| Planning for the Environment - Changing the Way | | | | |
| We do Business | | | | 1. Create Standards. Establish environmental |
| At any given moment there are thousands of | | | | standards in writing and get buy-in from your |
| business meetings and special events going on | | | | clients, the organization's management and/or |
| with millions of guests traveling to and from | | | | your clientele. Share your standards with suppliers, |
| different locations throughout the world. The | | | | vendors, speakers, and participants. |
| event and hospitality industry is perfectly situated | | | | 2. Use Technology. Use new media and electronic |
| to have an extraordinary environmental and | | | | technology to cut down your paper needs. Create |
| ecological impact by planning events with better | | | | an informational web site, offer electronic |
| awareness and by greening up their decision | | | | registration and confirmation, and advertise using |
| making process. Green planning is a responsible | | | | the web and use various forms of email. Create |
| way of doing business that includes energy | | | | podcasts, webcasting, and video streaming to |
| conservation, minimizing consumption of natural | | | | alleviate travel for and accommodate those who |
| resources, reducing waste, reusing resources, | | | | cannot travel. |
| recycling, and using earth-friendly products. | | | | 3. Choose a Local Destination. Picking a local or |
| Green meetings and events are not main stream | | | | close venue will reduce distances traveled by |
| today but will be mandate before we know it. | | | | speakers and participants. Choose the host city |
| Times are evolving rapidly in that direction and | | | | that is the closest to participants' locale. Choose a |
| event planners, venues, suppliers and participants | | | | venue and hotel that are near the airport and |
| are responding. They are beginning to follow | | | | within walking distance of each other or close to |
| ecological practices and implementing | | | | public transportation. |
| environmentally friendly processes and programs | | | | 4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Ask your hotel or |
| into the way they design their events. The more | | | | event venue to provide visible, accessible |
| an event planner requests and ultimately hires | | | | reduction, reuse, and recycling services for paper, |
| green services, the more suppliers and vendors | | | | metal, plastic, and glass. Also if food is involved in |
| will begin to incorporate green practices as well. | | | | your event, ask them about their composting |
| They will have to keep up with the times and the | | | | regime or give away programs. |
| requests of their clients. | | | | 5. Volume Up. Have the food and beverage |
| These suggestions listed below are for you if you | | | | provider serve sugar, salt, pepper, cream, and |
| gather people for any reason what-so-ever! It | | | | other condiments in bulk dispensers. Use volume |
| doesn't matter what type of event you plan. | | | | serving verses individual packaging. If you are |
| Whether you are coordinating a special event, | | | | using hotel rooms, find a venue that does not use |
| planning a corporate event, are part of the team | | | | individual shampoo and lotion bottles rather large |
| planning conventions, involved in conference | | | | dispensers. Also one that that offers a linen reuse |
| planning or business meetings and seminars. | | | | program. |
| Maybe your are in charge of planning a company | | | | 6. Use Less. Be aware of what you use and how |
| party, a sporting event, grand openings, a | | | | you use it whether it is food or product. When |
| reception, a charity event or a fundraiser, or have | | | | you order food or drinks for any occasion, try to |
| volunteered to do your daughters wedding or | | | | order only what you will be using. And think about |
| son's school play or bake sale. You might be | | | | your give away items, are they really necessary. |
| planning festivals, rock concerts, reunions, | | | | These are just a few areas where using less will |
| retreats, or book signing events. Or perhaps you | | | | help. |
| are just having the family and friends over for a | | | | 7. Eat Healthy and Locally. Plan meals using local, |
| holiday get-together. The list is endless - thousand | | | | seasonal produce and free range meats. Include |
| of events are being planned as you read this! ALL | | | | vegetarian meals and order only what you need. |
| of them could use environmental practices. | | | | Also use local flora in your decorating and keep |
| Listed below are a few simple choices you can | | | | the flowers in pots verse cut so you can use |
| make today as you plan your special event or | | | | them as gifts and prizes. |
| corporate meeting that will make an immediate | | | | 8. Use paper wisely. Published all printed materials |
| difference with little effort. Do just one or do | | | | on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks and |
| them all. The more you integrate into your | | | | print on both sides of the pages. |
| planning practices the easier they become. | | | | 9. Save Energy. Coordinate with the event venue |
| 10 Easy Steps to Put into Practice Today | | | | to ensure lights, audio visual equipment and air |
| Here are ten simple steps that you can take right | | | | conditioning will be turned off when rooms are |
| now to lessen the impact of any event: | | | | empty. |