New Attitude

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the host site for SB'17 Detroit, billed as the largest global con- vening of brand leaders and sustainability practition
New Attitude VOLUME 7

ISSUE 4

APRIL 2017

Cobo launches 2017 Cobo Cares Community Engagement Series The 2017 season for community programming in Cobo Center has officially opened with Sunset Yoga in the atrium on March 29. The event was free of charge to the public, and professional yoga instructors from Citizen Yoga, a metro Detroit studio with facilities in Royal Oak and Detroit, facilitated the group. "Everyone was excited to open the season of community events here at Cobo," said Greg DeSandy, director of sales and event services in Cobo Center. "It is the perfect time of year to show off the atrium river view, as the sun begins to set." When registering for the event online, attendees were encouraged to donate to the Common Ground Sanctuary, a free and safe 24-hour shelter that provides 3-week residential counseling to runaways and youths in crisis between the ages of 10-17, with the goal of reuniting youths with their families. The next event scheduled in the atrium is Zumba®, Wednesday April 12, from 5-7PM, conducted by Ivy Mitchell, who also facilitated Zumba® and Boot Camp for Cobo last season on Cobo Square. Attendees are encouraged to bring toiletries to this event that will be donated to local charities.

Cobo Green Committee forms Executive Green Team The Executive Green Team was formed on March 17 during a strategic planning meeting of the Cobo Center Green Committee. The new executive team of the Green Committee will focus the sustainability program in Cobo on diversion and energy efficiency, while providing the necessary resources to the committee to do so. Executive Green Team members include: General Manager, Cobo Center; General Manager, Centerplate; Director of Operations Cobo Center; Director of Operations, Centerplate; Sr. Marketing & Communications Manager, Cobo Center; Executive Chef and Executive Steward. Initiatives set by the executive committee for the remainder of the 2017 fiscal year: install an herb garden adjacent to the living green roof; improve back of the house and front of the house recycling; increase local sourcing for menus.

New Attitude

April 2017

SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS AT COBO CENTER ATTRACT EVENTS LIKE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS 2017 Last month, Cobo Center achieved recertification to the ASTM Venue Standard, the premier global sustainability standard for the meetings and event industry. The ASTM certification is the fifth for Cobo Center related to sustainability efforts. In 2012, Cobo became the largest Green Venues Michigan facility. In 2014, Cobo was designated an EcoWorks Sustainable Communities Champion, and in 2015 the Detroit Free Press named Cobo Center a Detroit Green Leader. In 2016, Keep Michigan Beautiful awarded Cobo Center their highest honor, the KMB President’s Plaque. As a result, sustainable events have taken an interest in Cobo Center, like Sustainable Brands (SB’17) who chose Cobo to be the host site for SB’17 Detroit, billed as the largest global convening of brand leaders and sustainability practitioners. More than 2000 people from across the globe are expected to attend the May 22-25 event. David Fiss, Executive Producer Live Events for Sustainable Brands, said, “Sustainable Brands is excited to partner with

What's In Sight Must Be Right A heart welcome to our new Cobo Center employees: Michael Ruhl, plumber; Michael Tutro, REO engineer; Michael Brummit, electrician; Frank Chryzca, building mechanic. Many thanks to our engineering clutter team, who cleaned up the clutter and diverted a trailer full of metal from the waste stream, assisting with our sustainability efforts. Nicely done. Congratulations to Lindsey Brown, event manager, who managed to win us a slew of social media accolades during Discover the Dinosaurs with her customer service, in spite of challenges with concessions. Always nice to hear: "we had a blast," my 3-year old son loved it," and "The grand kids went crazy playing in all the bounce houses for hours. They improved playing golf and we took home Dinosaur Green Screen picture souvenirs." Kudos to Rajiv Chopra and Cedric Turnbore who were seen by City of Detroit officials during a recent event creating WISMBR in impressive ways to help the customers. Cheers!

suppliers and venues like Cobo who demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices. Doing so helps our event meet our sustainability goals, educate our attendees, and encourage other suppliers to the meeting and events industry to do the same. A sustainable event is more thoughtful and creates a better participant experience.” Mr. Fiss is also a member of the Convention Industry Council’s Sustainability Leadership Council. A number of leading companies and organizations will be supporting the Sustainable Brands event, including Ford Motor Company, the Dow Chemical Company, BASF, General Motors, Nestle, NSF International, The Erb Institute for Global sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan and the Detroit Experience Factory.. Claude Molinari, general manager of Cobo Center, added, “We continue to make strides in improving the sustainability of our offerings, including a new kitchen and food court composting program. Getting recertified to the ASTM Green Meeting Standard and hosting SB’17 signals that our efforts are truly world class.”