Sustainability in the event industry is more than a trend. It is becoming an industry standard.

The Events Industry Council, the global voice of the business events industry, has released four Guiding Principles for Sustainable Events, encouraging event industry players to take action towards preserving natural the environment; promoting a healthy, inclusive society; and supporting a thriving economy. 

This comes as more meeting attendees expect events to incorporate sustainability as a matter of course. A 2023 State of in-person B2B conferences report by event software manufacturer Bizzabo found that 28.6% of attendees said sustainability and DEI are their number one priority, and 31.2% said they’re the number two priority when choosing whether to attend an event.

Today, finding a city with legitimate green credibility is one of the top considerations when forming a list of potential meeting destinations. And Grand Rapids, Michigan has earned a spot on the list of cities that qualify.

Sustainability is not only a priority for the city’s venues and hotels — the main touchpoints for planners and their attendees — it is threaded throughout city government, infrastructure, the transportation system, cultural institutions, private businesses, and community initiatives.

“I think the green credibility of Grand Rapids is very impressive,” says Bill Wood, executive director of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. “We have created a culture of sustainability that is easy to take for granted.”

Interior of convention center during BMM

ASM Global, which manages DeVos Place Convention Center and two other downtown sites, is committed to creating the world’s most sustainable venue portfolio.

Photo by Experience GR

Sustainability in the Downtown Convention Neighborhood

Large events in the heart of Grand Rapids will undoubtedly find themselves on the downtown convention campus. ASM Global, which manages DeVos Place Convention CenterDeVos Performance Hall, and Van Andel Arena, has implemented numerous sustainability initiatives.

Eddie Tadlock, assistant general manager of ASM’s properties in Grand Rapids, said that the company is constantly fine-tuning its operations to further reduce energy consumption, water consumption and everything in between.

“It’s more than just doing it for the sake of doing it. You’re saving money,” he told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. “It’s making the investment in your infrastructure to meet those goals.”

The Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel, which is connected to the convention center via skywalk, does its part for sustainability as the exclusive food and beverage supplier for the convention center. It aims for locally sourced products and frequent vegetarian food offerings, which use less energy to produce. Leftover prepared food goes to the in-house staff cafeteria or local nonprofit soup kitchens, while food waste is turned into compost.

That’s just one aspect of the Amway’s sustainability journey. Energy efficiency is another – and in 2021, the hotel completed a $40 million replacement of all the glass on its 29-story tower façade, a project that increased energy efficiency by double digits

City Flats HotelHoliday Inn Grand Rapids DowntownHyatt Place Grand Rapids South and the JW Marriott Grand Rapids are among the other convention neighborhood hotels that emphasize sustainability.

Convention Group Walking Downtown

Downtown Grand Rapids offers 200+ restaurants, shops and entertainment venues within a 10-minute walk or free DASH bus ride.

Photo by Russ Climie for Experience GR

Walkability

The Downtown GR Convention Neighborhood is compact and easily walkable, eliminating the need for a car to get around. There are more than 200 restaurants, shops, cultural sites and entertainment venues within a 10-minute walk of the convention center. The downtown experience earned Grand Rapids recognition as one of America’s Top 14 Walkable Cities.

DASH bus 2024

The bright pink downtown area shuttle (DASH), which provides free transportation to many downtown hot spots, is a sustainable alternative to car travel.

Photo by Nick Irwin for Experience GR

Public Transportation

The Rapid , Grand Rapids’ easy-to-use public transportation system, is additional evidence of the city’s commitment to sustainability. The Rapid Central Station in downtown GR is the first LEED-certified transit facility in the U.S. and the first to feature a “green roof” with plants growing on top to absorb rainwater.

More than 100 of The Rapid’s buses are equipped to use renewal natural gas from the City of Grand Rapids’ biodigester, which breaks down organic waste and turns it into a carbon-negative vehicle fuel. Diesel buses will continue to be retired and replaced by RNG vehicles as The Rapid strives to achieve zero emissions by 2035.

The Rapid’s Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) offers free transportation around the city center as another environmentally conscious alternative. Just look for the bright pink bus as it circulates around hotels, shops, attractions and other points of interest.

Bike and Scooter Rental

Grand Rapids is bike friendly, with more than 80 miles of bike lanes constructed since 2012. Grand Rapids was the first Michigan city to adopt a rule requiring five feet of clearance (rather than the typical three) between a passing vehicle and a cyclist.

Bike and Scooter Share Program enables visitors and residents to rent two-wheeled vehicles to get around a 12-mile area of the city, including downtown. Users simply download the Lime app to set up their session and then access a seated e-assist bike or standing e-scooter from designated parking zones located across the service area. A trip on a Lime vehicle is emission-free and uses a fraction of the carbon of a comparable car trip.

Brewery Vivant - Recycled Materials

Many of the breweries and restaurants around Grand Rapids prioritize sustainability and reducing waste.

Photo by Experience Grand Rapids (taken by Bree Girard)

Sustainable Restaurants and Breweries

Many locally-owned restaurants and breweries source food directly from family farms and orchards just minutes from the city, supporting the local economy and reducing the environmental impact of long-distance trucking. They also prioritize sustainability through recycling, composting and other forms of waste reduction.

The Essence Restaurant Group – which includes downtown’s Bistro Bella Vita as well as grove, The Green Well and Lucy’s – is a prime example. They were green before green was cool!

The Gilmore Collection, encompassing downtown’s Bobarino’s Pizzeria, B.O.B’s Brewery and other local favorites, highlights its sustainability strategies on its website. San Chez Bistro, serving a blend of authentic European, Mediterranean and Latin American dishes to downtown patrons since 1992, does the same with its Responsible Restaurant Practices.

Sustainability is a core principle of Vivant Brewery + Spirts in Uptown Grand Rapids. From its LEED-certified building to its status as a B Corporation meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance to its annual Beer the Change sustainability report, Vivant is a shining example of sustainable transparency and accountability.

LEEDing the Way

Speaking of being LEED-certified, Grand Rapids has more LEED-certified buildings per capita than most any other U.S. city.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council, which provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.

The list of LEED-certified buildings in Grand Rapids include the aforementioned Rapid bus station, the Grand Rapids Art Museum , Grand Rapids Downtown Market , CityFlatsHotel and the city’s Water and Environmental Building, as well as schools, churches, and businesses.

A City Committed to Sustainability

The City of Grand Rapids uses sustainability as a way to assess how its policies, plans and programs impact not just the environment, but also the people and the prosperity of the local community.

This perspective has spurred Grand Rapids to invest in solar panels; add rain gardens, porous pavement, and other measures to reduce storm water runoff;  plant tens of thousands of trees and more.

The city is a founding member of the Grand Rapids 2030 District, a collection of 70 different businesses, government entities, nonprofits, public utilities and other stakeholders committed to dramatically reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 2030. It is also one of 11 U.S. cities aiming for a zero net carbon goal for all buildings by 2050 through the Zero Cities Project.

Visit the city’s Office of Sustainability on the web for more on its sustainability journey.

Downtown Grand Rapids Summer Skyline Summer Skyline 2024 Downtown Grand Rapids

Water conservation and enhancements are a prime focus for Grand Rapids, starting with the Grand River that flows through downtown.

Photo by Ideology for Experience GR

Community Service Projects

These examples of why Grand Rapids has earned its status as a city focused on sustainability have only scratched the surface.

Members of the community also get involved in environmentally friendly activities and volunteer efforts. Whether it’s supporting parks, the Grand River, nature centers, water quality, or tree planting, it’s easy to find an outlet that matches your talents and interests.

Is sustainability a priority for you and your attendees? Our Convention Services Team can work with you to make your meeting more sustainable.