Article authored by:
Holly Elmore - LAI Atlanta Member & LAI Assistant Scribe
Holly's eclectic career path includes multiple faucets ranging from the corporate arena (Arthur Andersen Auditor & Trammell Crow Controller) to the foodservice industry (owner of a corporate catering business & restaurants) to sustainability-industry leader (Zero Waste Zones & Elemental Impact Founder). In addition, Holly is an avid nature & documentary photographer and respected journalist with prominent articles and photographs featured in national publications.
Home to one of the densest (if not the densest) district of LEED-certified event space in the world, Atlanta is the greenest convention, sports, and entertainment destination in the world. Atlanta's stellar sustainability commitment is one of the city's strongest economic drivers.
The list of downtown Atlanta LEED-certified facilities is impressive: Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA - world’s largest LEED-certified-convention center), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (first professional sports stadium in the world to achieve LEED-Platinum certification), State Farm Arena (world’s first National Basketball Association/National Hockey League arena to earn LEED certification), as well as the College Football Hall of Fame (LEED Silver), the World of Coca-Cola (LEED Gold), and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (LEED Silver).
Within an 18-month period, Atlanta hosted or will host three premier national events - 2019 SuperBowl, 2019 GreenBuild (the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual conference,) and 2020 NCAA® Men’s Final Four®. Each event requires in-depth sustainability commitments and rewards the host city with impressive economic benefits. Integral to the event execution are programs that expand benefits to local under-served communities and environmental habitats.
Atlanta LAI member Tim Trefzer, recently promoted to GWCCA Director of Sustainability and CSR, is instrumental to Atlanta’s impressive sustainability accomplishments. As the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee's Sustainability Committee Chair, Tim orchestrated the most sustainable Super Bowl ever with extensive pre-game events and stellar game-day practices.
The IMPACT Magazine article, Atlanta: sustainability is a strong economic driver, details the GWCCA ‘s prominent role in establishing industry-sustainability standards, showcases the GWCCA impressive sustainability commitment, and explains why the 2019 Super Bowl was the most sustainable ever under Tim's leadership.
Photos courtesy of: Front Office Sports, Atlanta Intown and GWCCA
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