Sustainability

VenuesNow Conference is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint and elevating its social impact, wherever possible. We invite you to join us on this journey.

• Learn more about the actions we are taking this year
• Find your own favorite ways to have the most sustainable experience
• Share your feedback and ideas for more sustainable future events

CONFERENCE VENUE:

• Austin Convention Center is 100% powered by renewable energy. Please use the plugs to charge your laptops and phones.
• You will find a compost bin at every waste receptacle. Please note the signage at each bin to help us divert as much waste from landfill as possible.
• Most water fixtures are low-flow and hands-free to reduce every visitor’s water consumption while reducing the transmission of germs.
• Austin Convention Center conducts annual air quality tests to ensure that the space is filtered properly and does not negatively impact the health and wellbeing of visitors.
• The space will be cleaned with green cleaning standards, minimizing air pollution, and mitigating environmental damage.

FOOD & BEVERAGE:

• We are committed to avoiding single-use plastic. Take note of our reusable or compostable serve ware.
• During the Moody Center show, you’ll also notice that plastic waste is reduced or avoided.
• Our food offerings will not include red meat during the Conference at Austin Convention Center. Red meat produces approximately FIVE times more carbon emissions than other meat protein sources.
• When serving yourself, please don’t take more food than you plan to eat. Austin Convention Center’s team donates any unserved and uneaten food to Austin Baptist Church, who serves the community 365 days per year.
• We support local businesses by bringing in local food trucks with healthy, sustainable options.
• Avoid using plasticware or other materials.

OFFSETS:

• While offsets are not the perfect solution to single-handedly combatting climate change, we believe that it’s important to do what we can to minimize our impact on the environment while gathering in-person. We are committed to disclosing and offsetting all OVG corporate travel to and from the event.

CREATE YOUR OWN SUSTAINABLE EXPERIENCE:

• Offset your plane travel directly when you purchase the flight online or by contacting our Head of Sustainability: kfulmer@oakviewgroup.com
• Take public transportation around town:
  • Try out the MetroRail, which stops about 300 feet from Austin Convention Center.
  • Check out the CapMetro map to see if a bus can easily take you to/from your destination.

• Get clever with transportation around town:
  • Lyft is committed to 100% EVs by 2030 – Support them by booking a car and selecting ‘EV’ if one is available.
  • Select a Green Ride with Uber by looking for the Uber Green setting when selecting your car.
  • Carpool with a colleague or a new friend to/from events around town.
  • Austin has electric scooters and bikes for easy, sustainable commuting. Check out ATX MetroBike, with locations all around the city and Lime scooters.

SUSTAINABILITY IN AUSTIN:

• Ask your hotel to learn more about their commitment to sustainability. The Fairmont Austin has a sustainability strategy and encourages guests to limit resource use by turning off lights, adjusting the thermostat before you leave for the day, avoiding unnecessary housekeeping by reusing towels and bedding, and promoting healthy, sustainable food options.
• Check out Austin’s beautiful local parks and green spaces.

WHAT TO PACK:

• Reusable mug for hot beverages: Refill your coffee or tea as many times as you want without wasting disposable cups.
• Reusable water bottle: Visit the water refill stations around the conference to stay hydrated to avoid consuming single-use water containers.
• Tablet or computer instead of a note pad: Save your notes in cloud-based storage and charge your device at the Convention Center, utilizing 100% renewable energy.

SHARE FEEDBACK & IDEAS:

• Have an idea for how to make the conference more sustainable in the future?

Please submit your ideas to kfulmer@oakviewgroup.com.