Green Your Meeting

Location

• Choose host cities and event venues which minimize travel and transportation

Venue

• Green Lodging Certification
• Solar panels installed

Hotel room –

• Water conservation
• Efficient light bulbs
• Linen and towel reuse
• Sensors or timers to control lighting in intermittent‐use areas
• Programmable thermostats with motion detectors used to control heating and air conditioning in guest rooms
• A policy to turn off lighting and air conditioning when rooms are not in use
• Use environmentally friendly cleaning products with low toxicity
• A marketing campaign that visibly communicates to guests details of their environmental efforts

Meeting Space ‐

• Recycle bins – paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles, aluminum cans

Food & Beverage ‐

• Is food purchased from local growers?
• A food composting program and a food donation policy
• Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act was passed by Congress more than a decade ago to protect food donors
• Provide condiments in serving containers and not individual packets for all food functions
• Any disposable cups, plates, etc. that are used will be recyclable or compostable and will be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner
• Use cloth napkins, china, glassware, and silverware in lieu of paper and plastic for all food functions
• Filtered water stations in lieu of water bottles

Planner

• Make registration process paperless using online programs
• Downsize or eliminate collateral entirely by utilizing PDA devices and/or kiosks
• Handouts can be downloaded on CD’s
• Make presentations available on website to download after event;
• Eliminate program books. Use kiosks showing details during event
• Buy bags made of recycled materials
• Use eco‐friendly materials Print event brochures, flyers and signage on recycled, chlorinefree paper using soy‐based inks
• Build partnerships with green suppliers and vendors
• Communicates to attendees environmental efforts

BlueGreen Meetings (www.bluegreenmeetings.org), an initiative of the Oceans Blue Foundation, offers a list of questions to ask a green vendor or supplier.

Transportation

• Transport attendees in shuttle buses that have a low environmental impact; electric run or ones that have new engines, tires and logistics technology