Oregon Convention Center recertifies at the highest level of the APEX/ASTM green meetings certification

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The Oregon Convention Center (OCC) has been recertified at Level 4 of the APEX/ASTM green meetings certification. This is the second time OCC has successfully recertified at the highest level of APEX/ASTM certification since it became the first convention center to receive it in 2014.

In fact, today OCC remains the only convention center to reach Level 4 under APEX/ASTM, the first set of industry standards created specifically for green meetings and events. Standards like these play an increasingly crucial role as the events industry continues to embrace sustainability in all its forms.

“We’ve been recertified as LEED Platinum, Salmon-Safe, and now APEX/ASTM, all within one fiscal year,” said Matthew Uchtman, OCC’s Director of Facilities & Operations. “We can confidently say that OCC is the most sustainably operated convention center in the country.”

The APEX/ASTM venue standards set the procedural requirements for venue selection – the practice of researching, evaluating and choosing a facility for an event – and define performance criteria for staff management, communications, waste management, energy, air quality, water, procurement, and community partnerships.

“Events are complex and very different from one to the next,” says OCC’s sustainability manager Ryan Harvey. “The APEX/ASTM standards specify precisely what it means to plan a sustainable event, and clear standards like these are invaluable to the planners and suppliers we partner with every day.”

The APEX/ASTM standards were developed in collaboration between APEX, the Events Industry Council’s Industry Insights committee, and ASTM, a certified international standard development organization. Compliance is verified by iCompli, a wholly independent auditing group.

“Recertifying under APEX/ASTM represents a considerable achievement and yet another impressive sustainability milestone for the OCC team,” said OCC executive director Craig Stroud. “These standards are wide-ranging and present a host of detailed specifications against which we, as industry leaders, can measure our performance and establish best practices.”

Stroud points out that there will always be areas where the OCC can continue to make improvements, and that going through the recertification process regularly also helps the venue to identify and target these.

“Leaders like us know what remains to be accomplished and the next level inches closer each time,” Stroud added. “I congratulate our entire team and look forward to collaborating with them on our nonstop efforts to meet – and often exceed – our sustainability goals.”

About the Oregon Convention Center
The Oregon Convention Center is owned by Metro and managed by the Metro Exposition and Recreation Commission. OCC is a sustainably operated LEED® Platinum facility that hosts groups from around the world and brings millions of dollars into the Portland and Oregon economy.

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