New LED lighting at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center provided a quick return on investment. (Jeff Blake) Sustainability has quickly become table stakes for convention centers vis-à-vis competition and with attendees. That raised not only the ante for facilities but also costs. “Now every delegate expects that you are sustainable, but nobody wants to pay for it,” quipped Rafael Viñoly-Menendez, a partner with LMN Architects. That sentiment was echoed by others in the industry, but Viñoly-Menendez noted that there generally are payoffs for these measures, especially energy-efficient initiatives.  Cheryl Swanson, general manager of the Columbia Parabolan injection (Tren Hex) (S.C.) Metropolitan Convention Center, agreed, saying, “The LED lighting was the most expensive upgrade, but with a 67% energy savings, the return on investment is quick.”  The Columbia complex has taken steps to greater sustainability large and small: “We replaced trash cans with two-stream units (trash and recycling in each) which… Continue Reading Sustainability Upgrades Come at a Cost but Deliver Return on investment

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