Sustainability at the Panama Convention Center

The Panama Convention Center has implemented a comprehensive Sustainability Guide and Continuous Improvement Programs to understand and mitigate environmental and social impacts holistically. They focus on key areas such as waste management, energy and water conservation, sustainable procurement, and active community engagement.

• The Panama Convention Center building facade is designed with glass to reduce light consumption.
•  The building is equipped with 5,000 meters of solar film to decrease heat gain.
• Panama Convention Center has installed 6 chargers for electric vehicles, making it the first convention center in Panama to have them.
• The Panama Convention Center collected and processed 25,600 pounds of recyclable materials during 2023.
• Aligned with industry trends, the Panama Convention Center focuses efforts on sustainability to reduce its carbon footprint by 2030 and achieve zero carbon footprint for events by 2050.
• Starting in 2024, single-use plastics will be replaced with biodegradable containers and plastic bottles with tetrapacks made from sugarcane.
• Installation of LED lighting with motion sensors in key areas, optimizing energy consumption by automatically turning on with detected movement.
• Incorporation of sensors in escalators that automatically adjust speed according to the flow of people, optimizing energy and operational efficiency.
• Implementation of an automated climate control system that adjusts the intensity on demand and according to environmental conditions, thus optimizing energy efficiency.
• Collection, treatment, and distribution of wastewater for reuse in restrooms and irrigation systems.
• Recycling of used cooking oil into biodiesel.
• Equipped areas for collecting and sorting waste generated at events, including setup materials, batteries, decorations, and food.
• Ongoing internal training as part of the organizational culture.
• Consultation with Honeycomb Strategies, experts in sustainability for the events industry.

Sustainability at Local Hotels

Aloft & Sheraton Grand Panama

As a part of the Marriott International chain, Sheraton Grand Panama adheres to sustainability parameters and standards inherent in the brand's pillars. Sustainability is an integral component of the strategy, aiming to decrease environmental footprint in water intensity, carbon intensity, and waste to landfills. Here are some sustainability actions taken by Sheraton Grand Panama Hotel and Aloft Panama Hotel:

• Plastic reeds are not used in any of the restaurants and bars. Instead, the hotel offers eco-friendly alternatives, providing reeds only upon customer request.
• Environmentally friendly food packaging is used throughout the facilities, eliminating the use of foam.
• Guest rooms are equipped with separate trash cans for recycling and non-recyclable waste.
• Individual amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, and body wash have been replaced with family-sized units specially designed for hotels, reducing waste.
• Used cooking oil is collected and recycled by a certified company.
• Special linenless tables are used for corporate coffee break setups, saving water by eliminating the need for laundering linens.

Americas Golden Tower

• Installation of energy-saving technology.
• Embracing recycling practices consistently.
• Encouraging guests to be 'green'.
• Conserving water by implementing and promoting routine water-saving habits.
• Supporting local and sustainable businesses.
• Implementing alternative energy sources.
• Using biodegradable cleaning products.
• Segregating waste.
• Reusing whenever possible.
• Connecting with nature by promoting the use of transportation like bicycles for guests.
• LEED certification.

Gran Evenia Hotel

• Both the tablecloths and napkins in the restaurants and bars of Gran Evenia Panama are currently made from 100% recycled paper.
• Gran Evenia Panama currently no longer uses disposable plastic bottles in the hotel. The hotel has implemented the use of soap dispensers to reduce the amount of plastic.
• In Gran Evenia Panama resort guests will find numerous water sources, so they can reuse the bottles and not buy a new plastic one. 
• The building that houses the Gran Evenia Panama is newly built and has the best and most innovative energy efficiency techniques. Hallways are open-air and have natural light to save energy use.

Marriott Panama Albrook

• Recycling: labeled recycling stations in the following areas: room floors, kitchen, offices, event hall areas, kitchen, oil recycling.
• Plastic Reduction: hydration stations installed on room floors; installation of water purifier and sparkling water dispenser at the Ancon Hill restaurant; hydration stations for the collaborators' area.
• Volunteering: 16 Marriott Panama volunteers taught educational programs at Las Esclavas school to students from kindergarten to high school; Marriott Panama is working on raising funds for the Capital Girls' Home, to carry out recreational activities for the girls and delivering basic necessities; donation of bed linens; volunteering with Donate Life & American Embassy.
• Marriott Panama is part of the RTH program, a national program on the management of carbon emissions and water use.
• Marriott Panama joined the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. This initiative, driven by the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Ellen McArthur Foundation, aims to accelerate circular economy actions and eliminate plastic products in tourism.

Radisson Hotel Panama Canal

• Compost: Radisson Panama Canal prioritizes product use and environmental care. Organic waste like eggshells, fruit peels, and coffee grounds are stored in specific containers, while the gardening department collects grass clippings, dry leaves, and fruits. Twice a week, these materials are sent to sister company Tierra Adentro, which produces compost used as fertilizer in their crop fields.
• Soap: Each day, leftover bath soap from rooms is stored in containers and delivered monthly to the Prospera Panama Foundation. They process the soap residues into new bars, which are then distributed to schools, health centers, medical mission teams, and remote communities.
• Oil: At Radisson Panama Canal, in partnership with BIOCAR Panama, all cooking oil is recycled and processed to produce biofuels.
• Linen reuse: The Radisson Panama Canal Hotel has implemented a towel and linen reuse program in all rooms to reduce water consumption.
• Electricity savings: All rooms at Radisson Panama Canal feature an electricity-saving system. Guests must place a room card in a reader to activate the electricity, and removing the card shuts it off.
• Recycling: The Radisson Panama Canal Hotel maintains a recycling program for cardboard, cans and plastics.
• Sponsors: The Hotel is sponsor of Fundación Fanlyc. The Hotel Supports the Team Challange Foundation with donations of unused linen and electronics for its sewing and electronics workshops.

Exhibiting Partners

Partners are encouraged to:

• Eliminate single-use banners and consider renting a television screen for their exhibition area instead.
• Use recyclable materials such as cardboard for signage and avoid foam board and polypropylene.
• Print locally, if printing is necessary, and source recycled, sustainably certified paper options.
• Leave no trace behind by shipping out all booth properties and packing materials and donating extra giveaways.
• Break down all cardboard boxes and gather them together so that they may be easily identified for recycling by the convention center staff. 

A Note on Giveaways

After more than 15 years of events, ATTA has received a lot of feedback about the kinds of giveaways that are appreciated and valued and those that are not, either because of their environmental impact or simply because travel professionals have received so many through the years. If giveaways are utilized, we recommend that our partners

DO consider:

• Artisan-made local crafts tied to your culture
• Edible treats, cookies, chocolates, tea, coffee
• Scarves, hats, especially locally made in your region
• Useful items like branded notebooks, pens, tote bags, hand sanitizers

Please DON’T consider:

• Reusable water bottles (our delegates say that they have enough of these)
• Reusable shopping bags (these have been trendy for the past few years and most of us now have enough of them)
• Luggage tags
• Items that won’t travel well because they are large or breakable
• Plastic trinkets, keychains