Going Green

Consider the following statistics from the Green Meeting Industry Council:
- Between May 2003 and December 2004, 14 environmental or sustainable conferences met in Portland, Ore., representing an estimated income of $10.5 million.

• San Francisco’s Moscone Center has cut hauling costs by $500,000 per year since beginning a recycling and donations program.

• Eighty-nine percent of the United States’ 140 largest companies believe sustainability will grow in importance as a business issue over the next five years.

• Eighty-three percent of U.S. business and leisure travelers are willing to spend 6.5 percent more for environmentally responsible services and products.

Facts like these make it pretty clear that not only is environmental consciousness beginning to take hold in the country at large and in the events industry in particular, but there is also considerable room in the market for green events as event planners, venue managers and vendors start to realize that green meetings really do save money, create a competitive advantage and open new markets.

“[Green meetings] have really taken off this past year,” explains Nancy Wilson, director of the Green Meeting Industry Council. “It’s not 100 percent, but the first steps are pretty solid.”

In fact, research shows that success stories are becoming fairly commonplace these days. Wilson told of saving a client $12,800 and preventing more than 4,000 bottles from going into a landfill just by switching a single event to bulk instead of bottled water. Event Solutions also tested the environmental waters by using a ride-sharing service (SpaceShare, www.spaceshare.com) at its trade show, the Idea Factory, which took place in August of last year.

For Idea Factory trade show director Vicki Carson, it was not only the environmental friendliness of the service, but also the value it added to the attendee experience.

“As Idea Factory attendance increases, we are always looking for ways to make our attendees feel included and part of the event,” she says. “This [ride sharing] technology helps make connections. It allows for easy planning and helps connect exhibitors and planners prior to the meeting.”

Getting Started

Despite the success some are beginning to experience in planning environmentally friendly events, finding green solutions is not always easy. Fortunately, suppliers are responding to the growing need for more sustainable solutions, and the events industry is starting to benefit. As is to be expected in any new market, a preliminary search will yield thousands of products covering just about every use imaginable. To help you wade through the sea of offerings, here’s a list of the stand-out products and services that are ready for use in your next event or meeting.

Green Gifts

Set the tone for your environmentally responsible event the minute guests arrive by handing them paperwork and/or takeaways in a reusable canvas bag, such as those available through EcoBags (www.ecobags.com). These top-of-the-line cotton canvas bags are made from untreated, unbleached cotton. Much more environmentally sound than paper or plastic bags, the eco-friendly totes can be reused by attendees for everything from shopping to road trips. And, since a message or logo can be printed on the bags, you’ll be with them all the while. The bags measure 19 inches wide by 15.5 inches tall and have a 5-inch gusseted bottom.

Serve it Up

The perfect serviceware for an environmentally friendly lunch, these 9-inch plates and 12-ounce bowls from EarthShell (www.earthshell.com) are made primarily from limestone and starch. They are strong, sturdy, microwaveable, and cut-, puncture- and stain-resistant. Offered in plain white, they can also be printed for large orders.

Green on the Go

Leonardo DiCaprio has arrived in one — so why not your guests? No, we’re not talking about a Prada tux, we’re talking about an environmentally friendly vehicle from Ecolimo (www.eco-limo.com). The Santa Monica, Calif.-based limousine service ferries A-listers to the red carpet in Toyota Prius hybrids, bio-diesel SUVs and other fuel-efficient vehicles, and it’s happy to help you participate in the growing trend as well, even if you’re not showing up at the Oscars. The company services the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.

Emission Revision

With this easy and inexpensive service you can take your green event even farther — DrivingGreen.com allows you to offset all greenhouse gases from your event. You can cover all the event vendors as well as emissions created by attendee travel to and from the event. Contributions to DrivingGreen.com are used to convert animal waste into renewable energy, creating a neutral greenhouse effect. A two-day event for 250 people costs approximately $260. The company also provides placards to help you show off your environmental savvy (pictured).

Power to Go

Can’t find a plug at your outdoor event? No worries — the new Harvester Micro-Utility System from Solar One Solutions (www.solarone.net) allows you to power accessories and appliances with the power of the sun. The environmentally friendly power source uses solar energy to recharge a fully contained 105-amp-hour battery; a sturdy 80-watt solar panel does the recharging, and each unit can accommodate three solar panels. The Harvester is 100 percent noise- and fume-free. Ideal for micro-utilities such as lighting, water purification and telecom, it can power any low-power device such as a radio, power tools, etc. With all three solar panels, the Harvester can power a 26-watt light bulb for 61 hours.

Drink Responsibly

We all know what they say about organic wines, but Organic Vintners (www.organicvintners.com) wants your attendees saying something different. This wine importer offers a broad selection of unique varietal wines made with 100 percent certified-organic grapes. The company imports wines from around the world that are easy not only on the environment but on your tongue as well — Organic Vintners offers eight of the wines on the Wall Street Journal wine critics’ list of their top 12 picks for organic wines.

Reinvented Handouts

If you’re not yet ready to go paperless, the Green Home Environmental Store (www.greenhome.com) offers a number of interesting office products to make your handouts and paperwork a little more environmentally conscious. Specifically, the Kenaf and post-consumer copy paper is a hard-to-find gem. (A member of the cotton family, Kenaf is a great low-input, renewable replacement for wood.) Also interesting is the staple-free stapler.

Green-ertainment

If your group needs eco-inspiration, EcoSpeakers.com, the speakers bureau for EcoIQ magazine, has got you covered. Boasting an extensive list of speakers that includes authors, public officials, businesspeople, consultants and activists, EcoSpeakers.com offers speakers/facilitators on a wide range of topics that would be of interest to anyone concerned with sustainable growth.

Ready Resources

Venue, food and beverage, florals — there are many Web-based resources to help you plan a green event. With this list, you can keep all your bases covered.

• CERES Green Hotel Initiative — Assists with selecting a green hotel (www.ceres.org/pub/publication.php?pid=61)
• Chef’s Collaborative — Network of sustainable cuisine providers (www.chefscollaborative.org)
• Green Meeting Industry Council — Green meetings information for planners (www.greenmeetings.info)
• Ocean’s Blue Foundation — Green meetings information for planners (www.bluegreenmeetings.org)
• Sustainable Products Corporation — Green purchasing guide (www.sustainableproducts.com)
• Organic Bouquet — Organic flower arrangements (www.organicbouquet.com)
• Greenbiz — General green business information (www.greenbiz.com/toolbox/howto.cfm)