MPIGNY Education: “Sustainable Events - How to Prioritize Environmental & Societal Benefits for Your Next Event"

What’s Cooked in Vegas, Stays in Vegas

Sustainability is now a strategic priority for many organizations. So it is natural that sustainability thinking is extending into events of all types. But how do you actually bring in specific and meaningful societal and environmental benefits to the events you host? It’s all about prioritization, and finding ways to meet broader event goals in a more sustainable way. Learn specific ways to prioritize the benefits that matter most to your clients and attendees, and come away with a detailed and specific sustainability plan, for your very next event. 

About Our Speaker(s): 

Yalmaz Siddiqui

Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, MGM Resorts International           

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yalmaz-siddiqui-7853604

Yalmaz Siddiqui is Vice President, Corporate Sustainability at MGM Resorts International.  He joined MGM in 2016 and leads the company’s overall Environmental Management Program including policy, goals, reporting and alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He also manages a number of specific initiatives for MGM including sustainable events for convention clients, food waste reduction, environmentally preferable purchasing, and circular economy.

Prior to joining MGM, Yalmaz was Senior Director, Sustainability at Office Depot, where he set global strategy and led a number of industry-leading social and environmental sustainability programs.  In his ten years with Office Depot he helped the company reduce total carbon emissions by 40%, grow sales of environmentally preferable products from $1.2B to $3.2B, and reach a ranking of #1 greenest large retailer in America in Newsweek Magazine’s green rankings, for three consecutive years.

Before Office Depot, Yalmaz worked for ten years as a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM Business Consulting Services where he focused on business-to-business customer strategy and operational performance improvement.

A global expert in sustainable purchasing, Yalmaz was the Founding Chair of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, a non-profit organization focused on guiding and recognizing purchasing leadership that accelerates the transition to a prosperous and sustainable future. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Impact NV, Nevada’s leading sustainability non-profit.

Yalmaz has a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University in Canada. He also completed a Master’s in Environment & Development in 1994 at the University of Cambridge in England. His Master’s thesis focused on industrial ecology, biomimicry, materials reutilization, and life cycle analysis.

Convene at 810 Seventh Avenue is a dual-floor venue that combines a contemporary design with breathtaking views of Times Square, Central Park, and the Hudson River. Offering maximum event privacy, this unique environment is perfect for productivity and collaboration. Whether you’re planning an internal training, board meeting, mixer, gala, town hall, or a talk—this easy-access facility features an open, modern atmosphere with plenty of soft seating options and breakout rooms. Offering 23,000 square feet of space within a secure Class A building, each floor at this versatile event venue provides maximum corporate privacy.