Advancing Environmental Sustainability through Sports and Entertainment
Why We’re Gathering
Venues are evolving into engines of sustainability and resilience. Across sports, concerts, and other large-scale entertainment experiences, both new and iconic stadiums and arenas are reimagining energy, water, transportation, and waste strategies to serve communities, reduce environmental impact, and drive innovation far beyond game day.
Agenda
5:00 PM: Registration & Networking
Enjoy light refreshments while networking
6:00 PM: Welcome & Opening Remarks
Shaun Hoyte, Director, Sustainability, Energy and Entertainment Network (SEEN)
6:30 PM: Fireside Chat: Beyond the End Zone: Super Bowl LIX’s Sustainability Playbook
Julianne McCallum, Project Manager, Sustainability, Energy and Entertainment Network (SEEN)
Ryan Sclar, Director, Sustainable Mobile Operations, Engie Impact
Owen Shields, Associate, Event Operations, National Football League (NFL)
7:00 PM: Featured Panel: Venues as a Catalyst for Community Resilience
Victoria Watson, Associate Principal, High Performance Buildings and Communities, AECOM
Joe Abernathy, VP Stadium Operations, St. Louis City SC
Mike Richter, President, Brightcore Energy; NHL All-Star and Stanley Cup Champion
Scott Jenkins, Board Chair, Green Sports Alliance Foundation
Dr. Jacqueline Klopp, Director, The Center for Sustainable Urban Development, Columbia Climate School
8:15 PM: Closing Remarks
About Event
This event features two dynamic sessions that explore how the sports and entertainment industry is leveraging its most visible platforms to advance environmental sustainability.
Beyond the End Zone: Super Bowl LIX’s Sustainability Playbook
This fireside chat will unpack the sustainability strategy behind Super Bowl LIX — from carbon footprint reduction to community impact and legacy planning. Learn how the league is leveraging its biggest stage to drive climate action, operational innovation, and long-term resilience across host cities and future mega sporting events.
Venues as a Catalyst for Community Resilience
This featured panel, curated by the Green Sports Alliance and Columbia University, highlights how venues can lead by example in climate adaptation and community resilience.
From electrification and geothermal systems to community renewable energy, stormwater management, and waste diversion, the session explores how venues can strengthen resilience through integrated land use planning, sustainable building design and construction, and increased access to transportation. It also emphasizes legacy-focused strategies, reclaimed materials, and responsible end-of-life practices that extend environmental and social impact.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll hear from some of the industry’s top leaders who are driving innovation by reimagining the role of our cities’ most iconic venues, like CITYPARK in St. Louis, Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified stadium—through cutting-edge architecture, sustainable building practices, and forward-thinking design and construction.