Top 12 Green Practices to Ask For

The MeetGreen Conference Management Team recently voted on their favorite green practices to ask for when planning a conference or event. I am sure they won't mind if I share, so here are their top 12 "asks:"

• Ask for recycling at the facility
• Ask for a towel and linen reuse program
• Ask for no bottled water to be served
  
• Ask for bulk condiments and beverages
• Ask for excess food to be donated
• Ask for banquet water glasses not to be pre-filled
  
• Ask for use of china and linens; no disposables
• Ask if the venue has electronic signage
• Ask about sustainable, local food
• Ask for signs to be made of a sustainable material
• Ask for recycled content paper for printing or ask for no printing at all
• Ask client to communicate sustainability efforts and options to attendees.

The Volunteers Left a Legacy

"It was the passion of the volunteers." I heard this testimonial from three Convention Services Managers of three different meeting venues. Each of the managers told me (on separate occasions during ESPA) they had made significant environmental changes in advance of the conference coming to their town, but until they saw how important these initiatives were to the participants and volunteers, it didn't hit home.

Thanks to the volunteers working with the facilities to help recycling and other green efforts, these CSMs understand how vitally important sustainability is on a personal level. They also related that it is because of the passionate volunteers, these initiatives are still in place at the facilities long after the conference has moved on.

The conference they were all telling me about? The UUA General Assembly

Best Speaker Gift EVER

Last weekend at the ESPA Conference, I taught convention service managers how to serve as a green meeting resource for planners. Afterwards, I was given the opportunity to have a donation to a local charity made in my name as a speaker gift. Speakers were able to choose from the San Diego Rescue Mission, San Diego Animal Rescue or the San Diego Food Bank. How proud and honored I was to be given this gift of helping charities in the San Diego community. I can't think of a better speaker gift!

Speaking of gifts, the ESPA centerpieces were beautiful apples. These apples were going to be donated to the San Diego Rescue Mission. During his keynote presentation, Chef Jeff Henderson, best selling author of From the Streets to the Stove, noticed the apples on the tables. He told the audience that as a child receiving boxes from the food bank, all the food was either packaged or canned and what he missed more than anything was fresh fruit. He then thanked the organization and participants for being so thoughtful. Very thoughtful, indeed!

Which CSR Degree Will You Earn In 2012?

Here are three degrees of social responsibility for you to consider when deciding your event's CSR involvement for 2012:

First Degree: Feel Good, Look Good
The most popular form of social responsibility for meetings falls into this category. This includes donation and volunteer projects. These kinds of projects contribute to a sustainable cause, but they are also equally directed at providing promotional benefits to the donor agency. These kinds of socially responsible acts can be measured in terms of number of media opportunities, and the financial value of exposure.

Second Degree: Responsible Action in Planning
This year, some meetings are starting to take things to the Second Degree. This includes actions that integrate social responsibility into fundamental planning actions, like procurement and hiring. There are often direct financial implications to this kind of action, some positive, some negative. For example fair trade-certified goods can cost more, however these increases can be neutralized by savings associated with using local staff for events.


Third Degree: Advocacy for Social Responsibility
The brave new world of social responsibility involves taking a stand to change practice. This is where social responsibility can start to become a little uncomfortable, and down-right revolutionary. Have you ever thought about how human rights factors into destination selection? What does the destination say about you and your organization? Do your suppliers act on social responsibility?

Whether taking it to the first, second or third degree each step is progress toward embracing our organization's opportunity to use meetings to improve quality of life.



Source: Having a Human Impact, Shawna McKinley, March 2010

Recycled Resolutions

I looked back at my 2010 resolutions and realized I had been pretty successful at some and others continue to be iffy at best. So being a recycler at heart, I will use this great list once again and see if I can't tick off a few more. Join me, won't you?

1. Set up a Green Team for my meetings and events. That's right--I don’t have to do it all alone.
2. Have recycling stations at every meeting and measure the amount of waste diverted from the landfill. I will let key stakeholders what has been accomplished.
3. Order seafood only from sustainable fisheries. No more farmed salmon for my guests.
4. Include green clauses in all of my contracts with venues, hotels, caterers and transportation companies.
5. Hold virtual meetings when I don’t really need to travel to accomplish the same task.
6. Look for ways to hold face-to-face meetings that will keep my participants healthier e.g. serve fresh and local food, networking time outdoors, or schedule time for exercise.
7. Not serve any food on disposable service ware.
8. Join an organization such as the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) or attend a conference to learn more about sustainable practices from colleagues.
9. Choose a venue close to hotels, restaurants and entertainment so participants can walk instead of take shuttles.
10. Ask caterers to serve beverages in bulk instead of individually packaged such water, juices and even soft drinks.
11. Thank the housekeeper for not replacing my towels and sheets everyday when I travel.
12. Mentor someone just starting out in green meetings.
13. Donate all the leftover food to a food bank.
14. Ask all my vendors for their environmental policies.
15. Look for destinations that already have green vendors and venues in place to make my job easier.
16. Not print the date on my signage so it can be reused for the next event.
17. Always ask for fair-trade coffee.
18. Keep track of the financial savings for all of the green practices and become a hero!

Set Your Compass for 2012

Nearly finished with 2011, I am pondering what 2012 will bring. My desire is to make wise decisions to propel myself, MeetGreen, and the meeting and event industry toward an increasingly sustainable future.

I have decided the following quote, by John Wesley, will serve as my compass:

"Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can."

How Can I Save Money On My Next Event?

Let's see, perhaps we can...

• Serve beverages in pitchers like lemonade instead of individual soft drinks
• Reduce the size of our program
• Eliminate the conference bag
• Meet in a location that doesn't require shuttle service
• Offer a virtual option for speakers and participants
• Provide one vegetarian meal per day
• Ask exhibitors not to bring handouts to reduce our garbage hauling
• Guarantee our food with close and accurate numbers
• Take advantage of the discounts hotel chains are offering if we run a green meeting
• and the list goes on!

What one thing can you easily accomplish in 2012 to save money on your events?