Mary Klida
Mary Klida is Marketing and Communications Manager at Cobo Center in Detroit. She is an award winning writer with more than 30 years communications experience.
20 Steps to a Greener Event from Detroit’s COBO Center
November 27, 2015
Cobo Center has been awarded the Keep Michigan Beautiful (KMB) President’s plaque, their highest annual award. KMB was founded in 1965 by then Michigan Governor George Romney as a response to Lady Bird Johnson’s White House Conference on Beautification.
The President’s Plaque is awarded for environmental improvement, beautification, site restoration and sustainability.
Patrick Bero, CEO/CFO of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, the governing body of Cobo Center, was on hand to receive the award October 16, 2015, in Frankenmuth Michigan.
“In 2011, at the beginning of our 5-year $279 million renovation, we put together a Green Committee with members from every department and vendor company in Cobo Center,” said Claude Molinari, regional director of operations SMG and assistant general manager or Cobo Center. “That committee drives the momentum for improving sustainability and environmental stewardship of our facility and community.”
Since 2012, when Cobo Center was certified a Green Venues Michigan facility, it has received five sustainability recognitions, including the Detroit EcoWorks Sustainability Champion Award in 2014, the Detroit Free Press Michigan Green Leaders award in 2015, the GMIC APEX certification in 2015, and now the KMB award.
“We feel Cobo Center offers a unique package of Green Event support at little or no cost to customers, in a place not known for sustainability – Detroit! We aim to change that perception and show the world that Detroit is back and better than ever,” said Thom Connors, SMG regional vice president and general manager of Cobo Center.
Cobo recommends that customers who want to make their events more sustainable start with these 20 easy suggestions:
1. Investigate Cobo’s Green certifications. They outline the operational structure for sustainability
2. To save time in your RFP, simply mail your questions about Green Events in Cobo Center to greenevents@cobocenter.com
3. Use Cobo’s free app and website to find sustainable transportation options and walkable local attractions
4. Cobo Center has 180 recycling stations. Have some placed strategically throughout your event spaces, especially on the closing day
5. Cobo Center will supply a post-event sustainability report that meets the requirements of your Green Event sponsors
6. Use signage without dates to promote re-use
7. Use online event service order forms on the Cobo website to reduce paper waste
8. Distribute event information online or in digital format
9. Use the free facility app to notify attendees of event and facility features
10. Generate less paper waste by using Cobo’s digital signage to announce sponsors, direct attendees and announce agendas
11. Work with Cobo’s chef to source food locally and sustainably
12. Request un-served food from your event be donated to Forgotten Harvest, a local food redistribution agency (48.8 million pounds of food last year)
13. Publicize Cobo’s sustainability practices to your attendees and encourage participation
14. Cobo uses compostable food containers and utensils making food outlet waste 100% compostable or recyclable
15. Your sponsor can underwrite a coffee break with their logos on compostable cups
16. Include a sustainability slide show at the entrance and exit of your event and let attendees know how they can be a part of it
17. Recycle badge holders to local charities and declare to attendees with signage
18. Inclusivity is sustainability. Work with your event manager to insure attendees special needs are met during your event
19. Work with your event manager to create Detroit area walking tours for attendees to encourage walking as transportation
20. Cobo supports the use of bicycles as attendee transportation
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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