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Empire State Building Achieves LEED Gold

February 8 | meeting and event industry news | mwttcadmin

The Empire State Building has been awarded LEED® Gold for Existing Buildings certification as further recognition from the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program. The Empire State Building is the tallest and most well known building in the U.S. to receive LEED certification.

The 2.85 million-square-foot building is celebrating its 80th anniversary while nearing completion of its renewal and repurposing to meet the needs of 21st Century businesses. It is one of a small number of National Historic Landmarks to earn the designation, which was established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

The announcement was made jointly by Anthony Malkin, Empire State Building Company; Dana Robbins Schneider, vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle, program manager of the energy retrofit, LEED feasibility assessment and application process; and Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC.

The improvements also reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 105,000 metric tons over 15 years. In January 2011, Malkin agreed to buy carbon offsets totalling 55 million kilowatt hours per year of renewable energy, making the Empire State Building carbon-neutral.

“When it was built, the Empire State Building instantly became an icon of its era. Now, due to this remarkable investment in energy efficiency, the Empire State Building will be an icon of the 21st century as well, leading our current era in the retrofitting and upgrading of existing buildings to meet modern energy conditions,” said David Bragdon, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning & Sustainability.

“By earning LEED Gold, the Empire State Building has sent a powerful message that green buildings don’t have to be new – even the most iconic, historic buildings, as grand in scale as in reputation, can be among the most high-performing, energy-efficient, green buildings,” Fedrizzi said. “The leadership exhibited by Tony Malkin, and everyone involved in this project is monumental and should be applauded.”

The Empire State Building ownership directed that sustainable practices be at the center of new operations and upgrades as part of the Empire State ReBuilding program. Low environmental impact operations procedures were put in place immediately following the transition of the day-to-day operations of the building from Helmsley-Spear to Malkin Holdings, supervisor of building owner Empire State Building Company. After the energy efficiency retrofit program was developed and its implementation was underway, Jones Lang LaSalle led a separate study of the feasibility of LEED certification. This Empire State Building Achieves LEED Gold feasibility study showed that LEED Gold certification was within reach at an incremental cost of about $0.25 per square foot.

Beyond energy efficiency, activities at the Empire State Building which helped achieve LEED Gold certification include:

Installation of ultra low-flow fixtures in the building’s restrooms
Use of green cleaning supplies and pest control products
Recycling of tenant waste and construction debris
Use of recycled paper products
Use of recycled content carpets, low off-gassing wall coverings, paints, and adhesives
A program of tenant engagement, including submetering, a newly created Tenant Energy
Management System, and mandatory green requirements in lease agreements.

In addition to the Empire State Building receiving LEED Gold certification, the USGBC has notified Empire State Building Company and Jones Lang LaSalle that a 3,500-square-foot pre-built space on the 42nd floor has been certified Platinum under the LEED for Commercial Interiors rating system. Jones Lang LaSalle built out the space in accordance with the building’s interior design guidelines in order to demonstrate the cost and energy savings to tenants and prospects. The northward-facing space with views to the east and west is a key stop on leasing tours of the building, and is also available for lease to a tenant with immediate move-in needs.

Tagged Empire State building, green, green meetings, leed program, new york

PCMA Holds Inaugural Town Hall Meeting at 2012 Convening Leaders

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February 1 | meeting and event industry news | mwttcadmin

Leaders of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the PCMA Education Foundation joined with members to share 2011 accomplishments and discuss plans for the future at the organization’s first ever Town Hall Meeting on January 11th at PCMA’s 2012 annual meeting, Convening Leaders, in San Diego.

“PCMA is coming off a successful year, and a very successful annual meeting,” said Deborah Sexton, PCMA President and CEO. “But we must continue taking risks on behalf of our members, we must continue to seek out innovation, and we must continue to be a leader in the meetings, conventions, events and trade show industries.”

Outgoing PCMA Chairman of the Board Susan Katz – Director of Corporate Events and Travel for True Value Company — reported that a record number of planners were in attendance at Convening Leaders and that attendance was very strong. (Final numbers will be available in the coming weeks.)

Leaders of PCMA & PCMA Education Foundation Share 2011 Accomplishments and Discuss Future Direction with Members

Other highlights from 2011 included: positive membership trends (a record number of members – 6,400 and a retention rate of 83%), a strategic investment in the Virtual Edge Institute to accelerate the development of education and standards for virtual events, the creation of a New Professionals Task Force to engage new or younger professionals in PCMA, efforts to help connect domestic and international planners and suppliers, and the development of virtual events and social media to expand the organization’s reach.

“From the risks we take for our members to the research we support and the trends we set for the industry, PCMA will remain a leading force in the convention and meetings industry community,” said Incoming PCMA Chairman of the Board Kent Allaway, CEM, CMP – Vice President, Meetings and Trade Shows for the Produce Marketing Association.

In the coming year, Allaway said his areas of focus will include embracing digital delivery vehicles that will help members learn and connect, extending the PCMA brand and its offerings to the global community, and developing targeted programs and tools to serve members in specialized niches.

Outgoing Chairman of the PCMA Education Foundation Board of Trustees Dave Olender – Chief Operating Officer of bxb – reported that despite the challenging economic environment, the Foundation met or exceeded all of its fundraising goals in 2011. Each year the Foundation aims to fund at least $200,000 in grants and scholarships. This year the Foundation met that goal and was also able to fund an important study, The Future of Tradeshows. Another highlight from 2011 was the launch of a planned giving campaign.

“I think we’ve done very well in light of the economy in the last few years, and have been very wise in how we’ve managed our money,” said Incoming Foundation Chair Liz Erikson, Executive Director of Meetings and Incentives for Fairmont-Raffles-Swissotel. “Yet I want to make sure that all of members truly understand the impact of what the Foundation does.”

Erikson said her goals for 2012 include better communicating the Foundation’s activities and goals, creating a long-term strategic plan for the Foundation (three years versus the typical one), and further developing the planned giving campaign launched last year.

“The Town Hall Meeting was a new method for joining in conversation with our members about where the organization is at, and where we think it could go,” said Sexton. “We really take their feedback to heart.”

Tagged meeting and event industry news, pcma

ADME 2012 Achievement Award Finalists from the DMC Network, LLC

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January 25 | meeting and event industry news | mwttcadmin

The DMC Network, announced recently that 9 of its North American companies were selected as finalists for Achievement Awards in 11 out of 12 categories and two DMC Network individuals were also selected as finalists for the Recognition Awards categories.

Award winners will be announced Saturday, February 18, 2012, at the Annual ADME Conference Gala at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Finalists from the DMC Network include:

Innovative Events

Under $50,000

ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc., a DMC Network Company, New Orleans, LA USA

$50,001 – $100,000

Accent on Indianapolis, a DMC Network Company, Indianapolis, IN USA
Chicago Travel Consultants, Inc., a DMC Network Company, Chicago, IL USA

$100,001 – $200,000

Congress Canada, a DMC Network Company, Toronto, ON Canada
Destination St. Louis, Inc., a DMC Network Company, St. Louis, MO USA

Creative Events

Best Destination Marketing

Accent on Indianapolis, a DMC Network Company, Indianapolis, IN USA

Best Public Entry

Capitol Services, Inc., a DMC Network Company, Washington, DC USA
Destination St. Louis, Inc., a DMC Network Company, St. Louis, MO USA

Best Teambuilding

ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc., a DMC Network Company, New Orleans, LA USA
Ultimate Ventures, a DMC Network Company, Dallas, TX USA

Best Tour

Arrangers DMC, a DMC Network Company, Denver, CO USA
Ultimate Ventures, a DMC Network Company, Dallas, TX USA

Best Transportation Logistics

Destination St. Louis, Inc., a DMC Network Company, St. Louis, MO USA

Best Overall Program

Capitol Services, Inc., a DMC Network Company, Washington, DC USA

Destination Management Rising Star

Sarah Hines, DMCP, Accent on Indianapolis, a DMC Network Company, Indianapolis, IN USA

Destination Management Professional of the Year

Fabienne Hanks, DMCP, CMP, 360 Destination Group, a DMC Network Company, Southern California, CA USA

For an entire list of nominees please visit: ADME 2012 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Congratulations to all our colleagues for being nominated and good luck to everyone.

Tagged adme, dmc tips, meeting planning news

Total Travel Management Compensation Up 5% Over 2010

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January 18 | meeting and event industry news | staff

The majority of travel buyers (62%) are satisfied with their salaries, with average total compensation climbing five percent this year to $101,736 according to findings released today from the GBTA Foundation’s annual 2011 Travel Management Compensation and Benefits Survey. Based on the responses of 255 corporate travel and meetings managers working in the U.S. and Canada, a large majority of travel managers (71%) also noted their travel departments haven’t seen job cuts related to the economy.

“Despite global economic challenges, job security and compensation remain strong for travel buyers,” said Craig Banikowski, GBTA Chairman. “Employers increasingly recognize that business travel is a strategic investment in growth and rely on their travel management teams to ensure a good return on that investment.”

Key Findings:

Salary

Compensation levels for travel professionals tend to increase as total domestic travel spend increases. In 2011 average compensation by title is as follows:

Directors: 1% increase to $133,965
Managers/ Supervisors: 11% increase to $101,250
Coordinators/Specialists, Administrative Assistants: 5% increase to $62,514
In addition, two out of five respondents (40%) say their employer offers a stock option plan.

Responsibilities

Travel managers are increasingly responsible for global programs, with 69% of respondents indicating their program covers travelers based in other countries vs. 54% of respondents in 2010.
The role of travel managers is multifaceted. Classic duties include: negotiating with travel vendors (95%); administering corporate travel programs (91%); and developing and administering travel policy (84%).
Buyers also have responsibilities in other areas such as technology, including evaluating and applying new technology to travel management (80%) and developing travel risk management/travel security programs (50%).

Professional Development

Nearly 90% of respondents reported their convention attendance and professional association dues are benefits paid in full by their employer.
Nearly eight out of ten (78%) said their employers also covered continuing education.