Going Green at #NASPA17

As we all prepare for the upcoming NASPA Annual Conference in San Antonio, the Sustainability Knowledge Community would like to share some environmentally-friendly action steps that can be taken before and during your conference experience.

CONVENTION CENTER

The newly renovated Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which will serve as the primary location for NASPA conference programs and events, is taking great strides to reduce their carbon impact through waste reduction, energy & water conservation, and other practices. We encourage all of you to take some time to review their comprehensive list of current green initiatives.

CATERING

If any of you plan to host a networking reception or pre-conference session or coffee break, we ask you to consider keeping sustainability in mind when making catering decisions. For instance, the RK Culinary Group – the Conference Center’s exclusive caterer - will work with all conference groups to use local purveyors or fair trade products or organic options depending on seasonal allowances. You can also arrange to utilize composting bins at your special event or request that any leftover food be donated to a local food banks.

LODGING

While there are three headquarter hotels for the Annual Convention - San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, Marriott Riverwalk, and Grand Hyatt – the city of San Antonio has 17 hotels overall to fit a variety of budget and needs. We urge attendees to research all lodging in advance (or at least inquire at the front desk) to see if there are any “green choice” options at your respective hotel. These options may include declining housekeeping even for a day and/or shutting off all lights when you leave your room, plus other possibilities.

SAN ANTONIO

Lastly, we highly recommend that you browse through the SA2020 Initiative, San Antonio’s visionary commitment to the greening of their community. Their initiative is a passionate endeavor that combines environmental sustainability, civic engagement, health & wellness, and social justice. We also urge you to take advantage of the City of San Antonio Bike Sharing Program (stations are located in the back and front of the Convention Center).

If you would like to learn more about the Sustainability KC or join the team, feel free to check out our NASPA page!

We look forward to connecting with many of you in March.