Information about how to make our meetings greener ...
Greening your meetings and special events is a long-term process that involves numerous stakeholders, planning and making changes at many levels. Developing a green meeting policy and plan is one of the best ways to ensure that your efforts bear fruit and are successful well into the future. The planning process doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. It can be accomplished in just a few key steps following this simple format:
The team should include anyone whose input and support is critical to making the program work. If you’re a meeting planner, the team may include representatives from management, education, membership and communications. If you're a site manager, hotel operator, outside event planner or other industry supplier, the team may include individuals in charge of operations, finance, sales and marketing.
STEP 2: Conduct an Assessment
Consider your meetings and events from all angles to determine how you could reduce consumption of paper, water and energy and promote other eco-friendly practices. While there is presently a wide variation in the criteria you can use to evaluate your practices, in general, most environmental assessments cover the following areas:
STEP 3: Establish a Policy
Once you determine where you can reduce the environmental impact of your meetings, the team should draft a green meeting policy that captures the overall purpose, focus and general goals of your effort. Build support with decision-makers at the highest possible level in your organization to ensure that you will be provided with the time and resources needed for implementation, especially if you choose to take on one of the more ambitious goals, such as implementing an energy reduction program or purchasing carbon offsets.
STEP 4: Develop a Plan
The next step is to lay out an implementation plan that identifies specific goals and the steps you will take to reach them. It should also include a timetable and identify who will be responsible for carrying out various parts of the plan. You can start slow by targeting easy areas first, such as establishing an office paper recycling program or fixing dripping faucets. Then work your way up to the not-so-easy areas, checking them off as you go.
STEP 5: Promote the Program
Take the time to introduce staff to the green meeting initiative, explain how they can help make it a success, and educate participants about the program at all levels. Be sure to thank people for their contribution and recognize exemplary efforts.
STEP 6: Evaluation and Monitor Progress
To establish a successful program, evaluate it periodically, assessing progress, making adjustments and recognizing what you have accomplished. A periodic report on what your program has saved both environmentally and financially can help keep your green team engaged and generate enthusiasm throughout your organization.
Reports, Guides and Books
An Inconvenient Booth, The Economic Impact of The Green Movement on the Trade Show Industry Trend Report No. 1, published by Exhibitor Magazine, download at: http://www.exhibitoronline.com/topics/greenexhibiting.asp
Blue Green Meetings (www.bluegreenmeetings.org), an online guide sponsored by the Oceans Blue Foundation developed in collaboration with the Green Meeting Industry Council.
"It's Easy Being Green" (Pdf), planning guide and checklists published by the U.S. EPA's Pollution Preventions Program.
Going Green (www.tourismpartnership.org/pages07/Practical_Solutions.html), The International Tourism Partnership's checklist for minimum standards toward a sustainable hotel.
Green Cleaning for Dummies, Steve Ashkin and David Holly, available through ISSA (www.issa.org) or www.greencleaningfordummies.com.
Green Hotel Resources (Pdf), published by Zero Waste Alliance http://www.zerowaste.org/
Green Hotel Resource Guide (pdf), published by CERES http://www.cerc04.org
Green Meetings Report (Pdf), developed by the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) and published by the Convention Industry Council.
Meetings Industry Town Hall on Climate Change: Elevating the Conversation, a report from the MPI World Education Conference, July, 2007 (www.mpiweb.org/CMS/uploadedFiles/Inside_MPI/Press_Releases/climate_change.pdf)
Simple Steps to Green Meetings and Events: The Professional's Guide to Saving Money and the Earth, by Amy Spatrisano and Nancy Wilson, available at https://www.meetgreen.com/book.php
1. Partnering with Eco-Friendly Meeting Sites
2. Easy Ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
3. Educating and Engaging Attendees
4. How to Exhibit Green
5. Eating, Drinking and Cleaning Up Green
6. How to Measure Greening Success
1. PARTNERING WITH ECO-FRIENDLY MEETING SITES
The meeting site is one of the most important factors in staging a green meeting. The site's facilities, setting, amenities, practices and policies, along with the proximity of hotels, transportation systems and other community resources, have a large impact on the environmental savings that can be achieved for any given event.
The number of green meeting sites grows every day as convention centers, hotels and other properties make changes to their to facilities and programs to incorporate best practices or achieve third-party certification. New facilities or those undergoing remodeling or expansion are increasingly designed with environmental impact in mind, including the use of natural daylight and heating/cooling methods and the adoption of water collection and reclamation systems, green roofs, comprehensive recycling programs and composting. Many sites have been helped along by a number of cities, states or commercial entities sponsoring green initiatives. (See Samples for example RFPs and contract language.)
When working with sites that have a deep, long-standing commitment to environmental efficiency (such as the Featured Suppliers in this Guide), planners can expect substantial assistance greening their events. However, most meeting sites are still "works in progress," making good-faith efforts to accommodate the growing demand for green options. In these cases, good communication and teamwork are needed to set priorities and realistic goals that the site and the event organizer can work toward together. The request-for-proposal (RFP) and contracting processes provide opportunities for planners and site management to clarify expectations and explore how green meeting goals can best be met within any given context. (See Reports, Guides and Books and Tools for help evaluating sites and improving their green offerings.)
Evaluating Meeting Sites
At a basic level, a green meeting site should have policies and programs that support the following goals:
Of course, some sites are at the beginning of the greening process, while others are well along the green spectrum. But even the greenest sites can find opportunities to improve, particularly as new products and technologies enter the market. See Tips and Tools for guidelines and tools for evaluating sites and improving their green offerings.
2. EASY WAYS TO REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE
Establishing an effective recycling program is an important part of green meetings, but it's also important to try to stop waste before it starts by taking steps to reduce waste and reuse items made of nonrenewable materials. Here are a few simple, common practices that can have a big impact on the environment — many of which also save time and money for both meeting planners and suppliers:
Reduce by:
Reuse by:
Recycle by:
3. EDUCATING AND ENGAGING ATTENDEES
Instead of copying handouts and shipping them to the meeting site, encourage participants to have them copied on location — saving on shipping costs and reducing CO2 emissions.
Much of the success of a green meeting initiative depends on the support and involvement of event attendees. Although there are still a few skeptics out there, most people are concerned about the environment and willing to do their part to help — particularly if you make it convenient and fun for them and don't detract from the event's primary purpose. Here's how to go about engaging attendees:
Transporting a traditional custom 20' x 30' structure generates nearly 6,876 pounds of CO2. Switching to a lighter weight modular structure cuts emissions nearly in half. That one-show carbon emission reduction is more than a car owner switching to a hybrid car for a year. Source: Used by permission of Skyline Exhibits www.skyline.com.
Green Exhibiting is an emerging issue in green meetings, as trade show and expo organizers and individual exhibitors strive to align their sales strategies with their commitment to social responsibility. Sellers of green products and services are particularly keen to exhibit green, but the issue doesn't stop there: all sizes and types of businesses are looking to reduce their carbon footprint throughout their operations.
Expos and trade shows present a number of unique challenges for green meetings. Foremost is scale: expositions and trade shows generate enormous amounts of waste including booth components, signage, accessories, product samples, handouts and shipping materials. Greening these mega-events involves coordinating with a host of players — from show management services and venue subcontractors to individual exhibitors and attendees. The RFP and contracting process is an opportunity to allocate responsibility among the events' stakeholders and ensure that everyone is working toward the same goals. According to a recent survey by Exhibitor Magazine, some other challenges include:
1. Standards — What is a green exhibit — is it the booth, graphics, accessories, marketing materials, manufacturing process or all of the above? How "green" do these items need to be? A number of industry organizations have set up task forces and committees to develop guidelines for their members. As efforts continue to establish green exhibiting standards, working with one of the best practice documents included with this CD can be a good place to start.
2. Variety — Planners and exhibitors are seeking more choice in eco-friendly sites, materials and support services. Show management companies and other suppliers have started to offer an array of sustainable options and products that are durable, reusable and made from recycled, recyclable and rapidly renewable materials. (See Featured Suppliers for some resources.)
3. Cost and Performance — Initially, green-exhibiting options could cost more than traditional materials and products. But costs are coming down as supply increases. Performance is going up as exhibit designers and producers address the need for versatility, durability and ease of shipping, among other green exhibiting priorities.
4. Travel and shipping — Travel and shipping is a key consideration, and trade show organizers and exhibitors want to know how to reduce pollution and waste from these sources — and when they can't, they are looking for easy ways to offset the CO2 generated by their events.
Ultimately, the greening of expositions and trade shows will be a gradual process, with show organizers, management companies and exhibitors phasing in new materials and methods over a period of time. Stay tuned to www.greeneventsource.com for news and updates on this growing trend.
5. EATING, DRINKING AND CLEANING UP GREEN
Where our food comes from, and how it is produced, is increasingly important for event planners and suppliers. Is the food raised conventionally using chemicals that create pollution, or is it grown sustainably (using methods that limit harmful chemicals and protect and restore the ecosystem)? Has it been supplied by a local farmer who contributes to the local economy, or is it coming from 1,500 miles away, using enormous amounts of fuel? These are important considerations in catering for Green Meetings and events. Of course, you can't change an entire food service program overnight. Do what you can and take it in stages, and eventually the food at your events will be more sustainably-minded.
Greening the Menu: Adding local or organic food to a menu takes a little research. You can derive menu inspiration from many places. Research the kinds of foods that are native to your headquarters or serve local food that is popular in the region where the event is taking place. There are several excellent resources that will help you find out what's available (See Organizations and Links for some helpful sustainable food websites). You can then match the food to your event in a number of ways:
Working with the Caterer: The number of caterers — both large and small — who are offering local and organic options is on the rise as a result of heightened awareness and customer requests. Some are even making it a regular part of doing business. Don't be afraid to request sustainable foods and green food service practices during the RFP and contracting process.
Managing the Budget: While local and organic foods can cost more than traditional menu items, a creative caterer may be able to accommodate your request and still stay within budget. For instance, if serving hormone-free or organic meats, the caterer may be able to make the meat portion size smaller, or the chef can create a single local/organic hors d'oeuvre that can be highlighted during the event.
An accurate head count of attendees will reduce preparation of unnecessary meals and reduces costs.
Other Food Service Issues: Looking beyond the menu, you can further reduce the environmental footprint associated with food service by:
Greening the Staff. One thing that is often overlooked is how important staff (and volunteers) can be in greening an event. Meet with staff shortly before the event to explain your goals and discuss how they can help. These five minutes of personal attention will bring the right focus to the event and guests will feel a subtle difference — making the "green" experience more complete.
Source: Greg Christian, Greg Christian Catering. For more information, visit www.gregchristian.com.
6. HOW TO MEASURE GREENING SUCCESS
If you did just a few of the things discussed in this guide, you've probably helped save more than a few trees, prevented pollution, eliminated waste and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. But how do you measure what you've accomplished and its impact on the environment? Here are some common ways to measure the environmental impact of green meetings:
Original source: http://green2b2c.com/dev/6_Strategies.shtml
Green Meetings Tools