ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), in partnership with local government, hosted an Earth Week celebration showcasing its sustainability initiatives and green meeting practices.
The OCCC’s Earth Week event allowed Orange County employees to interact with various departments, vendors, and partners to learn more about sustainable practices and businesses in the community.
The convention center’s sustainability strategies stretch from growing and harvesting more than 44,000 fresh, non-GMO plants, directly from the center’s gardens, to supporting natural energy by maintaining a large solar array.
“The Orange County Convention Center is a tremendous leader in green meeting initiatives,” says Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “Together with Orange County government, the responsible management and conservation of our natural resources ensure we maintain a clean and healthy environment to live, work, and raise a family. I am very proud of the convention center’s contributions toward making our county more sustainable for both our residents and our visitors.”
Demings and Orange County District 6 commissioner Mike Scott were in attendance to provide a summary of the county’s and center’s programs, emphasizing the role each department has in making the region a more environmentally safe and resilient place to live and do business.
According to OCCC executive director Mark Tester, one of its main priorities is its charitable contributions to the central Florida community through partnerships with local non-profit organizations. In 2021 and 2022, nearly 23,000 lbs of furniture, lighting fixtures, and office and art supplies—worth more than $37,000—were donated to local organizations, including A Gift for Teaching, West Orange Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Osceola County Public Schools, and Orange County Public Schools. The center’s clients also collectively contributed more than 222,000 lbs in food donations to local non-profits.
“Sustainability is absolutely essential in the meetings and events industry, and for years, it has been of top importance to our center,” says Tester. “The OCCC sets the standard for what green meetings should look like in the current state of the industry, and we are grateful to our clients for helping us achieve our social responsibility goals.”
