More than 800 industry stakeholders, including several STMA members and representatives from 100 professional and collegiate sports teams, will participate in the fifth annual Green Sports Alliance Summit in Chicago from June 29 – July 1, 2015. The Summit will create a platform for attendees to engage with peers regarding environmental practices and proven solutions to advance the green sports movement.
STMA and the Green Sports Alliance are committed to improving and protecting the environment by reducing waste, conserving energy and water and eliminating toxic chemicals. The goal is to integrate sustainability into core sports operations, engage fans and save maintenance costs in the process.
“We are thoroughly impressed by the Green Sports Alliance’s leadership to increase awareness regarding environmental sustainability,” says Kim Heck, CEO of STMA. “Our partnership provides valuable networking opportunities for sharing information and continuing to produce safe and playable sports fields, while supporting athletes to perform at the highest level.”
STMA member Jon DeWitt – a Certified Sports Field Manager and Sports Turf Manager at the Georgia Institute of Technology – will present “Innovative Irrigation Solutions During Water Restrictions” at this year’s Summit.
“Environmental sustainability is a top priority for our sports turf team at Georgia Tech,” says DeWitt, STMA’s 2014 “Field of the Year” winner for college baseball. “We work tirelessly to create innovative and renewable practices, such as our cistern-based irrigation systems, and I am excited to share unique tactics with attendees at the annual summit.”
Founding partners for the Green Sports Alliance include the Natural Resources Defense Council and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Green Sports Alliance Members currently represent nearly 300 sports teams and venues from 20 leagues and 14 countries. League partners include Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and the United States Tennis Association.
For more info on STMA: www.stma.org, www.twitter.com/fieldexperts, 800.323.3875.
About the Green Sports Alliance Summit
June 29–July 1, 2015 | Chicago, Illinois
The annual Green Sports Alliance Summit is the world’s largest and most influential gathering for the sports community to unite around sustainability. The event brings together more than 800 industry stakeholders to learn and share better practices and the latest innovations in greening operations, advancing the supply chain and engaging fans. The 2015 program will cover the day’s most critical topics in professional and collegiate sports greening via a dynamic mix of workshops, case study presentations, leadership plenaries, keynotes and venue tours.
For more details on the 2015 Green Sports Alliance Summit including the program, speaker line-up and registration costs, please visit the website: www.greensportssummit.org.