The San Diego Convention Center is getting all dressed up for Earth Day. From dusk on April 22, through 1 a.m. the next day, the Teflon sails atop the bayside building’s 90,000 square foot Sails Pavilion will be lit up in green to raise awareness for conserving our planet’s natural resources. Staff electricians will create the effect by covering twenty light fixtures with green theatrical gel coverings. “We’ve had environmental programs in place since we opened two decades ago. Being green is part of who we are as an organization, and when you have a building as large as ours, it’s not only the responsible thing to do, it’s the right thing to do,” said Brad Gessner, general manager of the San Diego Convention Center. The Convention Center is an industry leader in demonstrating how large facilities can be environmentally responsible. In addition to foundational efforts such as water conservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction, the facility has added innovative measures such as food composting and a donations program to its arsenal of green initiatives. In 2008, the Convention Center recycled 521 tons of materials, conserved 81,026 gallons of water and saved 2.7 million KWh with increased energy efficiency, or the equivalent of providing power to 460 households. Additionally, plans are underway to install solar panels to offset energy consumption. Recent industry awards for environmental leadership include:
Now celebrating 20 years of success, the Convention Center has generated $18.3 billion in regional economic impact, $364 million in tax revenues for the City of San Diego and supports 12,500 jobs countywide. The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is a public benefit corporation created by the city to exclusively market, manage and operate the 2.6 million square foot waterfront facility. # # #
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