US – The Virginia Beach Convention Center (VBCC) has been awarded the international green certification LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Gold status by the US Green Building Council, making it the first convention centre in the US to achieve this status.
The VBCC was opened in 2007 and is the state of Virginia's largest building with over 47,800sqm of floor space. In addition to recycling, water conservation and energy efficiency, the VBCC offers ergonomics training for staff, an Environmental Communication Program, and an Energy Management Outreach project.
"We are tremendously proud of this achievement," said VBCC GM Courtney Dyer. "This certification is a clear sign of our commitment to the environment and our staff worked hard as a team to get us there. By conserving energy and reducing our costs, we are better able to serve our community and meeting planners."
While most facilities hire a consultant to guide them through the LEED certification process, the VBCC handled it in house under the direction of its business manager, Lori Herrick, who earned the LEED Accredited Professional designation so that she could facilitate the rating of the facility with the various LEED systems.
