Is your event helping or hurting the environment? Learn ways to "green" your next event!

Going green is one of today's hottest and most valuable trends, and ways to go green extend to nearly every industry. The mantra of "reduce, reuse, recycle" is especially relevant to meeting and convention management professionals. According to Professional Meeting Management^®, fifth edition (PMM), a green meeting is defined as incorporating environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment (Chapter 23).

Ten Easy Ways to Go Green:

• Start in your own office! Begin green initiatives such as recycling pop cans, installing a water cooler that doesn't require plastic bottles or recycle used printer paper
• Create a waste diversion system for exhibitors. Get them to commit to purchasing things such as recyclable carpet
• Create consistent-looking show signage for easy reusability
• Don't have pre-filled beverage glasses at tables
• Donate leftover food and sample products to charities like America's Second Harvest or Gifts In Kind International
• Give out refillable water bottles and set up water stations instead of handing out disposable bottles
• Make exhibitor manuals digital instead of printed copies
• Set up collection stations for show dailies and other collateral so that the materials can be recycled
• Use china, cloth napkins and real silverware instead of disposable products to reduce waste
• Work with the event facility to create a strict schedule for heating systems, cooling systems and lights

Check out what PCMA is doing to green the 2009 Annual Meeting.

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