Pretentious Musings of a Meet Green Martyr

"Need To Know Basis"

2008-11-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you have been involved with organizations who use the "need to know basis" as a policy for keeping you out of the process until decisions are made. Decisions that directly affect you. The green meeting standards process is exactly the opposite! It is transparent and seeking your input every step of the way.

Here is your next opportunity to learn and ask questions. MeetingsNet is presenting a webinar this Thursday on "Creating Green Meeting Standards: An Industrywide Effort." Follow this link to register http://meetingsnet.com/webinars/green_meetings_standards_1008/index.html

Don't miss the opportunity to get your questions answered!

You Can Take Them To Bed With You

2008-11-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

“A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.” –Daniel J. Boorstin

Here in Oregon it is the rainy season (really, an inch of rain fell before 8:00am this morning). Time for me to abandon my garden and move indoors. Whether in front of the fire or snuggled in bed with the rain pounding on the roof, it is reading season. Among those books on my nightstand are business books--don’t get me wrong, I read books for pure “brain candy” too—but here are some intriguing books I thought I should share.

Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken. I just finished this book and highly recommend it. Paul Hawken talks about how each one of us individually plays a role in changing our future. He weaves together the environmental and social aspects of this huge, unnamed movement working towards a better tomorrow for our planet. There are also lots of great resources included in the book. Green champions in the meeting industry can easily see how important our work is!

Strategies For The Green Economy by Joel Makower. I have known Joel for years and he has keynoted the Green Meeting Industry Council Conference. Joel is truly a thought-provoking leader, so I was eagerly awaiting this book. In his book, he talks about the central issues of greening your business and shows you how to get on a solid footing in the growing green economy. Another “must read.”

The Green Collar Economy by Van Jones. Next up for me is this book by Van Jones, a passionate, concerned citizen whose speeches over the years have made a huge difference in my life and my business. It is especially timely as he illustrates that the solution to our economic crisis and our environmental crisis are one in the same. I am looking forward diving in.

Just a few ideas for your "rainy" season!

Get A Good Night's Sleep

2008-11-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

The green hotel industry is booming and hotels around the globe are expanding their environmental practices. Now in addition to national programs such as Green Seal or Energy Star, 13 states have programs to assess local properties. Each of the programs has their own verification process requiring a self-assessment and many require an inspection by a state-certified auditor.

Here are the links to the Green Lodging Program in those states in one easy-to-use place (thanks to the “Closing the Circle News” publication from the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive).

California
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPP/greenlodging/

Delaware

http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/p2/Pages/GreenLodging.aspx

Florida

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/greenlodging/

Georgia

http://www.p2ad.org/documents/ci_hospitality.html

Hawaii

http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/resource/greenbusiness

Maine

http://www.maine.gov/dep/innovation/greencert/lodging.htm

Michigan

http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-25676_25677_37026---,00.html

New Hampshire
http://www.nhslrp.org/index.htm

North Carolina

http://www.p2pays.org/hospitality/

Rhode Island

http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/assist/grncert/index.htm

Vermont

http://www.vtgreenhotels.org/index.html

Virginia

http://www.deq.virginia.gov/p2/lodging/homepage.html

Wisconsin

http://www.travelgreenwisconsin.com/index.htm

Today is a Brand New Day!

2008-11-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

It is a brand new day...for the world and for our industry! Today there is a shift in audience sophistication toward the topic of green meetings. Sustainability and green meetings encompass more than the tactical strategies of recycling and conservation. They also include presenting solutions to the global concerns of corporate social responsibility, ethics in green marketing and reducing the environmental impact of the entire industry.

Green Meeting Industry Council's leadership feels a strong need to move beyond awareness of green and toward driving change within the industry. Thus the new mission statement of the GMIC, “transforming the global meetings industry through sustainability” and a new visual brand identity. The new brand and mission statement integrate GMIC’s international outreach as well as its commitment to sustainability.

According to executive director, Tamara Kennedy-Hill, “It is important to balance the growing awareness of green with making a commitment to change behavior. The GMIC is not an organization that will be satisfied with merely a checklist. We realize these are important tools and will continue to provide training and tips for best practices. However, the leaders and members of this organization feel strongly about engaging the meetings industry to embrace responsible practices today in order to leave a legacy for future generations.”

If you haven't already, join us! It is time to get involved! http://www.greenmeetings.info/

THE Most Important Thing You Can Do For The Earth!

2008-11-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Your Comments Appreciated

2008-10-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Mark Petruzzi, VP of Certification at Green Seal, let me know Green Seal has been working on the development of a new environmental standard for restaurants and foodservice operations. The draft standard was just released for public comment (http://www.greenseal.org/certification/gs46_food_service_operations.cfm).Take a look and add your two cents worth!

Green Seal, in case you’re not familiar, is an independent, non-profit organization that uses science-based standards and the power of the marketplace to create a more sustainable world. They have had an outreach to the US lodging industry for roughly 15 years now, including participating on the Environment and Engineering Committee for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, articles on sustainability in lodging publications, working with the Green Meeting Industry Council(!), and most visibly, their environmental standard for certification of lodging properties (GS-33, http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/lodging_properties_GS_33.pdf).

For those of you who don't know Mark personally, he is probably one of the most passionate champions for green meetings I have ever met. And a genuine, "good human." Take a moment to get to know him at the Green Meeting Industry Council Conference in February.

Going Paperless Saves Money

2008-10-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

Going green offers a real opportunity to save money. It is not a practice to be dropped in tough economic times. In fact, it should become more important! The latest example of this is a survey published in the October 2008 issue, Meetings & Convention Magazine. http://www.mcmag.com/article_ektid12194.aspx

In a response by 224 meeting and event planners...

77% had reduced the amount of paper used at their meetings.

Of those,

65% report that the paper-reduction efforts saved money.

Green meeting practices are exactly what we need to "sustain" our conferences and events during this economic downturn. That is SUSTAINABILITY!

action=sustainability

2008-10-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Want to spend time with fellow green meeting planners? Learning? Sharing? Laughing? I know the place!

The Green Meeting Industry Council's annual “Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference,” scheduled for February 24 – 26, 2009 in Pittsburgh, PA.

The 2009 GMIC programs committee has taken a comprehensive look at our industry and identified global and tactical concerns facing corporate and association meeting planners, industry suppliers, government and the global meetings industry.

The 2009 conference will offer tiered educational tracks for meeting planners and industry suppliers. The participants learning experiences will range from “Future leaders” 101 tracks, to hands-on experiential learning, to an expert “Leaders” track in the field of green meeting management. The Leader’s track is a new advanced learning series that will require participants to present individual projects and then collaborate on an action plan relating to the larger social issues impacting the meetings industry.

In addition to the educational tracks, the conference will also feature exhibits showcasing green products for the industry, community legacy projects and an industry call to action.

For conference session details and registration information, visit the Green Meeting Industry Council website at http://www.greenmeetings.info/conference.htm.

I hope to see you at the conference where we can continue learning from each other!

Free Wi-Fi for All

2008-10-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you probably know, I keep musing that "VIP Service" at hotels should keep up with the times. Today's up and coming business travelers don't want their sheets and towels changed daily (or the soap changed hourly). Instead, give VIP's something they really want--free wireless internet. According to the September, 2008 issue of Meetings & Conventions Magazine, the following hotel brands are now offering free wi-fi...

Aloft
Andaz
Doubletree
Four Points by Sheraton
Hotel Indigo
Hyatt Place
Omni
Ramada Worldwide

To everyone! Even better yet!

Hungry For Answers

2008-10-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

During the Q&A answer period of the webinar I presented today, the same question came up. I say “same question” because this is one is asked during every single presentation I have given for years.

The question is….”Isn’t it illegal to donate food after an event? I am told it is against health codes.”

I am glad this question keeps coming up. In the current economy, food banks are struggling to fill their shelves to help the hungry and planners want to know how to help! I have blogged about this before, but it bears repeating:

The Bill Emerson Food Donation Act allows you help the hungry.

What does the law do? The law protects good-faith donors from civil and criminal liability in the event that the product later causes harm to its recipient. The Emerson Act gives uniform protection to food donors who may cross state lines.

Who is protected? The law protects food donors, including individuals and nonprofit feeding programs that act in good faith. More specifically, the law protects individuals, corporations, partnerships, organizations, associations, governmental entities, wholesalers, retailers, restaurateurs, caterers, farmers, gleaners, nonprofit agencies, and others.

What sort of food is protected? The Emerson Act provides protection for food and grocery products that meet all quality and labeling standards imposed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations - even though the food may not be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus, or other conditions.

Where can I get a copy of the law? For a copy of the Bill Emerson Food Donation Act, just click on this link http://www.usda.gov/news/pubs/gleaning/appc.htm

Where can I find a place to donate? Find a local food bank using the locator on Feeding America (formerly Second Harvest) http://www.feedingamerica.org/ Your role is to connect the local food bank and the catering firm. They will take care of the details.

Thanks to you, families in need can be served!

Technology Is Your GOOD Friend!

2008-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

A while back I was talking about the strong connection between technology and green meetings and gave some real-life examples. My good friend, Corbin Ball, has taken that a step further! He has now put information in one place by giving you the links for "45 Ways to Use Technology to Green Meetings."

http://www.corbinball.com/articles_technology/index.cfm?fuseaction=cor_av&artID=6211

This is a fabulous resource. Thanks, Corbin!

What Is Green Washing?

2008-10-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Does it require a special detergent?

Hot or cold water?

Should I separate my greens before washing?

Help!

"Green Wash" is just one of the new terms popping up in the environmentally friendly meeting world. We are trying to keep ahead of the curve and add the newest lingo to the Meeting Strategies Worldwide Glossary http://www.meetingstrategiesworldwide.com/resources/glossary. We added ten new definitions today. Please let us know if you have others we should include.

Meanwhile, check out the updated glossary to find out if your "Green Collar Job" includes doing the laundry!

Calculating Moves

2008-10-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

When looking for a city to hold your meeting there are a variety of questions to ask yourself. One of them being “How green is the city?” Another should be, “How far will our participants have to travel?” An important question both for their ease of travel and also for the event’s carbon footprint.

The Best Places to MeetGreen® Calculator will help you determine the best location for participant travel. It is the second resource in our recently launched website http://www.bestplacestomeetgreen.com/.

The Calculator feature allows you to evaluate which potential destinations have lower estimated emissions footprints relative to their attendee travel. Simply enter how many attendees you have from each region around the world, and then select destinations where you are interested in holding the event. The Calculator provides a report comparing the attendee travel footprint for each of the cities you are considering. The work is done for you!

So there you go, another resource to make planning green meetings easier!

Where Can We Meet Green? For FREE!

2008-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Probably the most important decision you will make as a green meeting planner is where to hold your event. If you choose a city that already has green venues and hotels, commercial recycling and environmentally responsible vendors, a good deal of your work is done.

If not, you could potentially need to educate the venue and hotels about practices your group requires such as recycling or a towel and sheet reuse program. If there is commercial recycling available to these properties, it is much easier to get it implemented for your meeting. Likewise, if the local convention bureau can provide you with a list of green vendors, you don’t have to research what companies to work with to provide sustainable practices.

We are often asked, “What city should I choose for my group? Who has the best green resources?” In answer to your questions, we--Meeting Strategies Worldwide--are launching our latest website tool, “Best Places to MeetGreen®.” The website provides two innovative resources, the Best Places to MeetGreen® Scorecard and Calculator, for helping meeting and event planners to select the best green destination for their group. The site is free to use and is located at http://www.bestplacestomeetgreen.com/.

The Scorecard ranks cities according to the green programs implemented by the destination’s convention and visitor’s bureau, convention center and hotels in the city’s conference package. The practices are third-party verified by Meeting Strategies Worldwide. You can sort cities by total score, city name and city size. Listings for each city include their respective section and total green scores, brief descriptions of the city and its green practices, as well as URL and contact information.

Cool, huh? Finally, a verified list of destinations for us all to use!

Congratulations, Tonie!

2008-09-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tonie Gilbertson, Program Manager at Intel Corporation decided to take the leap and not serve individual bottled water at a conference she was planning. Instead, Tonie provided participants with their own water bottles and water filling stations. After the conference, she reported to me this was tremendously successful and they saved $50,000 off of the bottom line!

Recently, Tonie was awarded the 2008 Environmental Excellence Bronze Award from Intel’s Environmental Leadership Team. Nominated by her manager for the “ISMC 2008 Reusable Water Bottle Project,” this award was chosen from the 53 applications. Traditionally these awards have been going to facilities for energy and water conservation projects.

The Award letter reads, “The Environmental Excellence Award Committee selected your team’s project because we felt that it exemplified environmental excellence and Intel’s commitment to environmental leadership. This award is in recognition of your green efforts, driving the use of reusable water bottles at Intel’s ISMC 2008. Thank you for your continued efforts to improve Intel’s World Class Environmental Performance,” Martin Todd Dorris, Environmental Excellence Award Team Leader.

WOW!!! You go, girl!

From San Francisco to Margaritaville...By Bicycle

2008-09-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here at the Wrap Party for Oracle Open World they are using pedal power to run the blenders making this frosty concoction. Now there’s an incentive! As the conference draws to a close and the beverages are flowing, we have the enviable job of watching the move out on the show floor and checking the recycling systems on the back dock.

There is so much to share about the Green Program. If you want to know more details on the greening of Oracle Open World, check out this website http://www.oracle.com/openworld/2008/green-program.html

We now wait for the measurements to come in from many different sources to see how high Oracle Open World was able to raise the bar on greening this conference. Was it perfect…no. No one is. Is it a major improvement from years past…yes!

One of the successes that cannot be measured is one which may impact you. Because Oracle took on this green program, the entire local hospitality community has learned, grown, and taken great strides to be more environmentally responsible. It is a legacy they leave to every meeting professional who will do business in San Francisco in the future. They have blazed the trail for those who follow.

They are not alone. Many of you are also doing this every time you push the demand for greener meetings in the cities where you choose to hold your meetings. Each time this happens, it gets a little easier for the rest of us.

Thank you.

Yep, Still Here

2008-09-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hello from sunny San Francisco and my blogging on Open World’s green program. Working my way to the Green Pavilion I spy, "Pedal Power”. There are stations around the conference where you can hop on a stationary bicycle and generate your own electricity.

Just 15 minutes of pedaling generates enough energy to:

Power a laptop for 1 hour
Power a cell phone for 5 hours
Cook in a microwave on high for 1.2 minutes
Watch a flat screen LCD TV for 9 minutes (only 4.5 if the TV is plasma)
Use a hair dryer for 1.2 minutes
Toast 4 slices of bread

All this while burning 26 calories! I wish more participants were taking advantage of this great idea. Applause to those who are “off the grid” and on a bike. Personally, I think every house with a teenager should have one of these.

Next stop is a visit to one of the many water stations where you can refresh yourself using a biodegradable/compostable cup. Take it to go, or use the compost can is right next to the station. Oracle made the decision to do without any bottled water this year and according to those on the front lines there have been NO complaints! The risk is paying off.

Tomorrow is our last day here with a back-of-the-house tour and watching the move out on the show floor. Stay tuned!

Still Live from San Francisco!

2008-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am blogging live from Oracle Open World. It is my attempt to share what is actually happening at a conference that has taken on green practices. Last year’s conference set the benchmark and this year all efforts are towards raising the bar.

Now, I have planned conferences for a few thousand and know what it is like to work with large numbers of participants. Or so I thought. I must say, however, there are A LOT of folks here all wanting to work, play, network, and learn. Not to mention…eat, drink and sleep!

A conference program is really is a necessity this year. Planners took a look at what could be cut out of the program and reduced its size by one-third. They also switched to 100% post-consumer paper. In a related decision, they limited the amount of collateral printing at the show.

What was the impact of those decisions? A savings of….

965 Trees
411,585 gallons of water
692 million btu of energy
45,533 lbs. of solid waste
89,925 lbs. of greenhouse gases

The savings were announced at the opening session with great audience response!

Today’s lessons: look for ways to minimize printing; use 100% post consumer paper when you must print; measure it; and tell everyone what has been done on their behalf.

Tomorrow it is off to the conference’s “Green Marketplace.” Stay tuned!

Live From San Francisco!

2008-09-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

This week finds me at Oracle Open World 2008 working with their team on the greening of their conference. The event takes place in San Francisco which is one of the greener destination cities in the US. The CVB estimates this event will generate over $100 million in revenue for the city.

Oracle OpenWorld 2008 will bring together over 40,000 participants during this week long program. They will occupy 88 hotels using approximately 73,000 room nights. Participants will have their choice of more than 1,800 sessions to attend. And the list of amazing statistics goes on.

Can a conference this size be green? Absolutely! Consider the impact on the environment possible with each decision. The Conference Team has focused on a Sustainability Initiative in partnership with their vendors, meeting venue and hotels. They started early in the process, they know what will be measured, they have educated the participants and now it is SHOW TIME!

Stay tuned as the week progresses. I thought it would be fun to blog about some of the creative ideas they have implemented and the excitement that is generated by the new green program as it is happening!

Travel Green

2008-09-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest information on those of us who travel from the Travel Industry Association and the YPartnership…”

“According to a recent national survey we conducted with the Travel Industry Association, almost nine out of ten American adults profess to be “environmentally conscious.” The majority manifest their environmental concern by turning off the lights when leaving a room, being energy efficient by regulating air conditioning/heating temperatures when not at home, and recycling and/or composting trash. These activities are mentioned by more than eight in ten Americans who claim to be “green.” Here is what the travelers reported:

85% Are Environmentally Conscious

87% Turn off the lights when leaving the room

85% Regulate air conditioning/heating when not at home

82% Recycle and/or compost trash

73% Keep showers short

67% Read books/magazines or watch movies/videos about nature or the environment

57% Buy environmentally safe household products, even if they cost more

33% Use public transportation whenever possible

31% Car pool

Now let's all do the same when we are on the road!

Well That's Nice, But...

2008-09-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Doubletree Hotel Portland has:

-Reduced overall waste disposal by 67% since 1996
-Diverted kitchen waste into compost at an average rate of 17 tons per month
-Reduced water usage by 15%
-Saved 9,500 gallons of gasoline per year with employee mass transit subsidies
-Purchased 900,000 kilowatt hours of its electricity from renewable power sources each year
-Purchased 65% of their food products from within a 500-mile region.

As a fellow hotelier, your response might be, “Well that’s nice, but do meeting planners really care? Do they book business because of those practices?

According to Jenny Baird, Director of Sales/Green Meeting Specialist for the hotel, “We have booked approximately $4 million worth of business due to green/sustainable practices.”

Enough said!

The Results Are In!

2008-09-10T17:42:00.001-07:00

Each year at IMEX, buyers are surveyed about green meetings and events. This information provides important and necessary measurements of meeting planner's attitudes and practices. It is also interesting to see the changes that have occurred over the years. So, with our thanks to Dale Hudson and Team IMEX, here are the results....

http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/documents/September2008GlobalWarmingandBusinessTourism.pdf

Now That's Local!

2008-09-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Just back from holiday on the Oregon Coast where I reconnected with nature and remembered why it is so important to consider the Earth in our planning practices, I am refreshed and ready to go.

My first mission is to participate in the Green Meeting Industry Council Board Retreat (more soon on the exciting developments coming from GMIC). Right now I wanted to tell you about a creative, green event held during the retreat...

After a long day of policy discussion, the GMIC Board arrived for dinner and were handed a grocery shopping bags (reusable of course) and shopping lists. We were sent across the street to the local farmers market to shop for our dinner. The group picked out fresh lettuce, tomatoes, zuchinni, berries, mushrooms and a variety of other yummy ingredients before returning to the outdoor dining area atop the EcoTrust Building (Gold LEED Certified, of course). Once there, the chefs and staff of the DoubleTree Hotel http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/RLLC-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-Executive-Meeting-Center-Portland-Lloyd-Center-Oregon/index.do made a fabulous dinner adding in local, natural lamb, chicken and dungeoness crab while we sipped local wines and microbrews. Minutes later, dinner was served! The flavor, texture and taste of each entree was incredible!

This creative idea and the entire retreat was sponsored by Travel Portland http://www.travelportland.com/ and the Portland, Oregon Hospitality Community. Now, I am not easily impressed anymore by industry events. I have been to so many fabulous ones, but I have to say, this was by far the best! WOW!

Do Not Disturb

2008-08-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

We often hear complaints that even though you have requested NOT have towels and sheets changed, it happens anyway. You are not alone, I have the same experience when I travel. Hotels will tell you this is a continuous training issue for their housekeeping staff. So when I travel, the first time it happens I usually ask/remind the housekeeping staff and front desk to please comply with my wishes.

Nevertheless, a well-meaning housekeeper may decide they need to be changed anyway (really, I am not that dirty—especially because I keep getting fresh soap every time I leave the room). So, I go to Plan B and simply leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on my door for the rest of my stay. This plan works pretty well. Although, sooner or later security will show up at my door to make sure I am OK. It is actually pretty comforting to know they are checking on me and gives me another chance to let the hotel know I am just trying to save the planet, one towel at a time!

Refreshing Ideas for Sponsors

2008-08-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

One thing I know about green meetings, they can really make a sponsor look good! Here is an idea that keeps the conference paperless and receives great reviews from sponsors and participants every time…

If your conference is giving out a USB key with the conference presentations and handouts at registration, consider also having a “Refresh Station.” This sponsorship opportunity includes a central gathering area for participants to:

Refresh their USB keys (at plug in stations) and get the latest information posted.
Refresh their bodies with fresh, hot coffee and cookies
Refresh their laptops/cell phones with electrical outlets for recharging
Refresh their minds by meeting new people and exchanging ideas at the tables

It might even be a fun place to add a massage station!