As a member of Pacific Gas&Electric’s Climate Smart Program, the center recycles or donates everything from paper products to carpeting. Electric-powered service carts are used around the convention facilities, as are energy- efficient LED marquee screens. Thermostat control is used to maximize energy conservation. Water waste at the convention center is min- imized by cleaning with dry sweepers and by using water-efficient restroom fixtures.
W
HEN IT COMES TO GREEN MEET- ings, Team San Jose makes it easy, with comprehensive eco-friendly
practices, products, and services. Planners can rest easy knowing that San Jose —which was voted one of the greenest cities by Greentech Media — is an exciting, environmentally pro- gressive destination. From hotels and the con- vention center to Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC),San Jose’s visitor industry is putting its best carbon footprint forward.Add Team San Jose’s award-winning service and “one team” approach, and it’s easy to see why 97 percent of planners say they’d return.
Eat, Drink, and Clean Green at the San Jose Convention Center An in-house culinary team,led by ChefVincent Lai, offers customizable meals for 50 to 5,000 peo- ple, sourcing the freshest local ingredients. Excess food is donated to local food banks and shelters. Team San Jose can provide recyclable or com- postable meal products, such as plates, cups, cut- lery, napkins, and box-lunch containers. Only Green Seal cleaning supplies are pur- chased and used. Many hotels, entertainment options, and restaurants are within walking distance or a short rail ride of the convention center.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle The San Jose Convention Center is one of the fewWest Coast centers to offer composting.
WALK OR RAIL:
More than 5,000 rooms are within walking dis- tance or a short rail
ride from the San Jose Convention Center, eliminating the need
for gas-guzzling trans- portation hassles.
GREEN GUARANTEE:
San Jose will recognize events that go the
extra mile to reduce their impact on the
environmentand bring the city closer to its zero-waste goal.
Arrive, Stay, and Play Green A recent $1.3-billion modernization project has made Mineta San Jose InternationalAirport (SJC) one of the country’s leading green airports.SJC’s Terminal B has achieved LEED Silver certification. The City of San Jose’s Green Vision, a 15-year
plan dedicated to sustainability, won the Inter- national Economic Development Council’s Sus- tainable and Green DevelopmentAward in 2009. The plan focuses on developing clean-tech jobs, reducing and renewing energy use, reducing waste, recycling water, sustainable development, planting more trees,and creating more bike trails. Manyattractions also are going green.TheTech
Museum uses solar energy, while the Happy Hol- lowPark & Zoo is LEED Gold–certified.
At a Glance CONVENTION FACILITIES: The San Jose Convention Center features a total of 143,000 sq. ft. of column-free exhibit space and a trade-show booth capacity of 1,000 10' x 10' booths. Other features include an 870-sq.-ft. VIP Lounge, a 22,000-sq.-ft. ballroom, and up to 31 meeting rooms. ROOMS CITYWIDE: 8,500 ROOMS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF CONVENTION CENTER: 2,100 ROOMS WITHIN A SHORT RAIL RIDE FROM CONVENTION CENTER: 2,900 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Mark McMinn, Director of Sales, Team San Jose; 408 Almaden Blvd., San Jose, CA 95110; (800) SAN-JOSE; mmcminn@sanjose.org;www.SanJose.org