Rocket Arena Captures 23 GOAL Medals for Venue Excellence in Sustainability

CLEVELAND - Rocket Arena has been named a 2025 GOAL Sustainability Contender after receiving GOAL Medals for Venue Excellence in Sustainability. This achievement with its sustainability impact validated by GOAL, was announced at the second annual GOAL Medal Awards on September 9 in Las Vegas and underscores the venue's leadership in sustainability and its comprehensive approach to environmental, social, and governance impact.

The 'Contender' designation received by Rocket Arena reflects both the venue's medal count, and consistency of performance, year-over-year progress and a holistic commitment to sustainable operations. Rocket Arena's awarded objectives and initiatives included:

• 6 Gold Medals, including recognition in the following categories:
  • Promote Health & Wellbeing for Employees
  • Prioritize Diverse Suppliers in Procurement
  • Set Sustainability Strategy & Goals
• 6 Silver Medals, including recognition in the following categories:
  • Increase Waste Diversion by Recycling
  • Increase Waste Diversion by Composting
  • Properly Dispose of Hard to Recycle Material
• 11 Bronze Medals, including recognition in the following categories:
  • Increase Energy Efficiency
  • Activate Partnerships to Support Community Impact Initiatives

"This recognition from GOAL reflects the unwavering commitment of our team, who work tirelessly each day to create meaningful, lasting change for our region and our planet - all while maintaining excellence in guest experience," said Antony Bonavita, Rock Entertainment Group Executive Vice President and Chief Venues and Development Officer. "From advancing waste diversion and green cleaning to fostering a more inclusive workplace and deepening community engagement, we've made significant strides this year. As we look head, we remain more motivated than ever to uphold our commitment of providing a welcoming arena that serves our fans, strengthens our Northeast Ohio community and positively impacts the environment."

GOAL leadership also praised Rocket Arena's achievement.

"The GOAL Medal winners are examples of the difference every venue and team can make by committing intentionality behind the desire to make an impact," said Kristen Fulmer, Executive Director of GOAL. "Not every venue can deliver the same results and nor should they - We are thrilled to be able to recognize them for their own individual journey in sustainability leadership. The GOAL program enables venues of all sizes to share best practices and achieve results through deliberate, focused and data-based sustainability practices."

In partnership with Oak View Group (OVG), Fenway Sports Group, State Farm Arena and Jason F. McLennan, GOAL has guided some of the world's leading sports and entertainment organizations on a journey of social impact, climate action and responsible change. The GOAL Medal awards recognize industry leadership in a variety of sustainability related topics including environmental, social, and governance. The awards are broken into 10 categories that acknowledge GOAL members excellence at the bronze, silver, or gold level. GOAL Medal Awards categories include Energy & GHG Emissions; Water Efficiency & Quality; Waste Reduction; Health & Wellness; Food & Nutrition; Diversity & Inclusion; ESG Strategy & Commitment; Community Resilience; Guest Engagement & Education; and Sustainable Partnerships. GOAL Medals are designed to reward and celebrate year-over-year improvements aligned to each venue's sustainability focus areas. GOAL members utilize GOAL's online platform to access the Medal criteria, submit documentation, and interact with the GOAL team to review and recognize up to 51 Medal achievements.

In addition to the recognition for Rocket Arena, Rock Entertainment Group had three team members receive individual awards. Antony Bonavita, Rock Entertainment Group EVP, Chief Venues and Development Officer was selected as a VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree. Carrie Samek, Cleveland Cavaliers Vice President of Event and Media Marketing received the Arena Alliance Marketing Executive of the Year award. Danielle Doza, Rock Entertainment Group Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Services was recognized with the GOAL Connector Award.