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Pennsylvania Convention Center’s Green Team Celebrates 10 Years of Industry-Leading Sustainable Events
PHILADELPHIA – The Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its Green Team, a network of the Center’s employees, stakeholders, and service providers responsible for building and enhancing the facility’s sustainability initiatives.
As a long-standing sustainability leader, the PCC established its Green Team in June 2016, to complement and further develop the facility’s core sustainability programs and establish a solid green events brand for the Center. Over the years, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority has invested significantly in energy-efficient building upgrades, expanded recycling programs, and conservation initiatives and developed a comprehensive sustainability strategy focused on measuring, tracking, and improving environmental performance across its operations.
The PCC’s innovative sustainability practices have earned the facility multiple international certifications and annual recertifications, including the LEED® v4.1 O+M: Existing Buildings Silver certification, the Events Industry Council (EIC) Venue Sustainable Event Standards Gold certification, and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation.
“For more than ten years, the Pennsylvania Convention Center has prioritized our commitment to the environment and the community in which we serve,” said John McNichol, president and CEO, Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. “In 2016, we made the decision to expand on this commitment by establishing a dedicated and passionate team to enhance our sustainability initiatives and become an expert sustainability resource and partner for our customers.”
“When Honeycomb Strategies has an event client who has booked the PCC as a venue, the potential positive sustainability impact that can be made automatically goes up because of the programs already in place at the Center and a trained staff who know how to execute fully on them,” said Corey Clark, director of events and experiences, Honeycomb Strategies. “The sustainability programs at the Center are well thought out and carried out as a part of normal operations, rather than initiated only if the client asks. This makes a big difference in saving time and meeting operational budgets."
In 2025, the PCC hosted 14 sustainable events, and the Green Team collaborated closely with customers to support their waste sorting, recycling, utility usage and waste diversion tracking and reporting, and other initiatives. In 2026, the Center is expected to host, at a minimum, almost double the number of sustainable events compared to last year, as sustainability continues to be a core priority for show organizers.
Looking ahead, the PCC will maintain its focus on emphasizing sustainability as a core part of its operations and implementing new initiatives such as the installation of headhouse lighting retrofits, the completion of phase two of its major digital signage project, and the development of an herb garden, a project which will be led by the venue’s food and beverage partner, Aramark.
“Our team works tirelessly to maintain the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s position as a top tier sustainable facility,” said Tony Hodgins CEM, CMP, regional general manager for Legends Global, which manages the venue. “Thanks to the shared vision of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, Legends Global, Aramark, and our other key sustainability partners, the Pennsylvania Convention Center will continue to be a leading venue for hosting green events.”
About the Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is located in Center City Philadelphia at the heart of the city's many cultural offerings and world-class dining and entertainment scene. Proudly managed by Legends Global, the Center is the 14th largest facility in the nation, featuring one of the largest exhibit spaces and ballrooms in the Northeastern U.S. and the largest array of digital signage assets in a convention center. The meetings, conventions, trade shows, and other events hosted by the Center attract attendees from across the country and around the world to Philadelphia, making the facility the largest economic driver of the region’s hospitality industry.
For more information, visit www.paconvention.com.
Media Contacts:
Jude-Anne Phillip
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Pete Peterson
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