Boston-Based Food Service Management Contractor Unidine Selected To Be The Exclusive Catering And Concessions Provider For Greenbuild Conference At Boston Convention And Exposition Center

Newton, MA - Unidine will feature fresh, organic and locally grown foods and employ sustainable packaging and recycling efforts for more than 30,000 participants.

Recently, Newton, Massachusetts-based food service management company, Unidine Corporation, officially announced that it will be the exclusive catering and concessions provider for the 2008 U.S. Green Building Council's annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center (BCEC) in Boston, Mass. from November 19-21.

Greenbuild is the largest conference and expo dedicated to sustainable building practices and, with an estimated 30,000 attendees, will be the largest conference the BCEC has held. Unidine will provide a wide variety of meals that will feature organic and locally grown foods and incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly food preparation and disposal. All packaging, paper products, signage and cutlery will be made from natural materials and fully biodegradable. In addition, leftover foods will go to local food pantries, waste to local farms for use as feed, and cooking oils recycled as biofuels.

Unidine's President and CEO, Richard Schenkel commented "this is a tremendous opportunity for Unidine to showcase our talents as a fresh food provider and our dedication to sustainable foodservice practices that compliment the U.S. Green Building Council's mission. Food service is not the first thing most people think about when it comes to green buildings but it is an important component that cannot be overlooked."

"At our Greenbuild conferences, we strive to reduce our environmental footprint in as many ways as possible, including through our food and beverage service," said Kimberly Lewis, Vice President of Conferences and Events for the U.S. Green Building Council. "Unidine's commitment to providing organic and locally grown food to our attendees and exhibitors aligned with our greening initiatives, and we look forward to working with them at this year's show."

Unidine was selected by Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) which operates the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for several reasons as MCCA Director of Food and Beverage Services Mark Schwab explains. "They are a locally-based company that has the experience and resources necessary to manage catering and concessions for tens of thousands of people. We were very impressed with their commitment to providing a sustainable foodservice program which was mandatory for this event."

Unidine has signed Health Care Without Harm's Healthy Food in Healthcare Food Service Contractor Pledge, and is supportive of the organizations' initiatives to promote sustainability within healthcare food service. Unidine will be engaged in working with their healthcare customers to implement the 2008 Revised Green Guide for Health Care Operations section, which has expanded from one food service credit to include an entire section covering everything from food procurement to composting, chemical management, and nutrition. The revised section will be highlighted at Greenbuild.

SOURCE: Unidine Corporation