Any planner who wants to specialize in green meetings has some research to do. There are so many ways to “go green” it’s difficult to keep track of them all long enough to decide which ones will apply in each situation. However, there are some basics that can help you keep your ideas organized and give you a way to build a large file on green meetings–paperless, of course.

First, let’s divide ideas into four categories. The three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), automation, waste impact, and community impact. You can easily reduce waste by requiring advertisers to offer reusable items, like water bottles, grocery sized canvas bags, reusable coffee mugs with lids, etc. This will reduce the use of throw-away plastic bottles and cardboard cups. Ask that the materials used are made from post-consumer waste, and this should also go for any printed material (which will also be recycled locally). You can also request that handouts be delivered electronically as well, or provided on portable digital media. Read the rest of this entry »

Most people want to perform well at their jobs. It makes a difference in their paychecks, their futures, and their lives. But to make a difference in someone else’s life is important to many people, too. A meeting planner has the power not only to do that as an individual, but also as a professional. In fact, what a meeting planner does with just one meeting can make a huge impact on the community surrounding the event. This makes the concepts of “reduce, reuse, recycle” a critical component of his or her job.
The first step of this for meeting planners is reduce. This does not mean where can you cut corners, but where can you cut costs as well as waste. For instance, do the conference participants really need a plastic bag full of coupons for local restaurants and key chains with the event title on them? Probably not. Many conferences now use canvas bags, but they are slim and do not hold much. You might increase the sales of vendors who attend as well as provide a reusable resource by providing grocery-sized canvas bags. You could also eliminate any plastic gimmicky-looking doodads in favor of energy bars. Read the rest of this entry »