Environmentally Conscious Events: 15 Ways to Make Your Next Meeting Green

Picture this: you're at a seminar. You arrived for the meeting by bus. The hotel reminds you to turn off the lights in your room to conserve energy and asks you to help conserve water by reusing your towels and sheets. Your name tag is your business card inside a reusable holder that gets collected at the end of the event. Coffee and breakfast are served using reusable cups and plates; sugar and cream are fresh, not packaged; and recycling bins for plastic, glass and even compost are sprinkled around the room. What's going on? Welcome to the world of green events.

And while many people are concerned that "going green" may result in additional cost, quite the opposite is true. According to a 2002 report from Meeting Strategies Worldwide, serving sugar (50 percent reduction) and cream (62 percent reduction) in bulk is less expensive then using individual serving packages. And that's just one of the many ways to save.

The thing about organizing environmentally aware events is that you can do it from the very start by simply actively incorporating as many eco-friendly ideas into your plan as possible. This means that as you go through each step of your planning process think of ways to make it more eco-friendly by reducing waste. That's all it takes.

To help you get started, here are fifteen of the best ideas that we think you will want to incorporate into your next meeting.

• Reduce the amount of paper you use by making sure all printed materials are double-sided.
• Review your mailing list and purge duplicate addresses.
• Use recycled paper and vegetable- and soy-inks for printed materials.
• Arrange for collection of recyclables through a vendor or on-site event manager.
• Look for naturally lit sites to reduce the amount of energy used.
• Seek locations near mass transit services and be sure to publicize this option.
• Offer shuttle service from mass transit sites and hotels.
• Use reusable serviceware for food and beverages -- mugs, glasses, plates and silverware.
• Donate excess food to charitable organizations.
• Get an accurate count of the number of attendees in order to prepare only the number of handouts and meals necessary.
• Use grease boards instead of flip charts, which use paper that then needs to be discarded.
• Use recyclable name tags and have attendees insert their business card, and don't forget to collect the holder at the end of the event.
• Include recycle bins throughout the event and encourage everyone to utilize the proper bin.
• Instead of distributing large stacks of handouts, allow attendees to order copies and then e-mail information so they can choose to save it or print it as needed.
• When possible, collect items and use them at another event.

Now it's up to you. Find vendors who offer repurposed or recycled products, stay at lodgings that use natural cleaning products, and make sure the next meeting you plan is green.

For more information check out the Green Meeting Industry Council or The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Guide. And if you have suggestions you'd like to add, by all means let us know.