In the spirit of Saint Patrick’s day, I wanted to share some thoughts about why…even in an environment of budget cuts and job scarcity in our industry…we should work hard to continue to support and implement sustainable practices and the “greening” of meetings, tradeshows and special events.
The concept of environmental responsibility and sustainability have been around for some time now, but we have a long way to go in terms of 100% participation by the meetings/tradeshow and special events industry. But with that said, there are lots of great sustainability initiatives going on, and I’m sure you’ve read numerous articles in the industry trade journals about what some association and corporate groups are doing. But rather than rehash those, I’ll share with you some recent personal experiences.
While attending the PCMA Midwestern Chapter March Educational event at the Chicago Hilton, I noticed a couple of simple, yet important things related to sustainability in the meetings environment. During the educational sessions, the hotel provided water stations with eco-friendly plastic like cups made out of some type of corn based product.
Apparently, these cups can be thrown out and will disintegrate quickly in a land-fill…as opposed to regular plastic cups which I think take like 90+ years to disintegrate…if ever. Additionally, the hotel had recycle bins throughout the public areas and in the meeting rooms. These are small things, and there may have been more I overlooked, but obviously the Chicago Hilton is making an effort by implementing sustainable practices and being environmentally responsible with their group meeting business.
And here’s the beauty of this example at the Chicago Hilton and why it’s is win-win for everyone. As a meeting planner who decides or influences where meetings are Chicago booked, obviously I noticed the eco-friendly plastic like cups. And, it made me feel good that the Chicago Hilton was using them. If I noticed them, you can bet that many other planners in attendance at the PCMA meeting did too. So, even though the eco-friendly plastic like cups may cost the hotel a little more money than regular plastic cups, the Chicago Hilton, by branding itself as practicing sustainability and being environmentally responsible (which a lot of people care about and think highly of these days), may in fact influence me or other planners in our decision to select them versus another hotel to place a meeting. And, as affirmed by the age old adage, “people buy from people they like.” So, not only is what the Chicago Hilton is doing great for the environment, but it’s also smart business.
I also recently attended a session sponsored by the Association Forum of Chicagoland, “Pushing Your Vendors: How to Get Affordable, Local, Organic Foods for Your Meetings and Events.” The presenter was Greg Christian from gregchristianconsulting.com. Recognized as “Chicago’s Conscious Caterer™,” Greg is a professional chef, caterer and entrepreneur, author (he has a new book, Food and Forgiveness) and a pioneer in the foodservice industry’s zero-impact movement. His message is very moving and inspiring. Because of a variety of reasons, including unsustainable farming practices, and creating a tremendous amount of waste, Greg feels that the food service industry has been a destructive force and has been using up a lot of the earth’s non-renewable resources at an alarming rate.
Greg believes that the meeting, tradeshow and special event industry (especially because over 5 billion dollars is spent annually on catering) can have a tremendous positive impact on the environment by selecting foodservice providers that use seasonal, and locally grown organic foods. And, that if event producers begin this requirement process early on, i.e., at the request for proposal (RFP) stage, with suppliers (hotels, convention center, caterers, etc), the requirements and process will be easier to implement. And most importantly, the positive impact event planners and suppliers can make on our community, and our environment.
Additionally, Greg has been instrumental in working with the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), an initiative of the Convention Liaison Council (CIC), to write policy and procedure focused on bringing together best practices and standards related to food and beverage for green meeting and events, including sample RFPs. For more information about APEX, visit http://conventionindustry.org/apex/inprogress.htm
Here’s a video of Greg talking about his journey and message.
And last, but certainly not least, I recently received an invitation to join and participate in a relatively new (6 year old) membership-based professional organization, the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC). As described on their web site, www.greenmeetings.info, “The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) is the premier global community solely dedicated to sustainability in the meetings and events industry, not only through education but also by spearheading research, policy and standards.”
GMIC’s membership dues are very reasonable ($185 per year for individual membership, and varying levels of participation for supporting business memberships) and a good friend of mine, Barbara Connell with the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), is going to be heading up the Chicago chapter as president.
Following are the organization’s mission and vision statements, and a short video from the organization’s founders. If you’re interested in getting involved and doing more in terms of implementing sustainable practices and “Greening your Event”, it might be a really good idea for you to join GMIC.
GMIC Mission:
The Council seeks to transform the global meetings industry through sustainable practices which incorporate environmental considerations throughout all stages of a meeting in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment. The Council will promote environmentally responsible strategies through the collaborative efforts of meeting industry stakeholders, balancing economic, environmental, and community objectives. Your support is an integral component of our success.
GMIC Vision:
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.
In conclusion, if you’re not doing so already, there’s lots of easy ways to start implementing sustainable practices in your meetings, tradeshows, and special events. For example, event organizers can utilize eco-friendly name badge holders, and reducing printed promotional and on-site materials. Additionally, organizers can request that their supplier partners utilize things like sustainable carpet at trade shows, recyclable trash liners, and that food service suppliers use water stations with the aforementioned eco-friendly plastic like cups, recycle, and compost.
It’s all good and helps the planet too. Take care and I welcome your thoughts, comments and ideas.