NET ZERO: The Climate Pledge Arena has just been named the first arena to achieve Zero Carbon certification from the International Living Future Institute. More than ever, sustainability is closely linked to the food and beverage industry and is a key driver of innovation in the hospitality sector. (Getty Images)
Best Overall Company Profile: Sustainability
OVG360
These days, most companies, teams, locations and other individual entities will have their own sustainability officers, programs or individual actions aimed at helping the planet. While these steps are well-intentioned and matter, real change may depend on real investment, priority, investment and – perhaps most importantly – the influence and operational capacity needed to put it into effect. artwork.
Sustainability was previously seen as a component in its own right, or even in contrast to typical site operations, but this has changed.
“You can’t talk about OVG without talking about sustainability,” says Chris Granger, CEO of OVG360, the venue management division of Oak View Group that officially launched after acquiring Spectra, among other operators , and which includes full-service hospitality and sustainability divisions. Known for the ambitious Climate Pledge Arena, which by design was built with sustainability as its core mission, and for the renovation of the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, a $200 million project that helped Saving millions in carbon emissions through innovative redevelopment, Oak View Group has made sustainability a priority in every way, with food and drink being a practical example.
“There are certain outcomes we’re looking for,” Granger said. “The first is zero waste, the second is zero plastic, the third is a reduction in water consumption and the fourth is a commitment to diverse local suppliers. How these phenomena manifest in different buildings varies depending on the age of the building, the type of building, and the geography of the building. We try to understand the big pillars or the big principles that we’re looking for, and then we pull the levers more or less aggressively depending on local needs or the type of local environmental construction.
Being able to implement these goals requires real commitment from the top, as well as the ability to deliver.
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“Our leaders at the highest levels are committed to addressing the real effects of climate change,” said Kristen Fulmer, director of sustainability at Oak View Group. “And they’re not shy about talking about that and the challenges our industry is currently facing due to climate change. We also do not hesitate to recognize our role in the opportunities to address them, both physically and operationally, but also through our influence.
Fulmer, who joined the company in the final quarter of 2022, highlights the impact of sports and entertainment on change, like the naming rights to the Climate Pledge Arena, which puts the word “climate” in every discussion of the venue . “Even if the physical operations have to come first,” she says.
These physical operations can manifest in many ways and OVG360 takes a hands-on approach to determining each location’s priorities.
“At OVG360 and, in particular, OVG Hospitality, we are focused on and have set specific sustainability goals for the things we know we can control the most,” says Fulmer. Food and drink tops the list of sites managed by OVG360, which means waste, plastic, energy, water consumption and all food-related supplies.
“Reducing food waste is a huge global problem and a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions,” says Fulmer. “So we know that we need to address this issue specifically and we will have a broader set of sustainable development goals, which we will announce soon.”
Oak View Group, the parent company of VenuesNow, is also on a mission to share its findings and strategies with the industry, through its GOAL – Green Operations & Advanced Leadership, developed by OVG, the Atlanta Hawks, Fenway Sports Group and the architect and figure of ecological construction. Jason McLennan.
Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, has been a testing ground for new sustainability initiatives in hospitality, and one will soon be rolled out to 29 other OVG360 locations.
“We’re rolling out this water conservation program that basically recirculates the water over the food and keeps the temperatures so that they’re safe, while keeping all the water in one place,” Fulmer said . “So the return on investment on that initial investment of that simple installation in a sink is multiplied dramatically the longer it is used.”
In recent years, it has become clear that sustainability means not only saving the planet, but also reducing costs. This becomes more evident and in different ways, with new lessons to be learned from new situations.
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“Few people would think it, but our Fairs division is one of the most sustainable platforms we have,” says Ken Gaber, president of OVG Hospitality, highlighting the diversity between accounts and venues within the company’s portfolio. ‘business. “We’re learning a lot from the salon division that we can really extend across the company. We take care of all the catering for Burning Man. You have to be very strategic about what you bring there, because it’s three hours from the nearest grocer and you’re trucking everything into the middle of the desert. You have to think about ways to compost things because you don’t have big trash cans everywhere, you don’t have a dumpster that gets picked up every week or every day to pick things up. You have to think about things in a different way. »
Having sustainable operations also creates goodwill with brands and artists, who are increasingly passionate about the subject and may even require it on endorsements or contracts.
“As you are authentically doing the right things to demonstrate progress in your sustainability journey, this is attractive to corporate partners, who want to authenticate their sustainability initiatives in your building,” adds Granger. Subaru Park, home to the Philadelphia Union MLS, is a great example, with the naming rights partner working in conjunction with the OVG360 operations team to implement a goal of zero landfill by reducing plastic, increasing composting rates and reusing materials.
“Artists are also becoming more and more passionate about the subject,” Granger adds, pointing to sustainability-minded artists such as Coldplay, Billie Eilish and Dave Matthews Band who are showing real commitment to the cause.
“More and more artists are only performing in places they know are doing something to better care for the planet. So to the extent that we’re making a difference, we think we’re making ourselves more attractive to artists who are really interested in this and, again, who want to authenticate their commitment to a better world. So I think it benefits us from a content perspective as well.
Gaber notes new accounts, including Chicago’s McCormick Place, North America’s largest convention center, as another example of clients demanding sustainable operations and presenting an opportunity to make real change.
“One thing we’re seeing from all the exhibit directors that come in is that it’s a requirement there, too,” Gaber said. “There needs to be a sustainability platform. » New OVG Hospitality accounts such as McCormick Place and Footprint Center in Phoenix immediately become members of the GOAL program.
By 2025, all OVG Hospitality employees will have received food waste reduction training, which will include working with food suppliers to efficiently source ingredients and reduce food spoilage. Another effort is to ensure that venues participate in food donation programs, so that unused food is directed to those in need rather than becoming waste.
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While sustainability continues to make financial and ecological sense, it can also help inspire confidence and attract talent at the corporate and staff level.
“This matters not only to our customers but also to our staff and employees,” Granger said. “To the extent that you do the right things around sustainability, social justice and creating a better world, you will attract better staff and engage them at a higher level, and you will retain those staff at a higher level different than if you don’t show that you care about the world.
“The return on sustainability comes in different ways. The key is to be honest about it and be consistent in your efforts here. Everyone can and should do something. And it’s our responsibility within the industry, given our platform, to take some of these steps and do them very publicly.
