BluefoxToday blog : Springs Preserve attracting eco-friendly conferences

Springs Preserve is a cultural and historical site in the heart of Las Vegas. It primarily observes the city's past, but as it does so, it also looks forward into the future, offering a vision of sustainable living and what it entails. It is a 180-acre attraction with Nevada State Museum and other historical exhibits, hiking trails and about 50,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space.

While the conference area is rather small compared to many of the vast facilities on and around the Strip, it has managed to draw the interest of the national convention industry with its eco-forward approach. Something that is largely unheard of in the business. As the country is becoming more and more aware of green living and its benefits to the global community, meeting planners are heeding the increased demand for eco-conscious events. And Springs Preserve is on the forefront of that trend.

Las Vegas today is one of the world's leading convention destinations, putting Springs Preserve in an ideal location to spread the message of sustainable meetings and shows. Some of the green concepts applied there are natural light, or day-lighting, wherever possible and solar panels provide most of the power that is still needed in the buildings. Wall insulation in the meeting rooms is made of straw and compacted dirt and a computerized heating, ventilation and air conditioning system automatically balances the indoor climate between hot and cold. Recycled plastic soda bottles and corn husks were used to manufacture the indoor carpeting.

A few of the organizations that have reserved event space at the preserve include the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, Wynn Resorts, Sherwin-Williams, the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, the Urban Land Institute, U.S. Bank and the National Association of Realtors. The corporate responsibility issue is on the rise and Springs Preserve offers a textbook setting to address that.