Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. At one of the most sustainable event venues in the nation, there will be a festive Earth Day celebration at the Colorado Convention Center (CCC) in Denver.
The event is open to the public and will be held on Friday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to capitalize on both workers and visitors being downtown. Gather outside by the huge Blue Bear statue, “I See What You Mean,” by Lawrence Argent, located at the front of the building.
In addition to live music, giveaways, and snacks, there will be booths by Ace Hardware, Canned Goods, Country Fair Garden, Pets Supplies Plus, and Ridwell Denver. Also, take part in a used jeans drive and watch as nonprofit We Don’t Waste demonstrates using an ends and stems recipe to make a cleaning solution.
Earth Day Goes Global
The Earth Day initiative was born in the United States and went global in 1990, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Today, Earth Day is recognized by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create local, national, and international policy changes.
Colorado Convention Center Sustainability Initiatives
The venue has been proactive in addressing sustainability for years, ranging from a 300kw rooftop solar array, water bottle fill stations, and paper towel recycling in bathrooms to electric-vehicle charging, a light-rail stop, and a donation program for leftover conference materials. A sustainable program manager is employed to help guide CCC’s efforts and help events achieve sustainable event status.
In addition, CCC’s event hospitality partner, Centerplate, has a 5,000-square-foot garden on-site that yields about 1,800 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs annually.
In tandem with these initiatives, CCC has been intentional in securing sustainability certifications to demonstrate its commitment to being a green meeting partner. In 2009, CCC achieved EMS ISO 14001 certification as part of the City of Denver’s Environmental Management System. The next year, CCC earned LEED Gold certification for existing building, operation, and maintenance. CCC also is recognized as an Environmental Leadership Program, Gold Leader through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
To support sustainable meetings and events and Denver’s efforts to be a sustainable city, take part in the Earth Day celebration at the Colorado Convention Center on April 21.
