Meaningful Travel Roadshow: Pittsburgh, PA

Please register and pick up a reusable name badge. Be sure to return it at the end of the event so it can travel with us from event to event and help us reduce waste.

Coffee from Bitty and Beau’s will be available along with locally grown fruit. Apples are donated by Lexy Baird from Rosemont Farm in Pittsburgh and pawpaws are from George & Xinyang Sylves at Highland Farm and Gardens in Meadville, PA.

Accessibility and  Dietary  Information

An elevator is available at the entrance and will take you directly to the 1st Floor (not the ground floor). The event space is located entirely on one floor, with accessible restrooms down the hall.

If you would like preferred seating near the stage for any reason, please speak with a Tourism Cares staff member at registration.

Regular and decaf coffee, hot water with tea, and both dairy and non-dairy milks will be available, along with fruit for a light morning snack.

Location: The Energy Innovation Center

Kick off the day with a welcome coffee, followed by engaging education sessions and workshops designed to inspire and inform.

Panels include:

• Flavors of Impact: Explore how local food companies and organizations drive cultural connection and social change. 

• From Steel to Sustainability: See how destinations can reshape their identity through innovation, green initiatives, and community-driven design

View all speakers and panels here.

Wrap up the morning with a networking lunch, offering a chance to connect with peers and local changemakers.

Accessibility and Dietary Information

Regular and decaf coffee, hot water for tea, and both dairy and non-dairy milk options will be available during the coffee break, along with vegan and gluten-free snacks.

Water refill stations are located throughout the EIC for your reusable bottle.

Location: The Energy Innovation Center

Enjoy a local lunch provided by Black Radish and get to know your fellow attendees and mingle with local partners and changemakers.

Black Radish Kitchen is a queer-owned boutique catering business that specializes in thoughtful, veggie forward foods and customized event coordination. our menus are chef-crafted, focused on seasonal abundance with classic, approachable dishes to please all our favorite party goers.

Accessibility and Dietary Information

Lunch will be primarily vegetarian and will include vegan and gluten-free options to accommodate allergies and preferences. All food will be clearly labeled, and staff will be available to assist with questions and service from the buffet as needed.. Lunch will be right outside the education space.

Water refill stations are located throughout the EIC for your reusable bottle.

See sustainability in action by immersing yourself in the Pittsburgh community through curated experiences and activities that showcase the area's unique cultural heritage, sustainable practices, and local leaders.

Learn more about the experiences here

Meaningful Experience Impact Partners:

• Kayaking with Venture Outdoors WEATHER UPDATE: Everyone assigned to this activity has been reassigned. Please check your email.

• Pittsburgh Sites & Tastes with Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tours

• Discover the Hill District with Hill CDC

Accessibility and Dietary Information 

Please see experience descriptions for details.

Location: Lawrence Hall

All experiences will conclude with drop-off at Lawrence Hall. Return transfers to the EIC will be available at 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

Enjoy a networking reception featuring locally-sourced food and drink, celebrating the destination’s flavors and providing an opportunity to connect with local changemakers and industry leaders. Private space and cash bar available.

Located in Central Lawrenceville, Lawrence Hall is a food hall featuring a curated selection of local restaurateurs centered around our bar, Dear James. Housed in a repurposed 1890s warehouse and former theater, the space combines original craftsmanship with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Accessibility and Dietary Information

Bar and food vendors are located on the first floor along with seating. Mezzanine is only accessibly by stairs. There are no stairs to enter the venue. Food menus can be found here.

We are committed to advancing our industry in meaningful and responsible ways. This means working closely with our local partners, vendors, and attendees to rethink how we plan and produce events, moving beyond the status quo together. Below are some of the steps we are taking for this program.

Mindfulness Resources

We know conferences can be full and fast-paced. To support your well-being, we invite you to step away at any time during the day to take a mindful pause.

Here are a few resources you can use whenever you need a reset:

• Headspace | Mini Meditation | Let Go of Stress

• 2-Minute Quick Focus Reset Meditation: Regain Focus to Work, Study, or Get Tasks Done

• Take a short walk outside and rejoin the group when you’re ready.

Your presence and focus are valuable, but so is your well-being. Please care for yourself in the way that best supports you.

Community Partnerships
We have worked closely with partners to source local vendors, community-based organizations, venues, and speakers to ensure this event directly benefits the Miami community and supports those who call it home.

Venue
The Energy Innovation Center (EIC) showcases sustainable design through its adaptive reuse of the historic Connelley Trade School. This 200,000-square-foot facility has achieved LEED Platinum certification, the highest standard for energy efficiency and environmental design. Key sustainable features include:

Energy Efficiency: The building is designed to save over 50 percent on energy compared to similar buildings.

Innovative Cooling Systems: An ice storage system produces and stores ice overnight to provide free cooling during peak daytime hours.

Historic Preservation:The EIC preserves the original craftsmanship of the 1890s warehouse while integrating modern sustainable technologies.

Serving as a “living laboratory,” the EIC demonstrates cutting-edge energy solutions and fosters education and innovation in clean energy technologies.

Menu Creation and Food Waste Management
We work with partners to serve fresh, locally inspired meals that are inclusive and thoughtfully sourced. At the same time, we remain mindful of our environmental and community impact. Some of the actions we are taking include:

• Asking attendees to bring reusable water bottles. Refill stations will be provided onsite.

• Working with venues to accurately estimate food quantities and minimize waste.

• Partnering with caterer Black Radish and local organization 401 Food Rescue to reduce food waste.

• Designing low-carbon menus with limited meat and animal products. Lunch will be primarily vegetarian.

• Composting all food scraps and compostable serviceware at the EIC.

• Working with onsite vendors to reduce single-use items and provide reusable or compostable serviceware. Attendees are asked to properly dispose of waste in compost, recycling, and landfill bins.

• Asking offsite vendors to avoid disposable products and single-use plastics.

We acknowledge that the event is not zero-waste, but we are committed to finding new ways to reduce waste while still offering a meaningful experience for all attendees.

Reusable and Recyclable Materials
We are reducing overall event waste through measures such as:

• Printing name badges on recycled paper.

• Reusing neck wallets from previous events.

• Asking partners not to distribute giveaways unless items are locally sourced, community-supportive, and not single-use.

• Sharing all event materials digitally to reduce paper usage and environmental impact.

Transportation
Attendees are encouraged to use public transportation whenever possible. Tourism Cares staff will also use public transit when available.

Offsetting Our Footprint
All attendee and staff travel and accommodations are offset through Sustainable Travel International to help mitigate environmental impact.