Octavius Convention Center Awarded LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council

LAS VEGAS, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Caesars Entertainment Corporation's expansion of the Octavius Convention Center at Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino was awarded LEED® Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).  

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"The attainment of LEED Silver Certification for the Octavius Convention Center is a large achievement for Caesars Entertainment and its conservation and sustainability efforts," said Eric Dominguez, Corporate Director, Energy & Environmental Services for Caesars Entertainment. "By using less energy and water, the convention center will effectively save environmental resources and decrease our greenhouse gas emission, contributing to a healthier environment for our employees and the community."

The 110,000 square feet of available space, including two 52,000 square foot ballrooms, completed by Design and Construction Group, was given this prestigious green building certification for its sustainable building and operations practices to conserve energy and water. The Octavius Convention Center earned 35 points for its green design and construction features such as energy efficient lighting and water smart fixtures.

"Caesars Entertainment's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and the Octavius Convention Center expansion project serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."

Dominguez said the Octavius Convention Center will be the first of many LEED certified buildings at Caesars' properties in the U.S. as it reduces its impact on the environment by retrofitting and installing energy efficient equipment and implementing additional green practices.

Caesars Entertainment leads the meetings and conventions industry in sustainability through its green meetings certification program and employee-driven practices. The company's employees can become certified by attending a two-day course on green meeting planning strategies and initiatives and completing a comprehensive sustainability exam, which they must score 100 percent on to obtain the certification. There are 12 employees in the Atlantic City and more than 100 employees in Nevada who have received the certification and are working with companies to plan events with minimal environment impact and waste.

About Caesars Entertainment Corporation Sustainability

From coast-to-coast, Caesars Entertainment Corporation resorts are committed to environmental sustainability. Caesars is the first company in the casino entertainment industry to join the EPA Climate Leaders Program and to make an EPA-approved commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by 2013. The company has been awarded the "EPA WasteWise Gold Achievement New Partner Award," "EPA Regional Environmental Quality Award" and is the only company to win seven "Travelife Gold Awards for Sustainability in Tourism."

In the past seven years, more than 110 conservation projects at Caesars U.S. casino resorts and $60 million of conservation investments have dramatically reduced the company's energy usage. The implemented programs annually reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 243 million pounds, the equivalent 247,000 barrels of oil. A few highlights include:

• A newly redesigned laundry facility in Las Vegas saves 72 million gallons of water annually while increasing capacity 40 percent.
• Throughout all properties, millions of light bulbs have been replaced with energy efficient lighting, saving more than 50 million kilowatt hours (kWh) each year.
• Restaurants throughout Caesars Entertainment's Las Vegas resorts have installed on site water filtration and bottling systems reduce purchase and transportation of plastic water bottles.
• A steam turbine in Atlantic City Showboat generates electricity as a by-product of the normal steam production at the resort. Use of the steam turbine produced an annual savings of 2,283,041 kWh and avoided emissions of more than 1,077,685 pounds of carbon dioxide and other gases.
• Several properties, including the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino, Harrah's Lake Tahoe and Showboat Atlantic City; have co-generation facilities that generate electricity, reducing demand on the nation's power grid. 
• Across 35 domestic resorts, Caesars Entertainment recycles more than 640,000 gallons of waste vegetable oil annually.

About Caesars Entertainment Corporation

Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world's largest casino entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Caesars has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions, and now operates casinos on four continents. The company's resorts operate primarily under the Harrah's®, Caesars® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars also owns the World Series of Poker® and the London Clubs International family of casinos. Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment.  For more information, please visit www.caesars.com.

Contact:
Jasen Woehrle/ Elise Timothy
The Firm Public Relations & Marketing
702.739.9933

SOURCE Caesars Entertainment Corporation