Show Sustainability
Minimizing Environmental Impacts
The Big Gear Show is committed to minimizing our environmental impacts, including reducing waste, conserving energy, and ensuring public health for our attendees. Selecting the city of Denver, Colorado, and Colorado Convention Center as our new show location and venue is part of that commitment. The city’s commitment to sustainable development and infrastructure ensures that The Big Gear Show operates in one of the most sustainable event venues in the country.
National Geographic ranks Denver as the 4th most sustainable destination in the world. The city’s convention and visitor’s bureau is the first to achieve level two certification for the Events Industry Council’s sustainability standards. These accolades, coupled with Visit Denver’s focus on key sustainability initiatives in waste reduction, energy conservation, water usage, and air quality, provide the perfect location for a more sustainable event.
The Colorado Convention Center (CCC) stated sustainability focus is to ensure every event it hosts is a sustainable one. Below are highlights of the Convention Center’s initiatives that align with The Big Gear Show’s key focus areas:
Waste Management
Focused on identifying, reducing, and diverting the various waste streams created by venue operations and attendees, the CCC provides these resources to support The Big Gear Show:
– Collect Donations – The Big Gear Show will provide any leftover conference materials for the CCC to donate to various non-profits throughout the city.
– Recycling and composting – The Big Gear Show will have the following waste receptacles throughout the event to promote the reduction of landfill waste: Single-stream recycling bins & compost collection bins.
– Water fill stations – The Big Gear Show is a no-single-use-plastic water bottle event. CCC Water filling stations are located at every drinking fountain throughout the CCC to allow the show participants to fill reusable water bottles.
Energy & Water Conservation
The CCC minimizes venue energy and water usage through these innovative upgrades and retrofits.
– Rooftop Solar array that produces 400,000 kWh annually.
– Daylighting in the atriums during daytime hours.
– LED Lighting retrofits in the meeting rooms, lobbies, ballrooms, and exhibit halls.
– Native landscape that reduces landscape irrigation by 75 percent.
– Water conservation through the use of low-flow toilets and urinals.
Improved Public Health Through Better Air Quality
The CCC has several policies and technology in place to ensure the health of the building and The Big Gear Show attendees.
– Advanced Air Filtration – The CCC continues to maintain and exceed LEED Certification with advanced HVAC systems using filters and ionization to remove bacteria and allergens from the convention center’s air.
– Engines Off! – Signage is placed throughout the venue to remind drivers to turn their vehicles off to adhere to Denver’s idling ordinance of 5 minutes or less.
– Bike parking – Bike racks are located at every entrance of the CCC for attendee use.
– Light rail – A light rail station is located on the convention center’s property.
– Walkability – The CCC is within walking distance of more than 13,000 hotel rooms, along with various restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options.
Catering & Food Service
The Big Gear Show will partner with CCC-exclusive food and beverage caterer – Centerplate – to provide a more sustainable food service option during the event, including:
– Locally procured sustainable products for events.
– All serviceware are either compostable or recyclable to support the center’s waste diversion program.
– CCC’s on-location farm – the Blue Bear Farm, provides a variety of fresh produce, year-round.
Learn More
To learn more about the Sustainability Efforts by Visit Denver and the Colorado Convention Center, as well as other local green businesses, click on the links below:
Visit Denver Sustainability
CCC Sustainability
