24 Jun 09 Getting With the Green Program

There’s no doubt about it–the word “green” has taken on new meaning over the last 20 years, and everyone is concerned about it. There is even a lot of talk about green meetings, and at some point you as meeting planner are going to come face to face with some very specific client concerns about them. Here are some things to think about when planning a green meeting.

Green Hotels

Hotels are becoming more energy conscious, and many of the new hotel buildings are LEEDS certified. From solar panels and recycled/recyclable materials to geothermal and wind power, hotels are looking for ways to become more energy–and cost–conscious. In fact, many of them will help you find ways to make your meeting more environmentally responsible, and even have cost-effective organic food offerings as well as a no-phone book policy.

Destinations

If you and/or your clients are concerned about the impact of travel, think about keeping meetings close to home. Sure, your participants may like to do special non-event activities, but every area has something special about it to appeal to almost everyone. If you can’t find an appropriate venue locally, think about finding travel options that are environmentally friendly and use mass transit when possible.

Of course, there are other things you can do that would warrant a blog all by themselves. Going paperless is one idea, and there are many ways to approach this idea. Recycling on a major scale for large events is a critical part of green meetings. Avoid products that use plastic, shun disposables, and take advantage of local products. You can probably find many other smaller ways yourself that will add up and give your meeting the green stamp of approval.

Tags: Client Concerns, Disposables, Finding Travel, Food Offerings, Going Paperless, Hotel Buildings, Leeds, Local Products, Mass Transit, Meeting Planner, New Hotel, No Doubt, Organic Food, Phone Book, Recyclable Materials, Recycling, Solar Panels, Stamp Of Approval, Travel Options, Venue