Oregon Convention Center achieves LEED Platinum certification
The Oregon Convention Center is pleased to announce it has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certified Platinum from the U.S. Green Building Council. The convention center is only one of two in the United States to hold that distinction and continues what has now become a Portland tradition of achieving the highest levels of sustainable practice. For Portland, the award represents the latest green building milestone in a city that has earned a reputation as one of the most sustainable cities in the country. Indeed, Portland boasts some notable LEED certified buildings, but rare is one with Platinum status that has more than one million square feet of space and operates 24 hours a day.
Ed Strong named new general manager for pacificwild catering
OCC welcomes Ed Strong as general manager for pacificwild catering, a premier catering division of ARAMARK Corporation. He will oversee the food and beverage operations at the Metro Visitor Venues, which includes OCC, Portland'5 Center for the Arts and the Portland Expo Center.
Ed began his career with ARAMARK 20 years ago at the Binghamton Mets Stadium in upstate New York. He moved to Portland in 1997 and spent seven years working between Portland Expo Center, Civic Stadium and OMSI. He returned to the Expo Center as general manager in 2004, and in 2008 moved into a full time role as assistant general manager at OCC.
Ed has been involved in some exciting special projects during his career that include support management at Woodstock 1994 and Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami, and as part of the open management team for Baltimore Ravens Stadium and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stadium. In 2012, he was recognized by ARAMARK with a Jefferson Award for Outstanding Volunteer work in the community. Ed says that he's excited for the opportunity to lead the pacificwild team and looks forward to "continuing to bring innovation and creating great guest experiences at all the Metro Visitor Venues."
Oregon Convention Center and pacificwild catering staff attain top professional designations
OCC and pacificwild catering wish to congratulate Chef Allan Wambaa on successfully completing the Culinary Institute of America's ProChef III Certification Program. As the highest level of ProChef Certification, it attests to Chef Wambaa being well versed in a multitude of culinary disciplines and that he demonstrates a keen, strategic application of human resources and financial management.
Account manager Raena Mayhew joined an exclusive club within the events industry when she recently received the Certified Meeting Planner designation from the Convention Industry Council. The CMP designation is awarded to those individuals who meet the industry's highest standards and levels of best practices. Currently, only about 14,000 individuals in 51 countries have earned this special designation since it was established in 1985.
Sustainability coordinator Erin Rowland has received the LEED AP Operations + Maintenance credential. This credential distinguishes professionals implementing sustainable practices, improving performance, heightening efficiency and reducing environmental impact in existing buildings through enhanced operations and maintenance. It denotes practical knowledge in the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.
The hard work and dedication of these staff members is unmatched and we're extremely proud and lucky to have them on our team!
New website project started with completion date in the summer of 2015
The OCC website currently serves as an information source for members of the public inquiring about shows and events at the center, event planners looking for venue information and exhibitors seeking to purchase services. The current structure of the site by these three audiences had been working well but several additions and changes have been identified that will improve user experience and access to information. The new site will have a fresh modern look and present a strong sense of place and connection to the Portland region. Users of the site will be able to find the information they need more easily while being offered connections to the many amenities the venue has to offer.
Voting for Smart Meetings Magazine's 2014 Smart Stars open until April 30
The Smart Stars designation is given to hotels, resorts, cruise lines and venues nominated and voted on by Smart Meetings readers. Winners represent the best of the best in 25 categories that meeting professionals consider when planning events. Last year, OCC was honored with the "Silver Star" in the Best Convention Center category.
Register and sign in to vote for the best among this year's nominees, and once again the OCC is one of them.