We’re looking forward to welcoming many of our members, friends, and incentive industry colleagues to New York City for SITE Global Conference this year.
In-person events are imperative for bringing SITE’s vision of building and bridging cultures through transformative experiences to life. However, bringing our community together, which spans all corners of the globe, carries with it significant sustainability impacts — both positive and negative.
While SITE continues to explore and expand how we can create more sustainable events, here are some of the sustainability practices we’ve built into this year’s Global Conference.
Talking the talk…
For those looking to exchange ideas with sustainability experts in our community, here are two breakout sessions we recommend you include as part of your #SITEGC weekend (check the conference app for the most up-to-date session times and locations):
- Sustainability: Where do we Start? | Led by Benoit Sauvage (founder and CEO of Connect DMC, and member of SITE’s International Board of Directors) & Rachel Riggs (newly promoted General Manager, Environmental Strategy for Maritz Global Events)
- Events + Climate Change – Strategic Design for our Future | Led by Courtney Lohmann, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at PRA
…And walking the walk
We’ve strategically selected venues that are within walking distance, to encourage greener modes of getting from point A to point B while you’re in NYC.
Bundle up and make it a #SustainableSaturday, for instance, when moving from the Marriott Marquis, to the Edison Ballroom, and then to our Speakeasy Afterglow party — all located within a few minutes of one another by foot.
Strategic venue partnerships
Our 2023 host hotel, the New York Marriott Marquis, is also taking steps to help us reduce the overall environmental impacts of this year’s Global Conference.
The hotel has placed water stations throughout, so bring your refillable bottle and avoid plastic ones (though, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, and glass are recycled at the Marriott Marquis!).
The New York Marriott Marquis follows ORCA, which helps recycle food waste in responsible ways. The hotel also strives to provide food & beverage selections that are organically or locally grown, including food grown right onsite at the hotel’s 8th floor Farmshelf-Vertical Farms.
The food & beverage team also make sure their suppliers have sustainable programs in place, that range from a “Local Pledge” program, to ensuring the humane treatment of animals throughout their food & beverage value chain.
Those staying onsite can also take advantage of the Marriott’s “We Care for our Planet” program, in-room recycling, water-saving shower heads, and environmentally sensitive cleaning products used to service rooms — all small steps toward making your stay a bit greener.
We know this is just the start of our sustainability journey. We look forward to working with members of SITE’s global sustainability committee, and to connecting with all of our members for more insights on how we can (and must) continue making smart choices and working toward more sustainably sound practices.
There’s plenty of room for growth, and we are grateful to have you on board as we learn, discover, and shape a strong sustainable future for SITE together.
