With Earth Day in mind, greening meetings can not only help save the planet but can help a company’s bottom line.
Corporations of all sizes are placing a greater emphasis on being more environmentally responsible.
Below is a list of '10 Simple Ways to Green your Meeting' compiled by Maxvantage.
1.) Keep your Meeting Close to Home
If many of your attendees live close to your home office or are concentrated in a certain area, consider holding the meeting in that location.
Environmental Savings: Reduces flight carbon emissions
2.) Utilize Eco-Friendly Hotels & Venues
Choosing a venue that has eco-friendly elements is the best way to ensure a big return on your environmental investment.
Environmental Savings: Produces reduction in all of the following areas: carbon emissions from energy use, urban heat island effect, waste through recycling and composting, water use, and laundry and cleaning harmful chemical use.
3.) Keep Venues & Activities within Walking Distance
If your event uses multiple properties or has off-property events, keep all of your venues within walking distance. Provide maps of walking trails and routes to off-site events, or include information about the local public transit system.
Environmental Savings: Lowers vehicle carbon emissions
4.) Use Shuttles or Busses Instead of Single Car Transfers
If airport transfers must be utilized, use shuttles and busses (be sure the vehicles are close to capacity) instead of single transfer cars
Environmental Savings: Diminishes vehicle carbon emissions
5.) Know Your Group’s Food Preferences
By knowing your group’s history and getting real attendance numbers in advance, you can tailor your menus to minimize food waste
Environmental Savings: Minimizes food waste and decomposition greenhouse gasses
6.) Serve in Bulk
Use hotel provided water pitchers or water stations in lieu of bottled water, and serve condiments and other food items in bulk to minimize packaging
Environmental Savings: Eliminates plastic waste and carbon emissions from plastic production and recycling
7.) Choose Local, In-Season Catering Whenever Possible
Utilizing the meeting communities local, in-season catering supports the hosting community and provides the freshest produce and food options for your guests.
Environmental Savings: Decreases carbon emissions for food transport
8.) Eliminate Paper
Use email to promote the event, including online registration. Post meeting materials to your company intranet site or put them on a flash drive to send home with attendees
Environmental Savings: Brings down paper waste and carbon emissions from paper production and recycling
9.) Be Conservative with Giveaways and Gifts
If you are planning to give a gift to attendees, choose a gift that attendees will use and that is environmentally friendly.
Environmental Savings: Shrinks waste and carbon emissions from production
10.) Consult the Maxvantage Strategic Meeting Management Team
The team is ready to assist you in implementing green meeting elements from point A to Z.
Environmental and Economic savings are customizable by each event and can be tracked and reported to you either by event or on companywide level.
