Skift Take
In line with the theme of Earth Day 2024, Planet vs. Plastics, ASM Global has appointed a new chief sustainability officer. This comes shortly after it announced the phased roll-out of reusable service ware at its venues throughout North America.
ASM Global has announced Lindsay Arell as its new chief sustainability officer. Arell spearheaded the development of the ASM Global ACTS sustainability plan under her own company, Honeycomb Strategies. The venue management giant boasts over 40 green-certified venues and an “environmental stewardship” culture within its properties.
“As ASM looks to continue its leadership and commitment to sustainability, Lindsay who is known throughout our industry as a thought leader is the perfect person to assume this role,” said ASM Global CEO and President Ron Bension.
Arell has been pioneering sustainability efforts for the live event industry for two decades. She led the implementation of the ISO 20121 event sustainability management system for Lincoln Financial Field and SoFi Stadium. Additionally, she is the past chair of the Events Industry Council Sustainability Committee (EIC) and ASTM Venue Sustainability Standard.
“I’m thrilled at the chance to spearhead ASM’s sustainability initiatives working alongside our teams and communities across our over 400 global venues,” said Arell.
ASM Global, which Legends recently acquired, has committed to several environmental goals across its portfolio. These include ambitious energy reduction and consumption goals, waste diversion, water consumption and food waste. It has committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 and eliminating single-use plastic from its front-of-house operations by 2027.
Eliminating Single-Use Plastics
ASM Global recently announced it would be introducing reusable service ware in venues throughout ASM Global’s North American portfolio. r.World will provide r.Cup reusable cups and r.Ware containers that can replace single-use disposables and plastics.
“We’re thrilled to support ASM Global Acts to bring reuse to their vast network of venues,” says Michael Martin, founder and CEO of r.World. “Their commitment to sustainability innovations like reuse is playing an important role in accelerating the impact and awareness of the reuse movement.”
This partnership starts at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center for the upcoming Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“Thanks to r.World’s reusable cup program, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has become a shining example of how sustainability can be seamlessly woven into the fabric of large-scale events,” said Robert Smit, general manager.
Photo credit: Globelet Reusable / Unsplash
