The LEED rating system identifies venues that are sustainable and those working on it.
by Annika S. Hipple
Northwest Meetings + Events
Spring 2008
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Meetings and events professional seeking eco-friendly facilities have an important tool in the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. A nonprofit entity made up of more than 12,000 organizations from all sectors of the building industry, the USGBC developed the LEED rating system in 2000, and it has quickly become the national standard for sustainable building practices.
Other environmental ratings also have relevance for the meetings and events industry, including the Green Seal program, which certifies lodging properties based on sustainable purchasing and management. Four Northwest hotels have so far qualified: the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower; the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland – Lloyd Center; Kalaloch Lodge Lake Quinault Lodge, both on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. At press time, the Hilton Vancouver Washington & Vancouver Convention Center was expecting to receive its Green Seal certification. The difference between the two standards is that Green Seal focuses on business practices, whereas the LEED ratings pertain to sustainable features of the physical structure itself.
LEED provides building projects with a respected, third-party validation of their green attributes. Projects are rated on criteria in five key categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The total number of points earned determines the project’s certification level: certified, silver, gold, or platinum.
Projects apply as either new construction (LEED-NC) or existing buildings (LEED-EB). LEED-NC is designed to guide the construction of new projects according to a series of green building criteria. LEED-EB measures operations and maintenance on an ongoing basis and can be applied to buildings seeking certification for the first time or to those previously certified under LEED-NC.
The Northwest has been at the forefront of the green building trend with Washington and Oregon consistently ranking near the top (third and fourth, respectively, as of January 2008) among U.S. states for the number of LEED-certified buildings. Portland currently has the most LEED-certified buildings of any U.S. city, with Seattle close behind in third place, after Chicago.
“We’re looking to create Portland as a destination you can come to knowing that the hotel you stay in, the convention center you meet in, and the restaurants you eat in have a demonstrable commitment to sustainability and green practices,” says Julie Reed, public affairs manager for the Oregon Convention Center (OCC). The OCC was the first convention center in the country to receive LEED-EB certification and is currently awaiting the USGBC’s evaluation of its recently completed upgrades targeted at attaining LEED silver or gold status.
In downtown Seattle, construction is under way on the inaugural property of the five-start Hotel 1 chain, which aims to be the first global environmentally friendly luxury hotel brand. Slated for completion this fall, the project will incorporate innovative features to reduce energy and resource consumption and qualify for LEED certification.
Another groundbreaking project in Washington is the Kent Events Center, which is being built to LEED silver standards. Project officials believe it will be the first facility of its kind to qualify when it is completed early next year. The Seattle Thunderbirds hockey team will anchor the 154,00-square-foot arena, which will also be available for events such as trade shows, graduations, benefit dinners and auctions.
“It’s been a challenge to apply LEED to this building. A lot of LEED requirements are geared more towards office and residential-type buildings,” says Ben Wolters, economic development director for the Events Center. “But there’s a certain pride that comes from being the first. Now for the next building like this, they’ll have the model in place.” Wolters anticipates that the up-front costs associated with building to LEED standards will easily be recouped over time, generating significant savings over the life of the building.
Gerry Link, general manager of the Hilton Vancouver Washington & Vancouver Convention Center, the first LEED-certified Hilton in the world, says the public relations benefits and increased business far surpass the money spent to qualify for LEED.
“Groups and organizations want to hold events at a facility that matches their values,” Link says. “Our core value has always been and always will be hospitality, and that we’re doing it in a LEED building only enhances that.”
Many groups ask about sustainability right away when selecting a meeting location, says Johnna Boxley, general manager of the Spokane Convention Center, which earned silver LEED certification for its Group Health Exhibit Hall. “If we’re not operating a green facility, they’re not going to have their meeting here.”
Evaluations are currently underway to bring the remainder of the Spokane campus up to LEED standards. In addition to being the “right thing to do,” Boxley says, building to LEED standards creates a healthier, more comfortable environment for users and reduces energy costs. She notes, “If we can keep out operating costs down, we can pass those savings on to planners.”
Though developed in the United States, the LEED system is in use throughout the world. In British Columbia, the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre is undergoing a large-scale expansion based on LEED gold standards. While the existing facility already had a number of sound environmental measures in place, Vice President of Operations Catherine Wong says the expansion allows the Centre to capitalize on its location and take advantage of the new sustainable building technology available.
“It will allow us to have a more efficient building, and in today’s world, that’s really important,” says Wong.
On a broader scale, Wong considers the meetings and events industry to be very aware of sustainability issues, which she believes “will translate into very positive developments and initiatives” in the future.
