The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) has been recognized for its environmental achievements with the 2007 AIPC Innovation Award. The award was bestowed upon the MTCC by the International Association of Congress Centres, which is considered the industry association for professional convention and exhibition centre managers worldwide.

The AIPC Innovation Awards were just launched this year to recognize specific projects or initiatives that represent innovation in the true sense of the word: projects or initiatives that represent the development of new, more creative or more effective approaches to any aspect of congress centre management, operations or marketing. Emphasis in judging is on how effectively the initiative addresses its objectives, which may be to improve efficiency or market position, effect cost savings, or achieve environmental goals.

I was very pleased that our panel of judges for the inaugural International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) Innovation Award selected the Metro Toronto Convention Centre`s Zero Waste program for this
recognition, said AIPC President Barbara Maple. We recognize that with the greening of the meetings industry of growing importance to our clients and communities, convention centres have a major role to play, and the leadership demonstrated by the MTCC will make an important contribution in this regard.

In presenting the award to MTCC CEO Barry Smith at AIPC`s meeting in Austria, on July 17th, as his colleagues from around the world looked on, AIPC officials particularly congratulated Smith and the MTCC for recognizing the importance of green issues to congress centres and its leadership through the Centre`s innovative Zero Waste program.

Winning this important award from AIPC reaffirms the Centre`s tradition of leadership as an environmentally responsible facility and a good corporate citizen, said a beaming Smith in accepting the prestigious award. Being a green facility is the right thing to do and it`s good for the Earth as well. We are doing everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint, and we hope others will follow our lead, he added.

The MTCC`s Zero Waste program began in late 2005, when the Centre succeeded in mounting its first ever large-scale Zero Waste convention. This represented an historic first within the convention and trade show industry.

The MTCC, together with its long-time recycling partner, Turtle Island Recycling, a recycling and waste management company, pioneered the concept of holding large green meetings and conventions that successfully avoid adding to the existing landfill burden by recycling everything they generate. Using its innovative Zero Waste approach, the MTCC is able to successfully divert from landfill a stunning 95-98% of all the waste materials generated during an event.

Smith said that this newest achievement is just the latest in a series of environmental firsts by the Centre and that the facility is widely recognized for its green reputation. We are highly committed to being a global leader in this area and providing opportunities for our clients and events to do the same, he added.