USGBC’s Second Annual Southern Hospitality Summit Coming to Charleston on Oct. 19, 2018

CHARLESTON, SC, October 3, 2018 /3BL Media/ – The U.S. Green Building Council South Carolina (USGBC-SC) will hold its second annual Southern Hospitality Summit in Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 19, 2018. Sustainability experts, local leaders, builders, developers and professionals in the hospitality industry will convene to discuss how to infuse sustainability with luxury. Katarina Tesarova, vice president of global sustainability for Las Vegas Sands Corp., one of the world’s leading and most respected hotel and gaming companies, will deliver the keynote at the event.

“Hospitality is an energy-intensive, multi-billion dollar industry, in a market that is increasingly seeing customers who expect sustainable practices,” said Rhiannon Jacobsen, vice president, market transformation and development at USGBC. “Katarina is a shining example of an industry leader who recognizes the importance of making eco-conscious business decisions that have a positive impact on not only the bottom line, but to the surrounding community and the environment. We are thrilled to welcome her to Charleston for the Southern Hospitality Summit.”

Tesarova leads Las Vegas Sands’ global sustainability efforts by developing and implementing a comprehensive sustainability strategy focused on reducing the environmental impacts of the organization. Prior to joining Las Vegas Sands, she was responsible for managing property sustainability programs at MGM Resorts International as Director of Sustainable Operations. She also led efforts to certify several of the buildings located in CityCenter, a $8.6 billion, mixed-use urban destination in Las Vegas. Under Tesarova’s leadership, CityCenter achieved several LEED Gold certifications, making it one of the largest groups of new construction LEED-certified projects in the world.

Tesarova is recognized for her expertise in green buildings and has served on various prestigious panels and committees, including the Sustainability and Efficiency Task Force for the United States Department of Homeland Security. She is also a LEED AP for Building Design and Construction.

“Las Vegas Sands aims to minimize its environmental footprint on the planet and improve its local communities by seamlessly blending sustainability with luxury,” said Tesarova. “I am honored to be able to share our story and how we lead the way in integrating sustainability into our building development and resort operations while refining the guest experience.”

The Southern Hospitality Summit, this year convening in Charleston, one of the most frequently visited historic cities in America, will explore:

• Existing case studies of sustainable hospitality, showcasing examples of innovative architecture, construction and interior design.
• Affordable and incremental opportunities to employ sustainable hospitality strategies at properties or workplaces to enhance guest experience, improve bottom line, and elevate marketing impression.
• Strategies to effectively integrate and balance economic development goals, environmental stewardship, and social impacts on business models to ensure responsible operations that regenerate and sustain local communities.
• Incentives for new construction, major renovations and capital improvements from North Carolina and South Carolina energy providers.

Unlike most commercial properties, hotels consume resources seven days a week, 24 hours a day and, therefore, have the greatest opportunity for savings and conservation efforts. Over the last few years, sustainable practices have started to gain momentum in the hospitality industry, and more and more hotels are actively pursuing green certifications; nearly 500 lodgings across the U.S. have already earned LEED certification. As a result of this major rate of participation from the hospitality industry, USGBC released the LEED in Motion: Hospitality report in 2016 to address how the green building community and hospitality industry can work together to advance sustainability and enhance a company's triple bottom line—people, planet and profit.

Similar to the way LEED has undeniably changed the built environment, the hospitality industry is poised to transform the market yet again by creating healthy, smart, efficient, responsive, resilient, and above all else, sustainable buildings.

To register for the event please visit the Southern Hospitality Summit website.

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About the U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. USGBC South Carolina advance USGBC’s mission through localized engagement and outreach throughout South Carolina.

About Las Vegas Sands

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is the world's pre-eminent developer and operator of world-class Integrated Resorts that feature luxury hotels; best-in-class gaming; retail; dining and entertainment; Meetings, Incentives, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) facilities; and many other leisure and business amenities.  We pioneered the MICE-driven Integrated Resort, a unique, industry-leading and extremely successful model that serves both the leisure and business tourism markets.

Our properties include The Venetian and The Palazzo resorts and Sands Expo in Las Vegas, Sands Bethlehem in Eastern Pennsylvania, and the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd., LVS owns a portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip in Macao, including The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Sands Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao, as well as the Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula.

LVS is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored by the core tenets of delivering a great working environment for 50,000 team members worldwide, driving impact through its Sands Cares corporate giving and community engagement program and leading innovation with the company’s award-winning Sands ECO360 global sustainability program as well as providing leadership for critical social issues through Project Protect, the company’s commitment to industry-leading practices that safeguard our patrons, partners, employees and neighbors around the range of issues that are unique to our business including responsible gaming, money laundering and human tra­fficking. To learn more, please visit www.sands.com.