By Seattle Seahawks

Sports and Entertainment MBA will focus on increasing diversity in leadership

The post Seattle University Joins Forces with Local Sports Teams to Tackle Diversity in Sports and Entertainment Industry appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Kevin Patra

The post Maia Chaka becomes first Black woman named to NFL’s officiating staff appeared first on Green Sports Alliance.

By Philadelphia Union

Washington, DC ? On World Wildlife Day (March 3, 2021) World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will join some of the world?s best-known companies, NGOs, and sports teams in removing animals and nature references from their branding in an action that aims to highlight the dramatic loss of biodiversity globally and the social and economic risks it poses.

For the first time in its 60-year history, WWF will remove the iconic panda from its logo for the day, while more than 40 famous brands from around the world including AS Roma, Hootsuite, and OL Reign will also remove symbols of nature from their logos to highlight the emptiness of a world without nature.

?To symbolically show our devotion to protecting the planet, we are removing the iconic panda from our logo for the first time in our 60-year history,? said Terry Macko, CMO of World Wildlife Fund in the U.S. ?This day of action showcases what we love about nature, and what we stand to lose if we don?t show it enough love. The link between people and nature is inextricable, like our love and devotion to home sports teams and more, and we hope this collective moment highlights the impact human activity is having on our planet and what we need to do to protect it before it?s too late.?

Global populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have suffered an average two-thirds decline in less than half a century, according to WWF?s Living Planet Report 2020. The report also shows that if the world carries on with ?business as usual,? rates of biodiversity loss seen since 1970 will continue between now and 2050. These losses would at best take decades to reverse, and further irreversible biodiversity losses are likely, resulting in a planet that cannot support current and future generations of people.

The campaign was originally the brainchild of One Minute Briefs, created on World Wildlife Day last year. The idea received widespread praise on social media and has now been brought to life with support from WWF and partners including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the RSPB, the Nature Conservancy and Conservation International.

Later this year, governments from around the world will meet to agree a new global agreement for nature, like the one we have for climate. WWF is calling on global leaders to step up to the challenge of delivering an ambitious global plan to tackle biodiversity loss and set nature on the path to recovery this decade. Individuals can show world leaders they care about a more sustainable future for all by pledging to protect the planet.

Iain Beable, Social Marketing Strategist for EMEA at Hootsuite, said: “We are incredibly proud at Hootsuite to show our support for World Wildlife Day as part of the #WorldWithoutNature campaign. The protection of the Earth is arguably one of the most paramount matters of our time. It’s important to remember that Earth does not belong to us, we belong to it, and we have a responsibility to ensure its protection for the generations to come.”

The campaign also includes a branded hashtag on Twitter for #WorldWithoutNature.

Read the original announcement here

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By Doug Behar, Allen Hershkowitz

Guidance counselor (and Yankees fan) Lissette Gonzalez of South Bronx Prep received the 10,000th dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine administered at Yankee Stadium, from Dr. Juan Tapia on Feb. 12, one of over 20,000 vaccinations given at the ballpark to date. PHOTO: KEVIN P. COUGHLIN / OFFICE OF GOV. ANDREW M. CUOMO

Today?s guest columnists are Doug Behar, senior vice president of stadium operations for the New York Yankees, and Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, environmental science adviser to the New York Yankees.

Not since World War II has the sports industry faced a greater threat to its financial viability and operations. Now, as then, all sports organizations must join together to fight a common enemy. This time the enemy is a deadly virus that has infected more than 112 million people and killed nearly 2.5 million worldwide. In the United States, as of Wednesday, more than 28 million people have been infected, and more than a half million have died from COVID-19. Despite the recent progress, the coronavirus is still ripping across the country. In some regions, hospital beds are scarce, and while new cases are thankfully declining from last month?s peak of 200,000 daily, more than 50,000 new cases are still reported each day, and across the U.S., almost 1,500 people die daily from COVID-19.

Thankfully, progress is being made on the distribution of recently developed vaccines. On Feb. 5, Yankee Stadium opened as a vaccination location for our neighbors in the Bronx, with more than 20,000 people getting the vaccine at the facility thus far. They?re part of the approximately 65 million people who have been vaccinated across the nation, and it?s hoped that more than half of the population in the United States will be vaccinated by midsummer.

Essential though it is, a vaccine is only one of the weapons we need to defeat COVID-19. Moreover, while individual action is critical, it cannot be our only response to the pandemic. To reduce the threat of a spreading virus for the long term, all facilities should adopt the most protective operational policies, maintenance protocols, emergency plans and stakeholder education that medical and building science has to offer. Sports has a role to play here, too.

With sports venues committed to hosting at least some fans, adopting verifiable health and safety protocols is essential. Just this week in New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has allowed venues that can accommodate more than 10,000 people to open at no more than 10% of capacity. Fans who attend will need to provide a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the event. Across the country, arenas and stadiums will increasingly have to submit venue-specific health and safety documentation to local communities and state departments of health.

The good news is that effective and evolving best practices in sports and events are readily available. The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has established the WELL Health-Safety Rating to optimize operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. The New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Lightning and dozens of other sports organizations have enrolled, as well as Royal Albert Hall, the Empire State Building and many other venues.

In addition, the Yankees have teamed with former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and other experts to co-chair IWBI?s WELL Health-Safety Advisory for Sports and Entertainment, focused on mobilizing the global sport sector in support of a universally agreed upon, medically informed health and safety protocol for venues and events.

As Nelson Mandela reminded us 20 years ago, ?Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.? Unfortunately, at a time when the social and economic benefits of sports are needed more than ever, access to this important outlet is heavily restricted, and will remain so until the pandemic ends.

That?s why a smart, safe return to our venues is so vital. Through national and global coordination, and given its unparalleled market influence and cultural visibility, sport can play a uniquely influential role in helping to educate the world about how to reduce the spread of the pandemic. Doing this can save thousands of lives. Nothing is more urgent to address right now, and all government efforts, however effective they might be, need to be complemented by influential private sector initiatives.

Arguably the most critical need right now is providing confidence in local communities that health and safety protocols are grounded on verifiable medical and building science and whose correct implementation is third-party verified. Imagine how influential it would be for all sports venues and events?and their sponsors?to agree on a common, independently verified health and safety platform based on the best medical and building science.

The dramatic challenges we?ve all experienced in the past few months have instigated unprecedented challenges for the sports sector, as it has for all individuals, businesses and communities. To help restore the sporting events that matter so much to people throughout the world, we encourage facilities of all types to optimize operations, maintenance, emergency plans and stakeholder education by enrolling in a third-party program like the WELL Health-Safety Rating, which can verify, review and enhance the totality of a COVID-19 action plan.

Behar has been with the Yankees since 1998 and oversaw the opening of the new Yankee Stadium in 2009. Hershkowitz was a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council for 26 years and is co-chair of the International WELL Building Institute?s WELL Health-Safety Advisory on Sports and Entertainment.

Read the original article here

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By Analis Bailey, USA Today

The WNBA and NBA Board of Governors have unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to a three-member investor group, the team announced Friday.

Investors include chairman of real estate group Northland, Larry Gottesdiener, Northland President and CEO Suzzane Abair, and former Dream star Renee Montgomery.

Former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is no longer an owner.

Last summer, co-owner Loeffler stood in opposition to the social justice messaging the WNBA chose to represent throughout their season, calling the Black Lives Matter movement an anti-Semitic group based on Marxist principles. Her comments prompted immediate calls for her to sell the team.

?With the unanimous WNBA and NBA votes, today marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA,? said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a team statement. ?I admire their passion for women?s basketball, but more importantly, have been impressed with their values. I am also thrilled that former WNBA star Renee Montgomery will be joining the ownership group as an investor and executive for the team. Renee is a trailblazer who has made a major impact both in the game and beyond.?

Montgomery played her final two seasons in the WNBA for the Dream and announced her retirement following her 11-year career in February. She opted out of the 2020 season to focus on social justice reforms.

Montgomery becomes the first former player to be an owner and an executive of a WNBA team

?My Dream has come true,? said Renee Montgomery. ?Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously. I invite you to join me as the Dream builds momentum in Atlanta!?

Founded in 2007, the Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs eight times and has reached the WNBA Finals three times.

Contact Analis Bailey at aabailey@usatoday.com or on Twitter @analisbailey.

Read the original article on USA Today here

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By Gary Polakovic

USC will freeze making new investments in fossil fuels and liquidate current fossil fuel investments. (Illustration/iStock)

The Investment Committee of the USC Board of Trustees voted on Feb. 4 to freeze making new investments in fossil fuels and to liquidate current fossil fuel investments over the next several years.

These investments are primarily in long-dated private partnerships, which are illiquid in nature. As such, the liquidation process will take several years to manage in a financially prudent manner.

The university also will create an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility, formed with members of the Trojan community. It will review ethical and social concerns raised by the USC community and advise the Investment Committee on key issues that pertain to the endowment?s investments.

?I am very pleased with the decision made by the investment committee and look forward to working with the advisory committee on investment responsibility,? said President Carol L. Folt. ?This is the right action for USC.?

No dedicated fossil fuel investments have been made in more than two years as the investment merits of the sector became increasingly unattractive. Further, USC?s Investment Stewardship Policy, part of the endowment?s Investment Policy Statement, provides that environmental, social and governance factors will be considered when making all new investments. Students and faculty have long been advocates for such actions.

?Going forward, our new investment policies reinforce USC?s commitment to generate strong returns while also upholding USC?s values, including sustainability. We see this approach as a way to grow our portfolio and support clean, new technologies for the 21st century,? said Amy Diamond, USC?s chief investment officer.

This is part of a wider effort to make sustainability practices a priority across all facets of the university. USC is on the cusp of unveiling an environmental master plan that will guide the university for the next eight years toward ambitious sustainability goals. Solar panels have already been installed on Galen Center, university employees received discounts for bus and rail passes, 150,000 energy-saving LEDs now light the campus and USC is partnering with the city of Los Angeles to grow an urban forest across Eastside communities.

Read the original post here

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By ESPN

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Roush Fenway Racing set a goal to reduce its carbon footprint even as it raced a pair of gas-guzzling cars all across the country.

The initiative started with small environmentally conscious measures that eventually grew into a companywide initiative. With support from partner Castrol, RFR became the first carbon neutral team in NASCAR.

Roush Fenway on Thursday announced its carbon neutrality certification according to the PAS 2060 standard, verified by independent third party ERM CVS. Roush reached the status throughout its entire organization, including operations and its two race teams, for 2020.

The team will mark the achievement Sunday at Daytona International Speedway with a special paint scheme on Ryan Newman’s car. The Ford is typically a dominant green with red accents when Castrol sponsors the No. 6.

Newman’s car this week will be stark white with a gray Castrol badge and muted logos from partners that supported the initiative. It created a clean look that symbolizes the minimalistic path to carbon neutrality. In its sponsorship negotiations with RFR, Castrol mandated a contract clause that the team work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offset the balance.

“We’ve spent months tracking, quantifying, measuring our existing carbon footprint and ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” RFR president Steve Newmark said. “There’s no doubt that we have unavoidable carbon emissions in how we operate our business. When you race cars and travel around the country to do so, that will inevitably be part of our operations.

“We’re trying to show that even companies in an industry like ours can take steps to reduce overall emissions, and our hope is that it will set an example for other teams and the racing industry.”

To become carbon neutral, RFR set a goal to recycle 90% of every race car, including oil, rubber, aluminum and carbon fiber. The organization has reduced its overall waste produced by more than 100 tons over the past decade, switched to LED lighting throughout its campus, reduced energy consumption costs through computer-controlled HVAC systems and installed reflective roofing membranes to reduce solar heat gain.

Rainwater runoff at its North Carolina facility is captured and contained for landscape irrigation, and idling has been prohibited on campus to reduce emissions and air pollutants. The fleet of Roush company cars is being converted to Ford electric and hybrid vehicles.

Newman already has the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, the first Ford production developed from the ground up to produce a zero-emission vehicle.

“We as a society have to take notice to make an impact,” Newman said. “I’ve never been one to pride myself in driving around an electric vehicle, but the reality is that makes a big impact. I’m a V-8 [engine] guy with the rumble, and a hot rod sounds good, looks good and take the kids for ice cream in it — that’s me, right?

“The reality is that comes with a cost to our environment, and I’m aware of that more so than ever. There are things that we can all be doing better.”

Newman noted that once a week he picks up 15 gallons of trash from the road in front of his North Carolina farm. He fills 5-gallon buckets with wrappers, bottles, beer cans and bags from fast food restaurants and convenience stores.

“It’s sad that people can be that nasty,” Newman said. “Their mindset has nothing to do with greenhouse gases, or carbon footprints and offsets. They are more worried about not having trash on the floor of their car. They don’t care about what they are driving; they don’t care if it has a catalytic converters; they don’t care if the oil has been changed or what happened to the oil after.

“It’s a challenge, and the whole message here is that you don’t have to do that. You can be efficient. You just have to be smarter.”

Read the original ESPN article here

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By David Garrido

The 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open was significantly quieter because of the coronavirus pandemic limiting the on-site presence, but the tournament’s green message meant it was another week to shout about at TPC Scottsdale.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is one of the best-attended events on the PGA Tour

It’s 20 degrees Celsius on a beautiful Sunday in late winter, and a spectacular aerial shot shows off the course and complex in its entirety, a streak of sunlight flaring off the lens.

“There’s 15-thousand people normally in the wrap-around stadia around the par-three 16th hole,” says Sky Sports presenter and commentator Rob Lee. That can only be TPC Scottsdale in Arizona and it can only be the WM Phoenix Open.

Golf fans know it well as the best-attended event in the sport and home to the loudest hole. Those are easy things to highlight, but it’s also “The Greenest Show On Grass”, so why doesn’t that part get quite so much press?

Maybe because the first two feel intrinsically so much more understandable, relatable… numbers of spectators, the decibel level. When the venue took in 216,818 fans on the Saturday in 2018, it set a single attendance day record greater than any football crowd ever (for the official record, 199,854 people were inside the Maracana Stadium when Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 in the 1950 World Cup Final).

It is a truly unique experience that greets any golfer standing on the 16th tee at Scottsdale – if they haven’t faced it before, they don’t know what they’re in for. It can be brutally binary – cheers or boos. Covid permitting, that is, with the 2021 contest seeing crowds decimated and noise vastly reduced. That leaves ultimate selling point number three – what’s in a tournament name?

Glance down the calendars on both PGA and European Tours and you’ll find a whole host of different sectors represented within the title sponsors. Banks, insurance firms, airlines, car manufacturers, hotel groups and… Waste Management. Not the most attractive name, admittedly, but it does what it says on the bin – and more.

In their 2020 Sustainability Report, the WM Phoenix Open calculated that they emitted 1,128 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, all of which was offset. 100% of tournament materials were diverted from landfill, 100% renewable electricity was purchased, 50 million gallons of water were restored to the Verde River Valley. Even that cheeky WM water feature logo seen on the aerial shot was super-sustainable in itself, because the 144,000 golf balls used to compose it have been reused every year since 2012.

‘Zero waste’ isn’t just a buzz phrase, it’s a year-round philosophy for Lee Spivak, Managing Principal for Waste Management’s Sports and Entertainment Division. “Most people don’t realise that the entire construction and breakdown of the tournament is also zero waste, typically lasting about eight months,” he says.

“We analyse the greenhouse gas impact of disposal to make sure we are making the best choices for all materials that are generated, and this work is validated as part of our zero waste certification.”

So basically, they are taking responsibility for their environmental expenditure, while there’s an education piece here too. With typically more than 700,000 fans in over a week, that is some footfall to work with if you want to make a message land. How do you do that? Have a laugh with it.

Take the #BinThereDoneThat contest, challenging attendees to be creative with their recycling efforts and document it for all of social media to see. It’s a clever way of hooking in Generation Z, who are generally more engaged with this issue.

“The WM Phoenix Open attracts a wide-ranging audience and is considered a bucket-list sporting event,” Spivak adds. “It appeals to younger fans because it is unique, fun, and is committed to making a positive difference for our planet. This meaningful and far-reaching mission resonates with younger fans as the tournament demonstrates and proves that when we work together, we can actually inspire change.”

The Phoenix Open traditionally attracts the biggest crowds in golf

That involves deep social impact too, from the Sustainability Forum thought-leadership event and the partnerships with companies who turn recycled plastic bottles into shirts, shoes and swimwear, to the projects and programmes that benefit local communities in Arizona.

Under-18s enjoy free access all week with an adult, differently-abled and disabled people can get involved in tournament activities, while the Special Olympics are supported and military personnel are honoured as “Hometown Heroes”. For Spivak, it’s not just wholly holistic, but brilliantly effective.

“Inspiring behavioural change creates a ripple effect that surpasses any achievements on course,” he adds. “The scale is tremendous, going beyond the golf course.”

It shouldn’t be a surprise, given the way this event has been run for more than 80 years – by a prominent civic organisation, the Thunderbirds, whose raison d’être is an interest in sport and a dedication to community affairs. Their current “Big Chief” is Chance Cozby, and while those bumper attendance figures might boost the bottom line and look impressive to some, it’s not something he’s ever wanted to make a big fuss about.

“The only number we really care about is charity,” said Cozby, as tournament chairman in 2019. A year later, the WM Phoenix Open raised $14m for more than 200 different organisations.

While the WM Phoenix Open has led the way in terms of sustainability (quite literally; they’re the only golf tournament to have signed up for the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework), others are starting to follow, the irony being the next best exponent is also an event staged in the desert. For the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, their achievements include reducing irrigation consumption by a third, switching their water supply to a 100% recycled source, and creating protected areas to preserve and encourage birdlife.

But to effect meaningful change, you need figureheads to inspire and keep this issue in the hearts and minds of golf fans, so who better than Suzann Pettersen, who holed the winning putt for Team Europe at the 2019 Solheim Cup? Last autumn, the Norwegian became a Sustainable Golf Champion for the non-profit GEO Foundation – and it’s fitting that her world view should be informed by the very reason she was seen as a controversial pick to face the USA at Gleneagles (the fact that she spent nearly two years away from golf on maternity leave).

Suzann Pettersen helped Team Europe to a 14.5-13.5 victory at Gleneagles in 2019

“As a mother of a young child, it is incredible how concerned you become over the future of the planet, its biodiversity, air quality, and climate,” she says. “These things are absolutely vital to the health and wellbeing of future generations, so we all need to do our best to make things better.”

And here’s another reason: golf itself is under threat.

TPC Scottsdale is well inland and 1,530 feet above sea level. But some courses aren’t so lucky, especially in the UK. The recent ‘Emergency on Planet Sport’ podcast series featured an episode where host Jonathan Overend visits Montrose Links, the world’s fifth-oldest golf course. Two tees have been moved already and more are at risk, as the coastline has been eroded by as much as two metres per year in the last decade.

That erosion and extreme weather in the form of storms battering the land border are a direct result of climate change, and if you thought it just affects a quaint old course like Montrose, you’d be wrong.

In a report published in June last year entitled ‘Playing Against the Clock: Global Sport, the Climate Emergency and the Case For Rapid Change’, author and leading academic David Goldblatt has predicted that within the next three decades, one in three courses used for the Open Championship will be damaged by rising sea levels, and “the R&A reports that one in six of The Open championship courses, including St. Andrews, Troon and Carnoustie, are unlikely to last out the century.”

It’s unthinkable, and yet, it’s inevitable unless more follow the Thunderbirds’ and WM Phoenix Open’s lead. While the coronavirus pandemic meant that the stadium hole at TPC Scottsdale was significantly quieter this year, the tournament’s green message is the one that really needs to be shouted about.

Read the original article here

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By University of Louisiana Lafayette

Reusable hard plastic containers that hold takeout meals from UL Lafayette?s Café Fleur de Lis, Cypress Lake Dining Hall and Lagniappe Café have replaced disposable containers as part of the ?Good to Geaux? program. Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of Louisiana at Lafayette

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette?s new ?Good to Geaux? containers are designed to be taken anywhere ? except landfills.

The reusable hard plastic containers hold takeout meals from UL Lafayette?s Café Fleur de Lis, Cypress Lake Dining Hall and Lagniappe Café. They?ve replaced disposable plastic containers as part of the Good to Geaux initiative being coordinated by the University?s Office of Sustainability and Campus Dining Services.

?Good to Geaux is expected to keep about 225,000 disposable plastic containers out of waste streams each year, a significant stride in the University?s campus-wide push to produce zero waste,? said Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor, director of the Office of Sustainability.

The efforts underscore environmental objectives enumerated in UL Lafayette?s Sustainability Strategic Plan. The plan calls for reusing, recycling or composting trash.

Campus will benefit from Good to Geaux as much as the ecosystem, said Monica Rowand, the University?s sustainability coordinator. ?The reusable containers will reduce the amount of trash that ends up in bins, which will reduce waste management services costs.?

As part of the program, students with meal plans receive one free container. Diners without plans can purchase their first container for $4.99.

After meals, empty containers are deposited into what Rowand describes as ?reverse vending machines.? In exchange, ?they get a non-monetary token that they redeem for another container before their next meal,? she explained.

Containers retrieved from the receptacles will be thoroughly washed and sanitized in industrial-grade dishwashers.

?We?re encouraging people to return containers immediately after they eat to prevent inundating dining services staff at peak meal times, and reduce the likelihood containers will get lost or broken,? Rowand explained.

Machines for returning containers are at five locations.

Cypress Lake Dining Hall and Lagniappe Café in the UL Lafayette Student Union each have one. Café Fleur di Lis, near Legacy Park Apartments, has a third machine. The Ragin? Cajuns Food Court in Agnes Edwards Hall and the Cox Communications Athletic Complex also have machines.

Dining halls aren?t the only spots on campus where eco-friendliness is on the menu. During the 2018 football season, fans at home games began eating from reusable containers and biodegradable plates using wooden forks, spoons and knives.

The shift marked the latest gain in the University?s zero waste efforts at Cajun Field, a move that also saw composting added to existing recycling efforts.

The efforts mean as much as 75 percent of the recyclable and compostable materials recovered after football games are now diverted from landfills, Vanicor said.

Recovered materials go to facilities for recycling, and to the University?s 600-acre Experimental Farm near Cade, La., for conversion to compost that?s used to fertilize campus greenery.

Materials also, in some cases, end up as outdoor seats. Discarded ice bags and cling wrap are sent to a company that makes park benches from the plastics.

?Finding creative ways to convert waste into resources are central to responsible environmental stewardship, a role that the University remains committed to for the betterment of our campus and community,? Vanicor said.

Read the original article here

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By Nicole Bitette

The company signed the United Nations? Sports for Climate Action Declaration ahead of the 2021 Super Bowl.

Ahead of Super Bowl LV on Sunday, Feb. 7, ViacomCBS signed the United Nations? Sports for Climate Action Declaration, as the company continues its commitment to transparency and environmental sustainability.

The declaration outlines five key areas of climate-related commitments, including reducing the impact of sports on climate change. ViacomCBS? Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report team, in partnership with CBS Sports, will promote greater environmental responsibility and increase awareness of the effect of sports on the climate, especially as it relates to greenhouse gas emissions and how they are generated through activities like media production and travel. ViacomCBS? letter of commitment to the UN solidifies its continued commitment to reporting on its impact on climate and mitigation strategies.

ViacomCBS is the first American broadcast company to get on board. The Chairman of CBS Sports, Sean McManus, and Julia Phelps, EVP chief communications officer and corporate marketing officer, ViacomCBS signed the letter. Other signatories include NFL Green, BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Channel 4, the New York Yankees, the NBA, and the International Olympic Committee.

Earlier this year, ViacomCBS published its first ESG report highlighting three areas of focus: On-Screen Content and Social Impact, Workforce and Culture, and Sustainable Production and Operations. By working in tandem with CBS Sports and NFL Green, the ESG team will work towards increasing the sustainability of sports production and operations in particular starting with Super Bowl LV.

At the big game, some of the initiatives will include banning plastic bags and straws and making vests from recycled plastic in order to protect Tampa Bay, as well as working with a local solar power provider, renting hybrid vehicles when available, and donating to local food banks in the area.

?This is a commitment to be transparent about our impact as a media company and its extension to the sports component of our business. So, in our annual ESG report this year, we will put an even greater emphasis on CBS sports and its connection to ESG leadership,? explains Crystal Barnes, SVP, corporate social responsibility, environmental, social and governance (ESG), ViacomCBS.

?We want to be a leader in ESG, and that is what makes us really proud to be the first to sign onto this. We hold ourselves to a very high standard and know that we have an important role to play in sports because of CBS Sports.?

Read the original announcement here

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The America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis will undergo an expansion and extensive renovations. The AC Next Gen Project, which will include the addition of 92,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 65,000-square-foot ballroom and meeting area, a new outdoor pavilion and 26 new loading docks, was announced during a press conference held on October 3.

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On a recent tour of the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Meetings Today spoke with John Page, general manager for SMG for the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). Page shared his advice for navigating a convention center renovation or expansion.

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Once you’ve seen one convention center you’ve seen them all, right? A recent visit to the Chattanooga Convention Center left me surprised to find some nice touches that many of its bigger—and smaller—city counterparts lacked. Following are five standout features I noticed during my tour of the Chattanooga Convention Center led by Executive Director Mike Shuford, during a press trip with the Chattanooga CVB.

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The Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) hosted a grand opening ceremony, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 following a two-year, $207 million renovation and expansion project. State and local government officials, along with KICC facility officials and staff welcomed meeting clients, local stakeholders, interested citizens, and media to an open house that showcased how the new facility will host small to large-scale events.

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Caesars Entertainment broke ground on its $375 million, Caesars Forum conference center on Monday, July 16, during a ceremony for trade press, industry executives and Caesars staff members. The ceremony was also livestreamed by Caesars so that people could tune in from all over the world.

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Meetings Today contributor Carolyn Blackburn interviewed Jennifer B. David, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager with the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC), to discuss recent updates to the facility. The GCCC, which features 373,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, wrapped a two-year $140 million renovation and expansion project in July 2017 to improve the overall guest experience, including the installation of an impressive art collection and local F&B concepts.

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College towns are happening hubs of activity, where the arts, sports and culinary delights thrive. All that and more is on deck for planners who book a university setting for a conference.

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Architects have submitted their designs for the phase two expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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The artwork installed at an increasing number of popular convention centers transforms these necessarily utilitarian buildings into magnificent galleries that rival some of the most inspired museums in the world.

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The City of Arlington announced plans for Esports Stadium Arlington, an esports-specific venue designed to draw competitive gamers and fans from around the world. The proposed venue will be built within the existing Arlington Convention Center in collaboration with architecture firm Populous.

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Meetings Today checked in with Michele Hughes, Director of Sales & Marketing with the Connecticut Convention Center (CTCC).

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Goodbye big-box, bunkeresque venues. Hello green rooftop micro-environments, wellness spaces and hip street-party-scapes.

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Addressing profound changes in how their customers are approaching learning, many conference centers are in a process of reinvention

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Many convention centers are striving to reflect and showcase their locations.

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An exceedingly intelligent choice for meetings and events.

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The times they are a changin’, and all for the better from this reporter’s perspective.

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Generic big-box convention centers seem to be going the way of the buggy whip and typewriter.

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Here is the top feedback when it comes to staging cutting-edge conference meets.

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Are you fully engaging your attendees?

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When it comes to putting fun on the agenda, State College is one smart choice.

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Dana Freker Doody answers questions from Meetings Focus' Invigorate Your Large Events webinar.

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Today's conference centers are more about standing out than fitting in.

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Educational facilities throughout Florida give attendees a chance to relive the college experience.

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Modern convention centers are about experience as much as setting.

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The 2014 IACC Annual Conference reported it has attracted the most registered attendees since 2008.

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State College, home to Pennsylvania State University, welcomes groups with its vibrant ambiance and excellent on-campus (and off-site) facilities.

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