PITTSBURGH
The Pittsburgh region’s investment in a green convention
center is paying off. Consulting firm, evolveEA performed a ground-breaking
study to evaluate the David L. Lawrence Convention Center’s (DLCC) operations,
marking the first time a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
certified building has undergone a comprehensive evaluation for green
operations, which has culminated in the facility becoming the first LEED
Platinum convention center certified under the Existing Buildings Operations and
Maintenance rating system.
“This study illustrates that the DLCC, one of
the greenest convention centers in the world, is an excellent example of a
building whose smart design leverages efficient operations,” said Christine
Mondor, Principal at evolveEA. It is also a great story of what can be achieved
by an operations team that looks for constant improvement.”
In 2003, the
DLCC became the first LEED Gold Convention Center. Now—evidenced by the more
than 50 facilities that have achieved or are pursuing LEED
certification--convention centers and event destinations are prioritizing
sustainability as they begin to understand the marketing and cost saving
implications of sustainable operations.
evolveEA and its team
investigated the convention center’s performance, not only as a physical
building, but as a functioning organization. To do this, the team benchmarked
the DLCC against other convention centers, and provided recommendations to
improve operations and leverage marketing opportunities. The study highlighted
that over $15 million in DLCC revenues from 2006 to 2011 came from green-seeking
events. These same events brought approximately $176 million in direct spending
to the Pittsburgh region
