Greening a Global Business Conference and Expo

A global conference of any size entails detailed planning for location, registration, lodging, menus, exhibits and a plethora of event logistics. Now, there is much more to consider when planning for a successful event...more than delicious meals, comfortable room sets, a successful attendee experience and a positive bottom line. Sure, those objectives still need to be met.

But now, add the goal of producing that conference with a more positive environmental impact.

Organizations of all types, from Fortune 500 corporations to medium-sized businesses and nonprofit associations, are adding sustainability initiatives to their list of objectives. Out of necessity and demand, what used to be the practice of only a few socially conscious meeting planners is fast becoming an accepted best practice in the meeting and event planning industry in support of these sustainability initiatives.

Example: Sustainability at CORE
In addition to making logistics details as perfect as possible for their 2009 Sustainable Opportunities Summit in Denver, CORE (Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy) wanted to ensure that its sustainability conference was as green as possible, to reduce carbon emissions and to conserve natural resources.

Working with Green Convene Strategies, the organization set goals for diverting conference waste from the landfill, facilitated energy saving tactics, made green menu choices and chose suppliers with green initiatives. (Hint: Do your homework. Inquire how suppliers' sustainability practices work, and what their down-line supplier chains are. Don't just take their word for it.)

Together, CORE and Green Convene Strategies developed a strategic approach that integrated the right green meetings practices to make a positive environmental impact, while keeping the event on track to hit financial and logistics objectives. That meant working on greening techniques with the convention center, the hotel, the caterer, the audio visual supplier, the exhibit services company and various other suppliers. In addition, sustainability became a requirement for exhibitors.

Example: A Green Trade Show
Trade shows are notorious for producing large volumes of trash: signage that gets produced and used once, massive quantities of print materials and promotional products, left-over samples that are less expensive to discard than ship home, food and beverage containers, leftover food and more.

Green Convene Strategies worked with each supplier of the Summit and Expo to secure more sustainable, earth friendly event materials like recycled paper name badges, reusable name badge holders, reusable signage and compostable plates and flatware for desserts and snack breaks in the exhibit hall. (The more earth-friendly china and silver service is usually not allowed in exhibit halls.)

Most importantly, Green Convene Strategies enrolled more than 75 exhibitors with a targeted communications campaign to build commitment and ensure collaboration in sustainability efforts at the Summit's expo.

Example: Getting Commitment from Exhibitors
Communicating with exhibitors to support sustainability initiatives is key.

A formal environmental policy was put in place, outlining expectations to engage exhibitors and gain their support in reducing materials and diverting waste. Communications were distributed electronically to exhibitors, who committed to participating by:

● Minimizing transportation to and from the show and exhibit staff carpooling whenever possible
● Following a no idling policy - turning off vehicles at the dock while loading
● Adhering to no smoking policy during load in, expo hours, and tear down
● Loading in while lights and heating systems were lowered to conserve energy
● Participating in recycling program: cardboard, paper, aluminum, steel, beverage containers and keeping all exhibit staff informed to support this objective
● Minimizing packaging materials and using environmentally responsible materials
● Minimizing printed materials, printing 2-sided on recycled paper, providing smaller handouts and directing attendees to websites for more information
● Limiting promo items; if distributing promo items, providing environmentally responsible giveaways made from rapidly renewable resources (no unnecessary plastic objects) that are minimally packaged
● Producing exhibits and signage with recycled or eco-friendly materials
● Turning off all electrical equipment and lights after show hours and requested use of LED's or CFL's in showing lighting
● Donating leftover signage, giveaways and supplies to local nonprofit after the expo through a program set up by expo management
● Avoiding use of Styrofoam
● Packing out any supplies that remained at the end of the expo

These practices not only helped green the expo part of the Summit, but also helped save exhibitors money in production, shipping and drayage fees.

Example: Measure, Report, Repeat
The Colorado Convention Center provided ample waste stations around the expo hall. These stations comprised separate bins for separating recyclables, compostables and landfill waste, making it simple and convenient for attendees and exhibitors to place items into appropriate bins.

Even so, it can be a challenge to get folks to slow down enough to use the right bins. So CORE's volunteers generously committed their time, taking alternating shifts at waste stations, to guide expo attendees to deposit waste into the right bins. The convention center also provided a weigh station back of house, so compostables and recyclables could be properly weighed.

Green Convene Strategies assembled a team of Waste Diversion Managers who coordinated the back of the house, ensuring that any food waste and recyclables were weighed and reported. What gets measured and reported, gets repeated.

Throughout the Sustainable Opportunities Summit and expo, hundreds of pounds of compostables and recyclables were successfully diverted from the landfill. CORE had set a goal of 80% diversion. With more than 360 pounds recycled and more than 880 pounds composted, the result was a 66% diversion rate. The recyclable material will live again in another form, while the compostable material will not create more methane by decomposing in a landfill, but be used instead as a natural fertilizer to help grow food and trees.

A Light Footprint
At the closing of the exhibit hall, exhibitors left barely a trace. The campaign to encourage them to leave as little behind as possible was a great success, and made the break-down fast, simple and less expensive.

Exhibitors left behind only empty cardboard boxes, which were gathered with the intention of being recycled. However, one exhibitor was getting ready to move the following weekend and needed moving materials, so he retrieved the boxes and took them home for further use, instead of spending time and money buying new boxes.

Collaboration is Key
This is a collaborative effort, and good communication is key.

"Working with Green Convene Strategies meant that we did it without green washing and with documented results - and, we met our financial goals for the event. We now have a baseline from which to improve next year's conference," says Graham Russell, executive director at CORE.

Plans for an even greener 2010 Sustainable Opportunities Summit and Expo are underway.

Victoria Stephens, CMP is founder and Principal of Green Convene Strategies, LLC ("GCS"), a green meetings and events management company. She has more than 24 years in marketing communications and events production and management experience, and has long been an advocate for the environment. GCS is committed to the environment and takes a comprehensive approach to incorporating sustainable business practices into each client program and our every day lives in the office and at home. See www.GreenConveneStrategies.com for more information and resources.