MGM Resorts understands that meeting and event clients are increasingly looking to champion their corporate commitment to sustainability in their events, with more companies seeking venues and facilities that reflect their focus on environmentally-friendly strategies and initiatives.
Operating from the belief that a greener business is a better business, MGM Resorts is committed to being a global leader in the fight against climate change. From energy efficiency to water stewardship, MGM Resorts‘ portfolio of unique venues presents a range of innovative solutions for sustainable events.
In 2021, MGM Resorts took a pioneering step in sourcing renewable energy with the launch of the MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array, which now generates up to 90 percent of MGM Resorts’ daytime power needs in Las Vegas. The 100-megawatt solar array features 323,000 panels arranged across 640 acres and is the hospitality industry’s largest directly sourced renewable electricity project worldwide.
The Mega Solar Array is part of the company’s wider climate strategy that aims to reduce its emissions by 45 percent per square foot by 2025; reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030; and source 100 percent renewable electricity in the U.S. and 80 percent globally by 2030.
Another significant energy-efficiency measure is the installation of more than 1.4 million LED lights throughout MGM Resorts properties in one of America’s largest lighting retrofit projects. The company has also invested in HVAC projects including multiple central plant upgrades and more than 1,000 variable speed drives on fans, pumps and motors to ensure less energy is needed for air conditioning.
As a hotel operator in the desert destination of Las Vegas, water conservation and stewardship are paramount the MGM Resorts’ sustainability efforts. In 2022, MGM Resorts was the first gaming company to endorse the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative that encourages business leaders to make bold commitments and commit to meaningful action. So far, the company has replaced more than 200,000 sf of real grass with drought-tolerant artificial turf or desert-friendly landscaping throughout its Las Vegas properties and has pledged to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33 percent by 2025 and 35 percent by 2030.
MGM Resorts takes its commitment to protecting the planet to its meetings and events clients, with an approach to sustainable events that aims to save water and energy, reduce materials and waste, and engage the community. Across its portfolio, MGM Resorts offers meeting planners a comprehensive set of ideas and actions that help them to implement socially and environmentally sustainable practices into their programs, starting with the venues themselves. All large event venues have unique environmental attributes, including:
Mandalay Bay is one of the largest meeting facilities on the Las Vegas Strip and offers more than 2.1 million sf of space. The roof of its convention center boasts one of the largest contiguous rooftop solar arrays in America, and between 2012 and 2019 it reduced electricity per square foot by 11 percent, equivalent to the average annual consumption of more than 900 U.S. homes.
MGM Grand offers 850,000 sf of flexible meeting space and uses energy-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling systems throughout the property. It also offers the world’s largest portfolio of StayWell® guest rooms and meeting rooms, providing a unique experience for wellness-oriented events.
The ARIA campus features more than 500,000 sf of event space and has earned six LEED Gold certifications for its building design and construction. The campus has its own 8.2-megawatt combined heat and power plant onsite, efficiently generating approximately 30 percent of the resort’s electricity needs,. More than 50 percent of its wood products are sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests, and its efficient plumbing fixtures conserve an estimated 33 percent of water.
Bellagio boasts more than 200,000 sf of meeting space and has been awarded five Green Keys and five Green Key Meetings from Green Key Global, the leading international environmental certification body for the hotel and meetings industry. The famous Fountains of Bellagio are fed with water onsite wells and recycled pool water from the “O” Theater, avoiding use of municipal water.
As demand for sustainable events and environmentally friendly venues continues to grow, MGM Resorts is committed to collaborating with planners and their clients to create more meaningful and responsible meetings, and to drive a positive global impact through its sustainability leadership.
For more information, please visit mgmresorts.com.
