Sustainability is not just a buzz word—it’s who we are.
Sustainability is about balancing our society’s current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The aim is to ensure long-term ecological balance and human well-being. “These are basic values for Empowered Kids Ontario,” says Jennifer Churchill, EKO President & CEO. “Sustainable practices help to minimize resource depletion, reduce pollution, promote conservation, and ensure the efficient use of our planet’s natural resources. We’re doing our part at the EKO Spring Symposium 2025. We’re committed to an event that leaves undeniable benefits for our delegates, and on our environment and community.”
The EKO Spring Symposium 2025 is taking a future-focused approach. Here’s how:
Venue and Logistics
The EKO Spring Symposium 2025 takes place at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, a Green Venue. The hotel has been a member of Green Key Global since 2013 with a goal of reducing operational costs, carbon footprint and food waste.
Green Key Global’s eco rating consists of five key pillars:
- Develop a sustainability policy
- Engage employees
- Hire green suppliers
- Measure and track progress
- Get certified by a third party.
The Sheraton Centre Toronto achieved all five, and received the highest possible rating of 5 Green Keys in recognition of the sustainability practices implemented in all hotel departments.
The EKO Spring Symposium 2025 venue also offers EV charging stations and has transitioned from halogen to LED lighting.
The hotel’s Waterfall Garden is home to 50,000 bees—contributing to local greenery and enhancing Toronto’s biodiversity. The bees produce ultra-local honey that sweetens the cocktails and enriches our breakfast buffet served at the EKO Spring Symposium.
The hotel uses a food dehydrator to reduce food waste by 1,460 tons every year, diverting it from landfills. This produces distilled water used for cleaning and watering hotel plants, and generates 440 pounds of organic compost that is sent to nearby farms to support local agriculture, and is used in the hotel’s waterfall herb garden.
Waste Reduction
EKO embraces a circular economy—a production model that centers around reuse, waste avoidance and recycling. This approach contributes to the EKO Spring Symposium being a more sustainable event compared to those that simply focus on post-event recycling.
We’re going Paperless, using digital tools for registration, schedules, and presentations. Whatever delegates need is at their fingertips on the EKO Spring Symposium 2025 mobile app. We’re using reusable materials for our name badges and lanyards. Water stations will be found around the conference venue instead of single-use plastics.
We’re reducing waste by providing masks and hand sanitizer at the centrally located registration area.
The interactive map on the EKO Spring Symposium 2025 conference app means less need for wayfinding signage, and the signage we are using will be printed on fully recyclable material.
Sustainable Catering
Working with the Sheraton Toronto Centre, we’ll minimize food waste, planning meals based on accurate attendee numbers.
The EKO Spring Symposium 2025 Opening Night Reception features a plant-based menu, contributing to a lower carbon footprint and water conservation.
Transportation
EKO Spring Symposium 2025 delegates are encouraged to use public transportation—TTC, the UP Express for those coming from Pearson Airport, or the shuttle from Billy Bishop Airport to Union Station. It’s a short walk from Union to the Sheraton Toronto Centre. Travel options are noted on the EKO Spring Symposium 2025 web pages. We recommend using the EKO Spring Symposium 2025 conference app Delegate Directory to find others in your area who might share transportation, or join you on the TTC or UP Express or Billy Bishop Shuttle. You’ll not only save on costs and carbon footprint, and make more connections, too!
Minimizing environmental impact is the epicentre of sustainability movement. In-person events can generate a surprising amount of waste and consume significant energy resources. By consciously incorporating eco-friendly practices such as waste minimisation, efficient resource usage, recycling, and composting, the EKO Spring Symposium—and EKO—are substantially reducing negative impact on the environment.