In a climate of smart spending and return-on-investment, the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center takes a look at the top trends that are driving today’s convention business.  Generally speaking, lavish spending is out and strategic spending is in, making ROI for meeting planners more important than ever before. Here are the top trends we see as we work with meeting planners every day to exceed their expectations and earn their business:
Trend #1: Meetings are more focused. While some groups [...]

The SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is a perfect example of the cardinal rule of real estate: the top three criteria are location, location, location.  When it comes to convenience and an array of nearby attractions, our Convention Center is second to none.
“I don’t know of another convention center that compares to ours when it comes to proximity to both air and sea traffic hubs and the convenience of surrounding amenities,” said Nicki Grossman, President and CEO of [...]

For a kitchen that serves hundreds of thousands of people each year, going green is a really big deal.  It’s much more complicated than serving lots of spinach and broccoli at every meal!  Having an eco-friendly kitchen may begin with eating green, but it doesn’t end there. At the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, our determination to earn LEED certification is a multi-pronged commitment that involves all aspects of our food and beverage service.

Energy-efficient food preparation, service, cleaning, [...]

The green movement started small and grew into what seems to be the predominant theme of the 21st Century. Green fever is catching on all around the world.  At home, in our cars and at work, people are adapting, step-by-step, to eco-friendly living.
Here at the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, our commitment to achieving LEED certification began with all team members making the commitment to follow environmentally wise practices in their departments. Our cultural makeover is a full-time [...]

When it comes to conserving water, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is going with the environmental flow!  We’re transforming our facility into an effective water saving organization where every drop counts.
When you think about water conservation, the first things that typically come to mind are not letting faucets run too long, fixing drips and taking shorter showers. Those are great places to start.  The Broward County Convention Center’s water conservation program puts the cap on wasteful water [...]

Imagine retrofitting a 600,000 square-foot facility with new energy-efficient lighting.  We’re on our way!  Energy conservation is a critical component of the Broward County Convention Center’s green initiative as we strive to reduce our carbon footprint.
Here in sunny Fort Lauderdale, the Convention Center is using our abundant natural daylight to full advantage wherever possible, such as lowering lighting levels during event set-up and tear-down.  We’ve also installed an automated system for temperature and lighting control.
Energy conservation for [...]

If we may borrow a metaphor from the weight loss industry, creating an eco-friendly convention center is not a fad diet that’s “here today and gone tomorrow.” Rather, it’s a complete lifestyle makeover that involves the way we work and the countless decisions we make at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center every day, from energy and water efficiency and recycling to xeriscape, the products we purchase and more.
Our green initiative began with many simple practices that most of [...]

We’re pleased to report that the SMG-managed Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is well on its way to becoming a certified green facility.  We have registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Management certification. The goal for our 600,000 square foot Convention Center is to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Management by August 2011, three years [...]

We’re excited to launch our blog for the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center!

We’ll be covering a variety of topics, including our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.  Situated on the Intracoastal Waterway, we offer 600,000 sq. ft. of space, award-winning food & beverage service and state-of-the-art amenities.  Visit us often to find out what we’re doing to make our conference facility the location for your next event.