Feeling a bit green? Well if you're not, you should be, because Earth Day is quickly approaching. Green is good business – sustainable practices can save your organization money.
Here's what some in the conference industry are doing to help the environment and their bottom lines (source: www.MeetingNews.com):
- Marriott (www.Marriott.com) has replaced 450,000 light bulbs with fluorescent lighting in 2006 and they saved 65% on hotel lighting costs. New shower heads have reduced hot water usage by 10 percent. They conserve water, use of detergents and saved energy on hot water by encouraging guests to reuse their lines and towel during their stay. Marriott received the 2007 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award from the EPA for three years as a result of their efforts. Visit Marriott.com/true green for more information.
- Doug Brecht, director of marketing, at the Doubletree Hotel (www.doubletree1.hilton.com) and Executive Meeting Center-Portland, which is deeply involved in environment efforts said, "I can track $500,000 in convention business we earned in just the six months since we got our Green Seal certification."
- The National Arbor Day Foundation, which owns and operates the Lied Lodge and Conference Center in Nebraska City, NE, uses unique ways to conserve energy. A wood-burning boiler is used for heating and cooling. The parking lot is also an arboretum which shades the property.
- According to Holiday Inn's website (www.ihgplc.com), one of their many environmental efforts includes coffee. "Coffee is one of the most consumed products in our hotels, in 2006 we approved a change in our coffee supply in the US, moving to higher quality produce from growers who work under the Rainforest Alliance umbrella. The Alliance looks to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by safeguarding the rights and well-being of workers, conserving resources and protecting the environment."
Additionally, Green Festivals are held annually in Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco. Green Festival organizers "want to show the world that business is a major leverage point for social transformation by adopting green values." The Green Festivals practice what they preach. At the last San Francisco Green Festival only 4% of all the waste generated during the three day event ended up in the landfill. Much of the waste, such as, plates, cups and forks were made of recyclable material, which included potato starch, cornstarch and sugar cane fiber. If you can't make it to one of the festivals visit www.greenfestivals.org and listen to the speakers' presentations from the 2006 Green Festivals simply by clicking on the "Green Festival Radio" button. Information is power.
Finally, if you only have a few moments please participate in "Earth Day on the Hill 2007" campaign sponsored by www.EarthDay.net. Their campaign, "The Sky Belongs To All of Us," focuses on cutting global warming pollution by at least 80% by 2050. Let Congress know your concerns.
"One person can make a difference and every person must try." - John F. Kennedy.
