Green meetings are a method of hosting or attending meetings with thought to how that meeting impacts the people and the planet. The event and tradeshow industry is one of the most wasteful industries and we have a responsibility to think through the impact our networking events have. Similar to the steps you can take to green your spa, GSN has provided a resource with tips for how to Green your Meetings. The document is relevant for meeting planners, meeting attendees, and meeting venues and provides an additional unique resource for each user. This unique tool outlines green meeting ideas for several key areas including venue selection, accommodation, travel, and meeting resources.
Why Should YOU Participate in Green Meetings?
Because you will be contributing to the sustainability of our planet and our people. Whether you are a meeting attendee, meeting host, or meeting venue – YOU have an impact on how sustainable an event is for the planet and our people. Utilize GSNs Green Meetings Resource to find the ways you can participate!
Why Should You HOST a Green Meeting?
In addition to the reason above, businesses have also enjoyed these benefits from hosting Green Meetings:
- A positive public image
- Lower operating costs
- Increased attraction and retention of employees
- Reduced impact on climate change
- Causing positive change and creation of additional environment practices in their organization and the community
How do you go Green?
The first step to going green is to ask yourself three questions:
- What can you REDUCE?
- What can you RECYCLE?
- What can you REUSE?
Your answers become your first Green Meeting Goals! If you’re an attendee, you can use these answers to start implementing green practices the next time you attend a meeting. If your a meeting host or venue, review your answers with your team and establish specific goals that are realistic for your business. The second step is to utilize the GSN Green Meeting Resource to help you flesh out your sustainability initiatives or find new ones that you may not have thought of. The resource includes many ideas for greening your meetings in the categories of accommodations, energy and water, food and beverage, meeting materials, travel, vendors, and venue selection. Happy Greening!