About Calendar Exhibitors Contact Book an Event | RFP SUSTAINABILITY & GREEN INITIATIVES PROUD TO LEED® Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is the foremost certification program for buildings that support improved environmental and human health performance. It includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods that aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. The Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center is proud to have earned and maintained its LEED for Existing Buildings Gold certification since 2012! A HISTORY OF LEED-ING THE PACK As the operator of the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, SMG’s most important contract promise to Broward County in 2009 was to achieve LEED Silver certification at minimum. The SMG management team worked diligently toward this goal between 2009 and 2012, and successfully achieved LEED for Existing Buildings Gold certification for the Convention Center in July of 2012, making it the third convention center in the nation and the first in Florida to do so! “Achieving LEED certification is more than implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better. Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role of the building industry in that effort, SMG demonstrates their leadership through their LEED certification of the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center." Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC Also in 2012, the SMG management team continued to champion the facility’s sustainability initiatives through the addition of a full-time LEED AP+ professional staff member, who immediately began working toward LEED recertification within the next 5 years. In 2018, our dedicated team successfully earned LEED recertification, maintaining our LEED for Existing Buildings Gold status! The rigorous LEED certification process encompassed all aspects of the way we work and serve our guests. Here are a few of the highlights: 1.  Landscape redesign, using less water-dependent turf grass, planting drought-tolerant native and adaptive plants and trees, and installing an efficient micro-drip irrigation system that uses approximately 65 percent less water than before. 3.  Low-flow plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption in restrooms by 45 percent. 2.  Energy-efficient lighting that reduces heat and energy, cutting the electric bill by 18 percent. 4.  Twenty-five percent energy savings from energy-efficient, water-cooled chillers, along with upgrades to the air handling and ventilation systems, including CO2 sensors for enhanced indoor air quality. 5.  Temperature and lighting controls that enhance comfort while controlling energy usage. 6.  Increase in recycling of total waste stream from eight percent in 2009 to 78 percent in 2017. 7.  Elimination of toxic cleaning materials by 98 percent through the use of cleaning and antimicrobial solutions created by Tennant Orbio® On-Site Generation (OSG). OSG technology turns ordinary tap water and salt into a highly effective cleaning solution that replaces conventional cleaning chemicals. 8.  Sustainable kitchen practices by SAVOR Fort Lauderdale, the Center’s food and beverage department, from energy-efficient food preparation to purchasing locally produced food whenever possible. Leftover food is donated to local food banks and other organic waste is disposed of in the Eco-Safe®Digester (using a mixture of enzymes and hot water to break down food waste), resulting in almost no organic waste in landfills. For more information about best practices for eco-friendly meeting planning, contact Sustainability Programs Manager Julia Johnson, LEED AP+ O&M at jjohnson@ftlauderdalecc.com.    Stay up to date with what's happening here! CONTACT US |PRIVACY POLICY|DO NOT SELL MY INFO 1950 EISENHOWER BOULEVARD, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33316 | PHONE: 954.765.5900 | FAX: 954.763.9551