Going Green

There has been a lot of talk in the medical meetings world –and in all parts of the industry, in fact—about going “green.” We know what the term refers to—recycling, saving energy, etc—but what does it really mean? Colorado Foundation for Medical Care recently met with Carol Lathrop and Victoria Stephens, owners of Green Convene Strategies LLC, a meeting planning and events management company committed to a sustainable environment and a comprehensive approach to incorporating sustainable business practices into client’s event programs and our everyday lives in the office and at home. We wanted to know how going green could benefit medical meetings and what the process entails.

CFMC: What constitutes a green meeting?

GCS: Going green really means instituting sustainability initiatives, or practices that are environmentally responsible and help sustain life on the planet. To put on a “green” meeting, you must consider all aspects of the strategic planning process in order to reach your goal of reducing your overall carbon footprint. In addition, when searching for vendors, look for companies that already have sustainability programs. For example, among numerous other things, consider whether a venue uses compact fluorescent lighting. Or does the hotel have a sheet and towel program to save water and energy? In a meeting setting, one of the goals of sustainability is to save energy and conserve natural resources. In order to do this, you may want to reduce your print materials by distributing promotional and other print materials online. In the end, you will end up saving on printing and shipping costs. You may also decide to opt for a menu that offers locally grown produce bought from local vendors, and even better if it’s organic. Not buying locally increases your carbon footprint, as you have to factor in the energy that it takes to ship food across the country—or around the world. We also try to include legacy programs into our planning process to help our clients give back to the community where an event is held. For example, at one recent conference, we helped collect used eye glasses and donated them to the Lions Club. This did not incur any additional cost but will help a lot of people around the globe. We have also incorporated live décor of locally grown trees and indigenous plants and then donated them to a local school after the event. We stayed within the budget for décor. But by decorating with live plants, we avoided discarding used floral arrangements into a landfill or compost pile, we avoided the CO2 that would have been produced had live flowers been shipped from overseas, and the client contributed the live plants to a local school. The school used them in their biodynamic gardening program. The kids learned as they planted the trees and native grasses around the school, and the school grounds look great.

CFMC: What additional costs—if any—are incurred by planning a green meeting?

GCS: As we mentioned, going green can often mean saving money (for example, saving on shipping and printing costs). Ditching bottled water that adds to landfill waste for filtered tap water served in pitchers is another way to save money. Collecting used name badges at the end of an event is easy enough, prevents the plastic from going into a landfill, and re-using the name badges can save considerable funds. However, some green initiatives require spending more money. This is something that you need to discuss during your strategic planning process. If you have a tight budget, thinking outside of the box is key. And continually communicating with your vendors to help save money while you go green is essential. It’s truly a collaborative effort.

CFMC: What would your advice be to someone looking into making their meeting green?

GCS: We would first congratulate them. Surveys have indicated that many attendees want to see green initiatives incorporated into the events they attend. In this difficult economic climate, attendees will be voting with their dollar. Going green could give your meeting a strategic edge and help you stand out. The next step is really to bring in the experts. There is a lot to know in order to be successful. Initiatives need to be incorporated into the strategic planning process and all involved need to commit to them. During this planning process, you really need to look at your meeting through a “green” looking glass and look at the process from a different perspective. Think of the big picture and how your meeting could have a more positive impact on the community and a less negative impact on the environment.

CFMC: Where can readers go for more information?

GCS: There are several great websites online. The Green Meetings Industry Council can be found at http://greenmeetings.info/. We also have a resource page on our website at http://www.greenconvenestrategies.com.  You can also e-mail Victoria or Carol with any questions at ContactUs@GreenConveneStrategies.com.

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