate of registration earlier this month.

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized set of standards for environmental management and many other systems. ISO's 14001 environmental standards are designed to help organizations comply with related laws, regulations and requirements, and also to minimize how their operations affect the environment.

Delaware North began its pursuit of ISO registration at FLL last year when it implemented GreenPath®, the company's proprietary environmental management system. Most notably, Delaware North initiated a paper, plastic and glass recycling program in its facilities that reduced the waste sent to area landfills by 350 tons since August 2008.

Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB Supports Florida Green Lodgings 

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) works with hotels and lodgings in the area to achieve Florida Green Lodging certification. The Florida Green Lodging Program was established in 2004 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to recognize and reward environmentally conscientious lodging facilities in the state featuring innovative or imaginative programs to conserve natural resources, reduce waste and minimize pollution. Through this rapidly growing program, DEP encourages the lodging industry to conserve and protect Florida's natural resources. The Florida Green Lodging Program is unique in that it covers an all-inclusive list of environmental initiatives that are specific to protecting and preserving Florida's environment. There are 25 certified green lodgings in Broward County, with about 20 more signed up and awaiting inspection. For a complete list of Certified Florida Green Lodgings in Broward County, visit www.sunny.org/greenbroward.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Invites Meeting Planners to Plan. It. Green. 

In conjunction with the Florida Green Lodging program, a voluntary initiative of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) is working with Broward County Parks and Recreation Division to reestablish native plantings and green buffers in designated areas, including parks. The Plan.It.Green Broward program is helping offset the carbon footprint of conventions visiting the area, and restoring the natural community with native trees, as an incentive to welcoming groups to Broward. Hotels receiving the Florida Green Lodging Certification are encouraged to make a $500 donation to the parks for plantings and reforestation. Planners bringing groups to Broward County also are encouraged to donate to local parks, or arrange a volunteer planting day or other activities that give back to the Broward County community. When appropriate, the GFLCVB provides donations to Broward County Parks on behalf of any organization that participates in a bid process for large meetings, or submits a Request for Proposal to the bureau. Additionally, the GFLCVB recycles special event street pole banners and billboards into stylish tote bags and padfolios for meeting planners.

Convention Center Recycles on a Large Scale

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center supports recycling in a very big way. This three-story, 600,000 square-foot facility is the site for conventions, trade shows, consumer shows and various special events. Their program includes:

• Cardboard, bulk cardboard and office paper products
• Commingled aluminum, glass, plastic and other materials used in conventions and tradeshows.

Supplies purchased included
Products for housekeeping and food service made from recycled or compostable materials; where possible, chemical supplies are being changed to environmentally-friendly products

• Paper napkins, deli paper, food trays, coffee cups and sleeves are made from recycled paper
• Cups, to-go containers and cutlery are made from compostable materials such as potatoes and corn

Food and Beverage efforts
Unused, pre-consumer meals are donated to Feeding South Florida.

• Reusable linens, dishes and cutlery are used.
• Dishwasher rinse temperature is set at 180 degrees and use of rinse chemicals has been eliminated
• Wherever possible, use food and beverages that are produced locally (within a 100-mile radius of the facility) or products that are labeled USDA Certified, Organic, Food Alliance Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Protected Harvest Certified, Fair Trade, or Main Stewardship Council’s Blue Eco-Label.

Hotel Guests Greeted With Environmentally-Friendly Messages

As Broward County continues to grow, so do the demands on its water supply. Many hotels in this visitor-friendly destination greet guests with this conservation message, printed on an in-room card: “To help us preserve water, our most precious resource, your linens will be changed only when this card is placed on the bed in the morning. Thank you for joining the Board of Broward County Commissioners in our quest to keep Greater Fort Lauderdale green.” For more information, emailjtaylor@broward.org.