Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium to Host Green Sports Alliance Summit June 17-18, 2020
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Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium to HostGreen Sports Alliance Summit June 17-18, 2020
Celebrating the 10th annual event focused on sports & sustainability
June 28, 2019: Portland, OR – Today, the Green Sports Alliance (Alliance) formally announced the 10th annual Green Sports Alliance Summit will be held in Minneapolis at the LEED Gold Certified (BD+C) U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, June 17-18, 2020.The 2020 Summit celebrates the 10th year the Alliance will bring together hundreds of leaders from professional sports teams, collegiate programs, venue management companies, and other trailblazers in environmental stewardship and social equity to exchange the latest thinking around sustainability in the sports industry.“We are excited to host the 10th anniversary of the Green Sports Alliance Summit,” said Curtis Schmillen, Professional Engineer and Director of Operations at U.S. Bank Stadium. “U.S. Bank Stadium has a strong commitment to reducing our carbon footprint through sustainable practices and daily operations. We look forward to hosting sports and entertainment professionals from around the world, sharing our best practices and showcasing the local partnerships that contribute to our environmental initiatives.”U.S. Bank Stadium is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and will serve as an exemplary host of the Summit. In 2018, the U.S. Bank Stadium was recognized as one of the Green Sports Alliance’s Innovators of the Year for their work diverting more than 70% of all stadium waste from landfill. In this same year, the Stadium achieved a zero-waste Super Bowl with 91% of waste diverted from landfill. Through renewable energy credits (RECs), 100% of the stadium’s power comes from wind energy; LED lights are used for all lighting systems, including field lights; and with over 180 bike racks, the stadium is the first to receive a Bike Friendly Business certification.“We are honored to join U.S. Bank Stadium, the green City of Minneapolis, and concerned citizens from throughout the world, who collectively are committed to economic opportunity, social equity, and environmental health,” said Roger McClendon, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. “We welcome corporate, academic, government, athletes, students, and community leaders to join us at the Summit to convene, engage, innovate, and inspire positive social and environmental action. The Alliance looks forward to showcasing the leadership in the region and the dedication of the local venues, stadiums, and corporate partners to the sports greening movement.”The 2020 Summit will dive deeper into the theme of Playing for the Next Generation, emphasizing what we can do today to support future generations where they live and play. Additional focus will be placed on problem solving and solutions, environmental justice, diversity-equity-inclusion, and on programming for young and emerging professionals in the space. The Summit will serve as a time to reflect back on where the sports greening movement started, focus on where we are now, and inspire attendees to make a meaningful commitment towards the future. Given the 10-year milestone, many surprises will take place!In addition to engaging programming, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, the Summit will feature a trade show highlighting industry-relevant products and services geared towards greening sports venue operations. NatureWorks, a long-time partner of the Alliance, will support the 2020 Summit as a title sponsor.“NatureWorks has been a proud supporter of the Green Sports Alliance Summit since its first inception in Portland in 2010. As our partnership with the Green Sports Alliance has grown, we’ve seen the Summit grow into a critical venue where business and sports combine efforts to enable sustainable solutions for reducing the environmental impact of sports,” said Matt Romberger, VP of Global Sales & Marketing. “We are excited for what the 2020 Summit will bring and how the Alliance will continue driving meaningful change in the sports community.”The 2020 Green Sports Alliance Summit will highlight best practices in sustainability from around the sports world, including how teams are driving positive change through fan and community engagement. Sessions and speakers will be announced in the coming months. To take advantage of early bird registration discounts for the 2020 Summit, please click here to sign up.
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Registration is Open for the 2020 Summit
The Green Sports Alliance Summit is the most influential convening of key stakeholders from around the sporting world for the purpose of sharing best practices, inspiring positive change, and improving the communities where we live and play. Register and learn more at greensportsalliance.org/summit
About the Green Sports Alliance
The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The Alliance inspires professional sports leagues, sports governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Alliance members now number over 400. Visit greensportsalliance.org for more information.