Sustainable Events at MGM Resorts
HERE, INSPIRATION IS SUSTAINABLE AND SPECTACULAR
Through our “Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet” philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of our employees, guests, and in the communities where we operate.
Our Approach
Our Accolades
As of December 31, 2022, our portfolio of integrated resorts and entertainment venues earned several certifications for green building design and sustainable hotel operations.
Further details about green building certifications at MGM Resorts can be found in our Design & Development section.
They Include
14 LEED Certifications
Featured Venues
Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay is one of the largest meeting facilities on the Las Vegas Strip, with more than 2.1 million square feet of space.
- Rooftop Solar Array: One of America’s largest contiguous rooftop solar arrays sits atop the convention center.
- Fresh Food: Food & Beverage teams at Delano at Mandalay Bay use upcycled glass containers and source produce from onsite gardens.
- Efficient Electricity: Reduced electricity per square foot by 11% between 2012 and 2019, saving electricity equal to the average annual consumption of more than 900 U.S. homes.
- Green Certifications: Mandalay Bay currently has five Green Keys, Four Green Key Meetings and Four Green Globes for Existing Buildings.
MGM Grand
MGM Grand has more than 850,000 square feet of flexible meeting space adaptable to the needs of groups of all sizes and types.
- Extensive Health & Wellness: With the world’s largest portfolio of StayWell® guest rooms and meeting rooms, MGM Grand offers a unique experience for wellness-oriented events.
- Robust Energy Management: MGM Grand uses energy-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling systems throughout the resort.
- Towel and linen reuse programs promote water conservation and help reduce our footprint on vital resources across the country.
- Sustainable Building and Operations: MGM Grand Las Vegas was awarded four Green Keys, five Green Keys for Meetings and four Green Globes for Existing Buildings.
- Health and Safety: Electronics, batteries and lightbulbs are safely disposed of after use to eliminate the possibility of introducing hazardous substances back into the environment.
ARIA Campus
ARIA features more than 500,000 square feet of meeting space and an abundance of naturally lit and outdoor space options.
- Cogeneration at the ARIA Campus: ARIA has an 8.2-megawatt combined heat and power plant onsite, efficiently generating approximately 30% of the resort's electricity needs, while using waste heat to warm water.
- Green Building Certifications: The ARIA Campus earned six LEED Gold certifications, making it the world’s largest privately funded LEED Gold certified development upon opening in 2009.
- Sustainable Wood: More than 50% of all wood products used are from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests
- Water Efficient Building Design: The ARIA Campus conserves an estimated 33% of water with efficient plumbing fixtures.
- Ultra Efficient Energy Design: Energy efficiency measures at the ARIA Campus result in 30% savings in energy use, the equivalent to powering 8,800 households annually.
Bellagio
With more than 200,000 square feet of elegant meeting space and unique amenities such as the world-famous Fountains of Bellagio and stunning Conservatory, Bellagio offers an artful blend of imagination, sophistication and creativity for events of all types.
- Water Source Innovation: Fountains of Bellagio fed with water from wells onsite, circumventing the use of potable water from Lake Mead or the Colorado River.
- Nature Connectedness: The Conservatory at Bellagio celebrates nature with seasonal displays. 90% of the trees, flowers and plants are composted after use.
- Sustainable Hotel Certifications: Awarded five Green Keys, the highest level of certification from Green Key Global Hotel and Meetings Programs, the leading international environmental certification body for the hotel and meetings industry.
- Efficient Lighting: Bellagio is lit using LED lighting. In all, more than 1.5 million LEDs light MGM Resorts venues.
- Robust Recycling Program: We separate recyclables from trash and boast an innovative food waste program that diverts food scraps to a local pig farm.
Sustainable Events Program
Our approach to sustainable events aims to save water and energy, reduce materials and waste and engage the community. For this, we focus on four areas: venue and space, décor and signage, food and beverage, and outreach and education. To assist clients in improving the environmental efficiency of their events, MGM Resorts has designed a custom deck of playing cards featuring 52 sustainable event ideas. The ideas also support one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGS), which are also visually highlighted on the cards, as well as an assessment of the likely cost impact. The ideas on the cards combat the common misconception that environmental and societal benefits from events are cost prohibitive.
Venue & Space
We support our clients by offering low-carbon, environmentally sustainable venues.
Examples
- Offer environmentally certified venues
- Ensure robust health and safety protocols
- Power venues with renewable electricity
- Undertake food waste diversion
Décor & Signage
We offer décor and signage options that help reduce waste and increase circularity of material flows.
Examples
- Incorporate biophilic design in event and meeting space
- Take advantage of circular economy opportunities
- Support diverse-owned suppliers and vendors
- Offer digital signage
Food & Beverage
We have an extensive offering of sustainable food and beverage options and have a best-in-class program to manage event-related food waste.
Examples
- Offer enticing vegan and vegetarian items
- Reflect seasonality in menus
- Selectively offer organic meats and produce
- Offer certified coffees and teas
- Utilize reusable dishware and utensils
Outreach & Education
We help meeting planners communicate the sustainable event elements implemented and offer detailed sustainable event reports to help quantify impacts and benefits.
Examples
- Help communicate sustainability efforts to attendees
- Provide accessibility accommodations for attendees
- Offer wellness experiences
Other Sustainable Events
Food Donations
One of the most socially beneficial materials and waste programs at MGM Resorts relates to food donations. We have developed a robust program in which we safely donate unserved food to the food insecure in the communities in which we operate. We donate three major food types: unserved perishable prepared food from events, perishable unprepared kitchen food from kitchens and non-perishable food from minibar and warehouses. In collaboration with the Southern Nevada Region’s primary food bank, Three Square, we also helped establish the core infrastructure needed in Las Vegas to safely collect, transport, and store food from hotels.
Digitally Forward Meetings
At MGM Resorts, we embrace innovation and continuous improvement. While the COVID-19 pandemic affected our events and banquets business, it also required us to create digitally forward ways of doing business. For events, this digital transformation has also spurred environmental benefits. What began as a health and safety measure, such as digital event registration and mobile check-ins, has become a best practice for reducing paper waste – a significant waste stream in events. Additionally, offering virtual attendance options to our guests helps lower the carbon footprint of our clients’ events
Examples
- Mobile guest check-in
- Web-based event registration software
- Digital signage and event literature
- Virtual attendance options
More Information
Social Impact & Sustainability Reports
Each year we are proud to showcase these commitments by highlighting the work we do today and the goals we aim to achieve.
ESG Policies
We have a number of ESG-related policies in place to formalize and operationalize our efforts.
ESG Disclosures
In addition to our company’s self-selected metrics and goals, we also provide disclosures aligned to a number of prevailing third-party ESG frameworks.
Focused On What Matters
Through our “Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet” philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of our employees, guests, and in the communities where we operate.
Protecting the Planet
We believe a greener business is a better business and environmental ledership is critical