Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524031
8 B M & T ••• July/August 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Announcing strategic partnership between Events Industry Council and Oak View Group are (from left) Greg O'Dell, President of Venue Management, Oak View Group; Chandra Allison, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Growth - Conventions, Meetings and Exhibitions, Oak View Group; Amy Calvert, Chief Executive Officer, Events Industry Council; and Chris Granger, President - OVG360, Oak View Group. (Courtesy: Oak View Group). The EIC Sustainable Event Standards are a collection of eight (8) specific standards that assess events and industry suppliers on a wide range of sustainability criteria in support of environmental and social responsibility. Working in concert with the GOAL platform (Green Operations & Advanced Leadership), the partnership will spur more EIC initiatives throughout OVG event venues, including Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) training, Sustainable Event Professional Certification (SEPC) training, and other learning and development programs. GOAL will continue to support continuous data collection and analysis across the convention center portfolio and will play a key role in helping properties reach their sustainability objectives, through best practice sharing, measurement tools, and on-site consulting. "The partnership is grounded in our shared goals of pro- moting event industry excellence, advancing uniform stan- dards of practice, and setting the highest standards for pro- fessional and personal growth for those in our industry," said EIC CEO Amy Calvert. "We are thrilled to work with Oak View Group to certify their convention centers to EIC's Sustainable Events Standards. This work will benefit our industry and the countless event professionals we serve." The partnership provides OVG with high-profile strategic recognition and thought leadership opportunities to collabo- ration with EIC on its CMP, CMP Fellows, and sustainability programs. "Oak View Group is excited about this partnership because it provides real resources and support to our conven- tion centers," said Greg O'Dell, President of Venue Management, Oak View Group. "These include opportunities to be recognized for their individual sustainability efforts, and professional education to equip convention centers with sus- tainability support." "Congratulations to the Events Industry Council and the Oak View Group," added Richard Murphy, President, Alliance for Audited Media. "This partnership will accelerate innovation and growth for the entire industry. We applaud the Oak View Group management team for taking a leadership role on sustainable venues, embracing transparency and accountability supported by third-party validation."