As research shows, clients are interested in doing business with environmentally conscious organizations. That is why the City of Virginia Beach has made a pledge to being green. In 2008, Virginia Beach became the first Virginia Green destination with more than 60 certified hospitality businesses. The Virginia Beach Convention Center also became the first in the Commonwealth to achieve Virginia Green certification.

The Convention Center, which is making significant strides in operating as an energy efficient facility, recently reported a cost savings of more than $204,000 between February 2008 and January 2009 as a result of their participation in the Energy Star program. During that period, the facility reduced natural gas usage by 40%, used 22% less power & conserved 3.9 million gallons of water. Earlier this year, Governor Tim Kaine came to Virginia Beach to recognize this industry for their efforts. Additional sustainability initiatives and recommendations for green meetings can be found at www.vbconventioncenter.com/green.