The Green Sports Alliance, which includes more than 300 professional and collegiate sports teams and venues from 20 different leagues in 14 countries, will have its annual Summit this year in Chicago.  The event will take place at Chicago's McCormick Place, June 29-July 1, 2015.

The Green Sports Alliance was the brainchild of billionaire Paul G. Allen, a Microsoft co-founder.  The goals of the non-profit organization are to help make professional and collegiate sports Greener and to promote sustainability.

Because the professional sports industry is so large, generating more than $145 billion in revenues, "it has a major impact on many industries, including the professional cleaning industry," says Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and a board member of the Alliance. "Already, some jansan and facility maintenance-related organizations are either exhibiting or planning to attend this year's Summit."

According to Ashkin, the 2015 Summit will include "how-to" seminars, as well as a litany of important presenters, many directly involved with professional sports, including:

Ice hockey star Andrew Ference of the Edmonton Oilers
Brendan Brazier, a former professional Ironman triathlete and two-time Canadian 50km Ultramarathon champion
Will Witherspoon, a 12-year NFL veteran and linebacker for the St. Louis Rams.
"There will also be a number of well-known people and educators directly involved in Green and sustainability programs as well as the operators of different sports facilities around the country," adds Ashkin.

In addition to serving on the Board of the Alliance, Ashkin is developing a Green Cleaning Playbook, which should be released later this year.  The playbook is designed to help sports facilities transfer from traditional to Green Cleaning strategies.

"For those in the professional cleaning industry who are unaware of the Green Sports Alliance or want to know more about it, this is the best year ever to get acquainted," says Ashkin.  "As the professional sports industry goes Green, its impact will be felt around the world...this is something jansan members should want to be a part of from the start."

For more information on the Summit, visit http://summit.greensportsalliance.org/