This quarter, over 60 team members had the opportunity to attend another amazing SALT Summit and SALT Awards hosted by Visit Salt Lake. It was a full day created to inspire, educate, and celebrate all the incredible members of the hospitality industry, and a chance to celebrate our dedicated team members nominated for an award This year, the event returned stronger than ever, with more of our staff in attendance due to a renewed focus on development and recognition
SALT Summit: An Afternoon of Inspiration
The morning kicked off with pow
s
Olympic champions Kaysha Love and Picabo Street, who shared stories of leadership, perseverance, and the importance of community. Later that afternoon,
Mentalist and speaker Sean Bott reminded us how vital it is to truly see and support one another, all while
keeping us laughing and engaged
Between speakers, breakout sessions were held, focusing on professional development within the hospitality industry. Staff had the opportunity to choose from a variety of topics including mindfulness, improving customer service, understanding personality styles of employees, and navigating the future of AI These sessions were geared to encourage professional growth, foster connections, and inspire new ideas for our continued excellence in the hospitality industry.
s year
Facility Operations
Denny Britton
McKell Nelson
Will Taylor
Shawn Warfield
Vikki Christiansen
Scott Averett
Stacey Monson Frank Kratz
Venue Management School
Mental Health Awareness Month
Accreditation & Certification
GBAC
The Salt Palace Convention Center and Mountain America Expo Center have earned the GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation for the fifth consecutive year.
To obtain GBAC STAR accreditations, both venues were required to demonstrate compliance with the program's 20 core elements, ranging from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to PPE and emergency preparedness. This certification ensures that guests, clients, and staff can feel safe, focusing on what’s important: enjoying their experience
The Salt Palace Convention Center is proud to have obtained our LEED Gold® Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, reinforcing our commitment to building sustainability.
LEED-certified buildings save energy costs, emit less carbon emissions, and promote wellbeing. Compared to other buildings,
LEED-certified buildings have 34% lower CO2 emissions, consume 25% less energy, and have 11% less water consumption
The Salt Palace will continue to commit to a more sustainable future while holding our LEED certification
Our annual tradition of celebrating Earth Day as Earth Month took place this quarter. It was packed with a variety of activities for staff to enjoy while filling out their Earth Month bingo card! The bingo
card was filled with tasks to help promote a more sustainable lifestyle Other activities on the bingo card included a Clear the Air Challenge, landfill diversion training, a service project, and a Dreamscapes tour.
Clear the Air Challenge: With the combined efforts of both venues and Visit Salt Lake, 1,623,237 pounds of Co2 were saved by sustainably traveling a total of 4,194 miles
Landfill Diversion Training: Employees had the
opportunity to get in-depth training on our robust landfill diversion program.
members from both venues and Visit Salt Lake partnered with Salt Lake Public Lands at Jordan Park.
Together, we replaced dirt with mulch around park trees to help them retain water and live longer.
Dreamscapes Tour: Team members from both venues and Visit Salt Lake walked over to visit our neighbors at
Dreamscapes, operated by our partners at the Utah Arts Alliance, for a tour of their new location. Did you know that 76% of the materials used in Dreamscapes come directly from Salt Palace Convention Center and Mountain America Expo Center? This visit was a great example of how sustainable practices and creative collaboration can turn everyday materials into an immersive art experience.
Sustainable All-Staff Meeting: Earth Month wrapped up with a Sustainable All-Staff Meeting, hosted by the Diversity and Community Committee (DCC) in collaboration with the Green Team
Committee. The event featured vegan and sustainably sourced food, and all decorations were
crafted from leftover materials from past events
We also welcomed guest speakers Mallory DiazVela and Lydia Anderson from UCAIR, who shared insights on Utah’s air quality and ways we can all help create a cleaner Salt Lake City.
I started here part-time on ust 15th, 2009, and have ned so much from my orkers and managers over the s. I’ve appreciated Scott e’s leadership as a director look forward to continuing to part of his team While there e been ups and downs, I still uinely love working here and g able to help anyone who ds it. I’m grateful to work gside such a great team, and cerely thank everyone for the ortunity to be part of this nization for nearly
yea
1 Year of Service
Kayla Court
Communications Coordinator
Ender Briceno Pereira
Operations Staff
3 Years of Service
Austin Farley
Telecommunications Technician
Veronica Ortiz Cortez
Operations Staff
Promotions
Kenna Sharp
Operations Assistant Supervisor
Stephen Kurtis Wells
Operations Supervisor
Mike Baker
Operations A
Mark Christensen - Security Supervisor
I wanted to take a moment to share how incredibly grateful I am to have spent the last twenty years working alongside all of you It's been an amazing journey, and I'm so thankful for the support and camaraderie I've experienced from such wonderful coworkers Thank you all for making these past two decades so special
Dave Latsis - Chief Engineer
I began my career at the Salt Palace on April 5, 2005, and have had the privilege of working with people from around the world. Some highlights include the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Parliament of the World’s Religions, Rotary International, Stampin’ Up, FanX, and many more An event that stands out is the 36th National Veterans Wheelchair Games Witnessing their athleticism and determination was truly inspiring Many participants were battling emotional and mental health challenges, yet the games helped them rediscover their strength and purpose. One of the most powerful moments of my life was standing with 600 wounded veterans as we sang the Star-Spangled Banner together Their devotion and personal sacrifice, was deeply moving
I started at the Salt Palace in security, and my first assignment was guarding a door for a volleyball event, and Dan Hayes was my event manager Shortly after, in 2005, I was offered a position as an Engineer and was warmly welcomed into the department I made many great friends, many of whom are still here today In 2011, an engineering position opened at the South Towne Expo, now Mountain America Expo Center. I had cross-trained there and really enjoyed it. I saw new opportunities and it was closer to home. Over the years, I’ve served as an Engineer, Lead Engineer, and now Chief Engineer I’m extremely grateful for the relationships I’ve built at both facilities throughout the years I would like to thank all the staff, past and present, for making my life’s w what position or job you perform, you’ve been part of my life’s journey. I enjoy coming to work and being part of so many wonderful experiences. Few people can say their lives have been touched by so many people
