Green your next seminar and skip the “Nice. Plastic forks”.
Kudos to my colleagues who go the extra mile to design seminars I’d wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:37 AM to sit and listen to in half-wake awe, Americano in hand.
Seminars that go by blockbuster titles - as least for green entrepreneurs - such as “How to manage carbon risk” have authentic learning value.
In our over-wired world, live events are a luxury, an hour or three to feel how much we really love context and contact, not just stoic information glaring out at us from a screen when we’re learning complex stuff - like international carbon trading markets.
More to the point, events are becoming an even more attractive “pull” medium than ever. And, the savvy, green entrepreneur should know how to harness the reputation and client lead potentials of a well-orchestrated event - an eco-friendly supplied event, that is.
And why? Because, if working in public relations has taught me one thing, it’s that people can’t help but make judgements in mere seconds.
“Nice. Plastic forks. I thought the guy ran an environmental company.”
“And we flew down from Toronto to hear a guy in plaid talk about climate change insurance for 50 minutes? It’s called a W-E-B-I-N-A-R.”
“Where is the water cooler, Judy? I only see bottled water…Oh, I see, there isn’t one. Oh, OK.”
The point is, the medium is the message. The elephant in the room is “how real is she/he about this green thing, anyways?”. And the reality is, I see too many well-intentioned green entrepreneurs and consultants who still host events that feature coffee in styrofoam cups.
Purchasing for and orchestrating a green event can be a fun and easy to face challenge, especially when you have online, pre-screened green suppliers at the tips of your fingers. Or, a rocking, green event planning company like Greenprint Events.
This week, Green Meeting Guide publishers and The Innovolve Group identified nearly 1,000 qualified suppliers in 10 distinct categories located in 7 major markets in Canada (I suspect it won’t be long until a similar directory emerges in the U.S.), making the Green Event Guide the most comprehensive reference document on “green” practioners in the hospitality sector.
From A/V to local food to decor, this guide makes it easier to source an eco-friendly and crowd pleasing seminar all while lessening your event’s environmental footprint on the planet.
Citing a 2006 economic impact study commissioned by the Meeting Professionals International Foundation Canada, Innovolve CEO Dr. Anthony Watanabe notes that, “there were 670,000 meetings held in Canada involving more than 70 million attendees with total participant spending exceeding $23 billion. With such an economic footprint, there are obvious environmental benefits and clear opportunities to drive sustainable behaviour and to green the supply chain.”
One to two hours of browsing these pre-approved and credible suppliers and you have a recipe for meeting and seminar success - all without people asking themselves why you are serving steak on a paper plate.
We need a commonly accepted definition of ‘green’ I get lost sometimes when reading article like this because the premise definitions are obviously different from mine. The definitive book on ‘green’ to which everyone references has not been written yet. I am still on ‘Waldon Pond’ and ’sustainable’ and looking to secure the meaning of ‘renewable’ as when referring to solar power, tidal power, hydro-electric power, and wind power, and other folks ar worried about recycled paper napkins - or hemp napkins, or bottled water(urban thing city folks do to tap water to feel exclusive and for convenience at large events?) Heeeeeelp!
Nice article. My favorite green event planning tip, which I recently posted on my blog, is: Now that summer is here, if sponsoring a business event where ice cream will be served, forgo the cups — serve cones instead. Every reduction helps.
Jennifer Kaplan
Partner, Greenhance LLC
It’s amazing how far behind many organizations are in this area. It’s like going to a health clinic where they serve the guests donuts. Hello, people! THINK!
Another great green event option is to rent digital cameras instead of using disposable cameras. http://www.CameraRenter.com rents digital cameras [fully insured] and creates a free picture sharing website for you. No need to dispose of any cameras and all the harmful chemicals in them, or develop bad pictures that will get thrown away.
I agree. If you have a green event any collateral materials and/or promotional items need to be green as well. If not you are sending a mix signal.
Also, ask yourself, is this conference really necessary, can I reach the same people with a webinar, email, etc.?
Conferences are useful but they really do burn through a lot of resources.