Denver Working to Make DNC the Greenest Political Convention Ever
DENVER, CA, August 4, 2008. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has vowed that the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 25-28, 2008 will be the "greenest political convention in history." To that end, the city created ten green task teams, developed 50 corporate and nonprofit partners, registered 450 green business vendors and recruited hundreds of volunteers to work together to design and implement strategies to not only make the Convention green, but to also leave an enduring legacy of sustainability programs and opportunities for Denver.
Some of these advances include:
o Denver is completing a solar plant at Denver International Airport that will produce 3.5 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity each year and the Colorado Convention Center will soon house a 300 kilowatt solar system -- the largest rooftop solar array in Colorado.
o City-owned facilities like Red Rocks Amphitheater, the Colorado Convention Center and the Denver Performing Arts Complex are putting Environmental Management Systems in place. The Colorado Convention Center was completely refitted with low-flow water fixtures and hired a sustainability coordinator.
o To engage local business sectors in greening the DNC and equip them with the tools and information to compete in the growing green meeting market, a series of workshops were conducted to educate the restaurant, hotel/lodging, catering, event planning and fleet industries about how to green their businesses and operations. Approximately 530 businesses attended the seminars.
o Reusable water bottles will be provided to DNC delegates and media. Water bottle-filling stations will be used throughout Convention venues, including a new "Water Wagon" for outdoor events.
o Recycling bins will be located at all Convention events and along the 16th Street pedestrian mall. The Colorado Convention Center will feature both comprehensive recycling and composting services. Other city theatres and arenas are following suit.
o Denver restaurants will offer healthy "lean & green" dining options on their menus, including organic and locally grown ingredients.
o Camco Global has donated a carbon footprint calculation that will be used to reduce carbon output at all Convention events and activities. An online carbon footprint calculator is being created for use during and after the DNC. Convention attendees are being encouraged to purchase carbon offsets for their travel.
o Carbon-free walking/biking maps and pedometers will be supplied to DNC delegates to encourage healthy, carbon-free movement options to Convention venues. Light rail and alternatively-fueled buses will provide mass transit options. The Colorado Convention Center has its own light rail station.
o One-thousand bicycles are on loan to use during the Convention. Thirty of these bicycles will stay in Denver to kick-start a legacy bike-sharing program. Denver's goal is to roll out a 1,000 bicycle program by Spring, 2009. The Colorado Convention Center will host a permanent bike station.
o A Green Vendor Directory was created to help convention delegates, event planners and Denver residents find green businesses, products and services. This vendor directory will be institutionalized in the City's Greener Denver Business program and available for future meeting planners.
The Mile High City has a long and proud history of environmental innovation. From creating the first "Green Fleet" program in the nation in the early 90s to having the first commercial airport in the country to attain ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management System, Denver has been a national leader in environmental stewardship.
Denver's commitment to becoming one of the greenest cities in the country was institutionalized in 2005 with the creation of the Greenprint Denver office (www.greenprintdenver.org). Implementing a community-wide sustainability action agenda demonstrating that local government can be an effective force for innovation and leadership to improve the environment, Greenprint Denver focuses on opportunities around water and energy conservation, waste reduction, transit, green building and green economic development opportunities.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
