Successful Meetings - September 2008 - (Page 62)

Convention Centers Beijing’s bubble-clad National Aquatics Center, affectionately known as the “Water Cube” Convention Centers Make Olympian Efforts to Be Eco-Friendly By Andrea Doyle andrea.doyle@nielsen.com GOING FOR THE GREEN It was all about the gold, silver, and bronze in Beijing last month during the Olympics but there was also an emphasis on the green. Lost among the avalanche of news coverage that focused on the smog surrounding the city was that the Chinese government invested heavily in new facilities for the games, many including eco-friendly elements. The National Aquatics Center, the focal point for the swimming events at the Beijing Games known as the “Water Cube” as the building is inspired by the natural formation of soap bubbles, has a transparent “skin” that acts as a greenhouse, allowing high levels of natural daylight into the building and harnessing energy directly from the sun to heat the pools and the building. It is estimated that this sustainable concept will reduce energy consumption in the building by 30 percent. Then there is the Beijing Olympic Green Convention Center, host to the Olympics’ fencing and pentathlon events, and site of the international broadcasting and main press center. Next year, it will reopen as the National Convention Center of China with the capacity to hold 6,000 people. It was designed with a rainwater collection system on the roof for flushing systems and irrigation of the surrounding landscape, and a “free air cooling” ventilation system in the public foyers of the convention center. These facilities have been the beneficiaries of a building trend underway for the last few years that is turning convention centers into more environmentally friendly facilities. Historically, convention centers have SEPTEMBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 62 successfulmeetings.com http://successfulmeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - September 2008

Successful Meetings - September 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
Industry Trends
Supplier News
Technology
Calendar
Incentives
Association News
Corporate Meetings
Independent Planners
Management Matters
Meetings Law
Mouth for Sale
Planner Spotlight
Pre-Event
On Site
On Site
Tools of the Trade
Where All That Glitters May Bring Gold
Stepping Up in Class
Going for the Green
10 Great Drive-To Destinations
Charter Members
Night at the Museum
Places & Spaces
Charleston and Savannah
Los Angeles
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Rocky Mountain Resorts
Caribbean
Monaco
Malaysia
Gurus

Successful Meetings - September 2008