Retreat Insider

If you haven’t considered it, maybe NOW is the time to learn what a green meeting is and isn’t! According to the Green Meeting Industry Council a green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment.

Myth: Green meetings are a hassle

Reality: For planners, green meetings involve looking at the decisions you already make in a green light. When inquiring about catering ask for local, organic and vegetarian options. When arranging for printing of collateral materials ask printers to use post-consumer recycled content paper, print on both sides and use vegetable-based inks. Suppliers may need to initially invest some time to set up recycling, energy efficiency or other environmental programs, however, the return on investment in these initiatives ultimately outweighs the initial equipment and human resource cost.

Myth: Green meetings are expensive

Reality: Green meetings are about increasing economic and environmental efficiency by minimizing the use of resources and reducing the amount of waste produced from meeting activities. Trimming waste curbs costs, whether it be through the introduction of energy efficiency programs in hotels and convention centers, by reducing the volume of printed conference materials, providing locally grown food, or designing re-usable signage.

• By providing water in pitchers Meeting Strategies Worldwide avoided an estimated $12,187 to furnish bottled water to attendees (2002).
• Serving condiments in bulk is less expensive than individual serving packages - bulk cream is 62% cheaper and bulk sugar 50% cheaper than single serving sachets (Meeting Strategies Worldwide, 2002).
• Eliminating shuttle bus transportation and selecting hotels and meeting facilities within walking distance eliminated $30,000 - $40,000 for one three-day meeting (Meeting Strategies Worldwide, 2002).
• Day-lighting merchandise on the trade show floor increases sales by about 40% (Meetings South, 2004).

What about the community in which your meeting venue resides? Sure, the venue and the nearby businesses such as shops, galleries, boutiques, attractions and restaurants, take in revenues from meeting and retreat participants. But, what goes on behind the scenes with a bit of planning and coordination, is quite impressive! And, you, as a meeting planner, don’t have to lift a pinky to make it happen!

Green Meetings Benefit Host Communities

Many meetings, events and conferences are moving beyond the significant economic contributions their activities make to destinations to consider additional legacies they might leave with host communities.

Contributions to host communities may include:

• Donation of un-served food to soup kitchens, homeless shelters or other community service organizations.
• Collection and distribution of leftover exhibit materials to charitable organizations.
• Delegate participation in a volunteer activity, such as a tree planting or construction of community housing.
• Providing un-used office supplies and equipment to local schools or charitable organizations.
• Setting aside free exhibit space for local non-profit organizations.

You can visit the Green Meetings website for more details an information. It’s a great educational resource and a good group to know about! Green values aren’t going to go away …. and you can be happy about that! The unintentional consequences of meeting hospitality can be managed. I encourage you to choose green meeting venues when you plan meetings, retreats and other gatherings! Do your Mother a favor: become part of the green meeting movement today!