Concert venue gets to the “root” of things

By Rebekah Scaperlanda

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Sandstone Amphitheater is returning to its roots, jettisoning its corporate name - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - and reverting back to its original name. It is also becoming more “root” friendly as it moves towards going green.

New West Presentations Inc. and Mammoth Inc. partnered together to run Capital Federal Park at Sandstone Amphitheater after Live Nation let its contract expire at the end of 2007. Jesse Jackson, director of green initiatives at Sandstone, said when the two companies sat down to discuss the feasibility of running the venue, they saw no way of doing so unless they went green.

“Ultimately, it’s simply the right thing to do,” Jackson said. “If you’re taking over something like a large venue or running any business or project that involves the kind of thing that can affect the planet, you have to be environmentally aware. In this environment right now you have to have some level of going green.”

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Sandstone’s Green Vision:

-Reduce Paper Usage, replace all paper towel usage with high efficiency hand dryers in restrooms and concession stands.

-Utilize Recycled Materials, toilet paper, napkins and office paper.

-Energy & Conservation, reduced energy light bulbs,wind turbines to generate power.

-Recycling, multiple plastic & paper recycling receptacles around the venue

-Raise Employees Awareness, train employees in the ways of energy conservation and recycling, conserve energy by turning off electronics.

-Encourage Online Purchases, educate concert-goers about the environmental benefits of purchasing tickets online.

-Cell Phone Recycling on site

-Compost Plan, plant a garden to grow vegetables for Sandstone caterers.

-Carpool and Alternative Fueled Vehicle Incentives.

Source: www.sandstoneamp.com

Jackson said that although the companies were taking steps toward becoming a completely green venue, they couldn’t afford to do it all at once and the renovations would be season by season.

Jackson said he hoped the venue would be certified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED certification was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council as a rating system to provide standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

“It’s a pretty massive thing and we’re shooting for the bottom level of certification right now,” Jackson said. “There’s so much we have to do. LEED looks at everything you do, every action you take: recycling, power needs, work place environment, paint you use, green cleaning supplies, lack of pesticides on the lawn. It’s so exact, getting green on every little thing. This season we’re doing what we can and then building from that.”

Jackson said eventually the venue would have solar panels and wind turbines for energy. The venue will have Energy Star compliant lighting, taking advantage of existing light to reduce energy consumption. The amphitheater already has a venue compost site and grows food on site. It uses biodegradable cornstarch cups at concession stands that decompose in a landfill in 30 days. Concertgoers are now allowed to bring in water bottles that can be refilled at the venue rather than relying on concession stands. Plastic water bottles and other non-biodegradable items are recycled. The venue partnered with Anheuser Busch, which is providing recycle receptacles for guests to put plastic and paper waste. Following concerts at the venue, recycle teams sort through trash to ensure they get everything recycled.

New West also partners with environmentally active companies such as Music Matters, which markets organic and natural industries, and the Kansas City local group Bridging the Gap, which aims to connect environment, economy and community. The amphitheater has adopted Bridging the Gap’s “five green things you can do in your life,” challenging concertgoers to take five actions through a series of billboards throughout the venue.

“This venue is the real deal,” said Kristin Riott, director of community outreach for Bridging the Gap. “They are not ‘green washing’ to give the trendy appearance of helping the environment; Sandstone is really going for this in a big way.”

Jackson said reaching such a high level of “green” wouldn’t be possible without organizations like Bridging the Gap sharing their expertise. He said a huge part of New West’s mission was to educate the public in how to go green.

“For us, we have ability to educate the public in such a high profile venue,” Jackson said. “We’re doing the bigger venue thing, but we’re also teaching people to apply these principles in their personal life. Thousands of people can then, over time, impart this message, this new way of doing business, this new culture, new way of life.”

Aside from using the resources of local green organizations, the venue is also reaping the benefits of local breweries. Jackson said the venue was now serving micro-brews such as Free State and Boulevard. He said he was attracted to Free State because it was using the Kansas River to power some of its breweries.

Jackson said he hoped to keep everything bi-local and keep it within a 100 mile radius if possible to lessen the impact of having to ship things long distances. He said micro-brews also provided more options than the usual Miller or Bud.

The venue is also serving food from local venders such as Local Burger and Papa Bob’s Bar-B-Que. According to Jackson, using local companies was part of creating a festival vibe rather than an amphitheater vibe.

He said the ampitheater had planted more than 200 trees around the venue to not only lower temperatures but to return the park to what it used to be. The venue also took out actual seats in order to create more General Admission standing room in front.

The amphitheater may not meet LEED standards yet, but it does meet the standards of green-activist artist, Jack Johnson. Jackson said Johnson, who is performing at Sandstone Aug. 15, had specific demands in his contract regarding venues going green. Johnson’s Web site provides ways to go green in each community in which he is performing. Jamie Whitehead, New West assistant and sponsorship worker, said Johnson was the first person booked for the venue this summer, in part because of his green theme.

“He is simply huge in saving the earth and that is what our venue is about,” Whitehead said. “He doesn’t play unless his venues are environmentally friendly, and I think that was definitely a part of why he came.”

Whitehead said those attending Johnson’s concert and others at the venue should be encouraged to carpool to the site. Parking is free for certain shows if an alternative fuel vehicle is driven to the venue or if there are four or more passengers in a vehicle.

— Edited by Mandy Earles

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