When it comes to maximising conference business, Dublin has been very slow to provide dedicated facilities for a sector that, in the past decade, has been a significant income generator, writes Frank Dillon

However, when the city’s long-awaited convention centre opens for business in September 2010, it will have a unique selling point – it will be Ireland’s first “green” building according to the people behind it. Companies are increasingly paying attention to the carbon footprint of their operations but the premises used by most of these companies have already been built.

The convention centre, designed by Irish architect Kevin Roche and currently under construction in Dublin’s Docklands, represents an investment of €380 million and will employ 250 full-time staff when operational.

Dermod Dwyer, executive chairman of the Dublin Convention Centre, says the design specification in the tender for the building of the centre put a strong emphasis on sustainability.

The centre was built using low CO2 cement, and is now one of the flagship projects of the EmissionZero initiative.

He says because of the use of the ‘green’ cement the embodied CO2 element of the building was reduced by 11,000 tonnes and all unavoidable emissions were offset by investing in green technology wherever possible.

These features, he says, make it unique among major international convention centres and will be promoted in the marketing of the venue.

“Environmental sustainability is one of the areas that Ireland has the opportunity to lead the world at the moment and an area where we can get competitive advantage. Our centre can be held up as a successful example in this area.

“It will be a landmark public building, the 21st century equivalent of the building of the Custom House.”

He adds that the green aspect of the venue will extend to the heating and waste-management features of the centre.