GMIC's Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference Wraps Up in Pittsburgh
Approximately 180 people attended the Greening the Hospitality Industry conference from February 24 to 26 at the LEED Gold certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The event was organized by the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) and attracted hoteliers, meeting planners, government representatives and others with a stake in the green meetings industry. Even with the turnout that was lighter than hoped for, GMIC still had plenty to celebrate. In 2008, it increased its membership by 320 percent and now has 345 members in 20 countries with three chapters in formation (Atlanta, Chicago, Florida/Caribbean). Many other communities around the United States have also expressed interest in forming chapters. “This organization is thriving,” said Amy Spatrisano, president, GMIC.
L. Hunter Lovins, author of “Natural Capitalism” and president and founder of Natural Capital Solutions said that those hospitality companies that pursue sustainability will benefit from increased financial performance, reduce their financial risk, drive innovation more quickly, attract and retain the best talent, have more productive employees, and earn greater market share.
Harry Lewis, an attorney in the EPA’s Pollution Prevention Division, said green meetings standards are currently being developed by parties including GMIC, the EPA, the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), Convention Industry Council (CIC) and ASTM International. Nine committees have been formed to address categories including: accommodations, AV/production, communications, destination selection, exhibits, food and beverage, meeting venue, onsite office, and transportation. More information regarding the meetings standards will be available soon but Lewis said he expects ASTM, the organization charged with establishing international standards, to finalize the meetings standards in late 2009 or early 2010.
Next year’s Greening the Hospitality Industry conference will be held in Denver. For details click here!
Green conference centre in Szentendre
Hungary's first conference centre with zero carbon-dioxide emissions can be found in Szentendre. The operation of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), which was built as a brownfield investment in a two million euro project fi nanced by the Italian government and the EEA fund, is based one hundred percent on renewable energy sources such as geothermal and solar energy. During operation, it also acts as a kind of mini-power plant, with local utility Elmü purchasing the excess power generated. Also included in the two-level centre, which is intended as a reference project, are two 80 and 120-seat conference halls, a library and a small conference room.
Source: www.kereskedelmiforum.hu
APEX Green Meetings: Free CDGs Open to All
As a part of the APEX initiative, City Discussion Groups (CDGs) are events akin to town hall meetings. CDGs are a vital part of the development of accepted industry practices for the meeting, convention, and exhibition industry. These groups will meet throughout the development of accepted practices to review and comment upon the recommendations of the Green Meetings and Events Practice Panel, whose work will culminate in the formation of Green Meeting and Events Voluntary Standards. CDGs offer industry members an opportunity to participate publicly in the dialogue and action that will help shape the development of the standard.
To register now, click here!
State of the 2009 Sustainable Meeting Industry
Meeting Strategies Worldwide is proud to present our inaugural State of the 2009 Sustainable Meetings Industry Report. Trends and forecasts speak to continued economic challenges and increased demand for sustainable meetings. Both present a perfect storm of conditions to continue to motivate all of us to improve the value of what we do by exploring new ideas to be most sustainable and maximize return on investment. In this year's report we set the stage for 2009 by discussing the trends and economic factors that are affecting us all, and then provide you with some ideas to address emerging areas of policy, human interest and technology for events. For more information please click here!
Events for Communities of Sustainability
“Ecos” is from the ancient Greek word ekos, meaning “home” or “earth”, and we use it today in words such as “economy” or “ecology”, evoking the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. ECOS is a framework to support sustainability in the communities where our members live and where we do business, and a guide to help us focus specifically on building elements which have a direct relationship to the meetings and events industry. It will focus on these significant areas: food, water, shelter and education. Without any one of these factors, the events industry as we know it would not be able to function; yet in our local communities and communities around the globe, there are many who cannot access these basic human rights. The program allows us to focus on these areas while allowing some flexibility in how and where it is implemented. It supports the MPI commitment to the UN Global Compact through support of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Read full article in pdf here.
Source: http://www.mpiweb.org , 4th January, 2009
Climate Conference Aims to Shake Up Meetings Industry
COP15 as a sustainability benchmark for large conferences; UNWTO launches Live the Deal campaign for green travel.
Even as controversy swirls and protestors march at the Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP15) in Denmark this week, organizers are hoping that the gathering will change the course of meetings and conventions in years to come.
That’s what journalists in the meetings industry learned last week in a behind-the-scenes look at sustainability efforts that the Danish government and many Copenhagen hotels, transportation companies, and restaurants have engineered for the conference—the largest in Denmark’s history and the most important international meeting on the environment.
Read full article on-line here, or download it in pdf here.
By Regina McGee, Dec 14, 2009, Source: www.meetingsnet.com
ResponsibleTravel.com Scuttles Carbon Offsetting Option
One of the first travel agencies to give fliers the option to offset the carbon emissions of their flights has ceased offering the program, calling it a “medieval pardon.”
Responsibletravel.com, a UK travel agency, had been offering the offsetting option since 2002. Now it believes the best way to address global emissions is to focus on reducing emissions in the travel industry, instead of offsetting them, reports Irish Times.
“Carbon offsets distract tourists from the need to reduce their emissions. They create a ‘medieval pardon’ for us to carry on behaving in the same way or worse,” said the firm’s managing director, Justin Francis.
The unregulated nature of the carbon offset industry also played a role in the decision, and a recent report by Friends of the Earth that highlights the pitfalls of carbon offsetting was a considering factor, Francis said.
Not everyone sees the carbon offset market for eco-conscious flyers to be a thing of the past. For instance, recently installed kiosks at San Francisco International Airport allow fliers to offset the carbon footprint of their flights.
Source: www.environmentalleader.com, November 4, 2009
City to unveil carbon footprint calculator at airport
Passengers flying out of the San Francisco International Airport have the option of shrinking their carbon footprint by a few sizes. The airport, in conjunction with The City’s Department of the Environment, is set to unveil its new Climate Passport program, a carbon footprint calculator that allows passengers to donate money to environmental agencies that will help offset the amount of harmful emissions released during each flight. For passengers interested in using the program, the cost of offsetting one ton of carbon output will run $13.50. Of that total, $1.50 will go directly to the SF Carbon Fund, which helps reduce emissions locally, and the other $12 will be funneled into the Garcia River Forest Project, a conservation agency located in Northern California. Source: www.sfexaminer.com
Commentary: Time to Deliver Climate Solutions for Meetings and Events
It’s too soon to say whether world leaders now meeting in Copenhagen for the United Nations climate summit will reach a serious deal to control climate change.
But whatever way things go over the next three days in Copenhagen, there are changes ahead for meetings and conventions—an industry that is hugely dependent on cheap oil and coal, and is a major producer of carbon emissions.
Read full article here, or download it in pdf here.
By Mitchell Beer, CMM, Dec 15, 2009, Source: www.meetingsnet.com
Convention centres form new green alliance
The aim of the alliance is to promote industry best-practice for hosting sustainable events.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool and the Cape Town International Convention Centre have joined forces to create a Global Green Alliance, claiming to be the world’s most renowned eco-friendly convention centres.
The alliance will focus on developing its combined offer and joint international marketing activities. It is currently putting together a range of service offerings and other initiatives to further develop industry best practice and enable clients to gain maximum value from holding sustainable events.
Click here to read full article. Source: www.meetpie.com
Green Marriott
Marriott is expanding its portfolio of “green” hotels and buildings. Approximately 275 hotels have earned the prestigious ENERGY STAR® label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—the most of any hotel company. Fifty Marriott-branded hotels in design, development or under construction are expected to achieve LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). More than a dozen are expected to open in 2009 and 2010, joining The Inn & Conference Center by Marriott at the University of Maryland in College Park, which was the first LEED-certified hotel in the U.S. In addition, Marriott’s global Headquarters in Bethesda, Md., is pursuing LEED-Existing Building status by the end of 2009. Last year, the building diverted 64 percent of its waste (450,000 pounds) from the landfill. Much of this was achieved in the cafeteria, where disposable containers were first replaced with biodegradable ones, and then with all permanent-ware. Used cooking oil is now being converted into biodiesel fuel. Also, Marriott Headquarters has become the first site in the D.C. area to introduce Connect by Hertz. Four SmartWay cars are available for employees who use public transportation or carpool, but need to run an errand or attend an off-site meeting mid-day.
New eco-friendly platform for Sustainable Meetings
SustainableMeeting.org has been launched at the 48th ICCA Congress & Exhibition in Florence this weekend.
The website provides a platform for discussion about the relation between corporate responsibility, green meetings and the commercial aspects of doing business in the event sector. It also offers eco-friendly solutions for organizing sustainable meetings. SustainableMeeting.org wants to invite all companies that do business in the sector of events, meetings, congresses and exhibitions to endorse the green initiative and to add their own solutions, remarks and questions to the public discussion. SustainableMeeting.org is aiming to be a platform for organisers of (green) conferences and events. Every meeting, great or small, will leave a footprint on the environment. Whether it's CO2-emissions or waste, every event causes harm. It is a very complex subject, with which people tend to descend to a hype level very easily. SustainableMeeting.org wants to encourage all efforts within reason that will help make our world a better place. For more information, visit SustainableMeeting.org
Source: 10 November 2009, http://www.conworld.net
Green Is Good for the Bottom Line
Just when you thought your green meetings initiatives might be tossed aside by pencil-pushers anxious to shave costs, there is hope—and help. Green meetings not only benefit the environment, they can help your budget, according to a new white paper developed by Meeting Strategies Worldwide, a Portland, Ore.–based meeting planning company.
The white paper, titled The Economy and the Environment: One Solution for Two Meeting and Event Industry Issues, finds that what makes the best financial sense is often the environmentally friendly choice as well. The paper outlines the advantages to green meetings, starting with cost savings.
Click here for more
Download the white paper from here
Samsung's New European Research Reveals Eco-Expectations of Travelers
The findings of a recent European research project by Samsung Electronics Europe reveal the importance of the environment to today’s travelers and the green credentials they expect in the hotels they visit. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. provides semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies.
The project surveyed five thousand consumers across Europe. It was revealed that 29 percent of the respondents would choose a known “eco-friendly” hotel if it was offered by a popular online booking system. Almost two thirds – or roughly 65 percent – of the respondents said all hotels should install low flow toilets designed to save water. More than half – or 54 percent – of the respondents said sustainable energy sources like wind, solar or hydro-electric power should be used. In addition, 48 percent said hotels should use more efficient electrical appliances like flat screen energy efficient TVs.
The demand for green credentials is reflected in guests’ own behavior. More than three quarters – or 76 percent – of them are as conscious of the impact they have on the environment when staying in hotels compared with their behavior at home and also take measures to reduce their environmental impact. According to the survey, 88 percent of the respondents switch off lights when they leave their hotel room, 63 percent reuses towels more than once and 59 percent still switch electrical equipment off at the base. Source: www.europe.tmcnet.com
Greener Festival
The final list of Greener Festival Award winners has been announced for 2009 with another twenty festivals picking up the prestigious Greener Festival gong, adding to the seventeen which were announced in July. The newly announced awards go to festivals including Bestival, The City of London Festival, the Cambridge Folk Festival, Szeged in Hungary, Oya in Norway and the Croissant Neuf Summer Party. Every festival who gets the Award is well on the way to being one of the greenest festivals in the world - the Award is based on a 56 part questionnaire which covers office management, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, supporting green initiatives, travel and transport, waste and recycling, water management, environmental protection and noise reduction - and almost all the festivals will receive a visit from an independent auditor to assess their green efforts. In particular this year our independent auditors were really pleased by the number of festivals that were expanding on their environmental policies and talking to fans. It was also good to see a real move to use local products anything from beer to bread to bikes to baltis! The other thing we noted was just how many festivals have now adopted souvenir cups for beer – festivals like Cambridge and Szeged have re-usable cups and not only do these dramatically cut down on waste and pollution, they reduce litter on site and give you a real momento to take home!
MeetGreen Becomes North America's First British Standard-Certified Event Company
Portland, Ore.-based MeetGreen, formerly Meeting Strategies Worldwide, has been awarded the British Standard Sustainable Events Certification 2009 (BS 8901:2009), making it the first North American event management firm to achieve the distinction.
"Certification is an investment we wanted to make on behalf of our clients," MeetGreen Principal Amy Spatrisano, CMP, said in a statement. "For years, they have looked to us to set the bar for green meetings and events. BS8901:2009 certification is one more step in continuing to raise that bar substantially."
Introduced in 2007 by BSI British Standards, the United Kingdom's national standards organization, BS 8901 establishes a generic framework through which event organizers, suppliers and venues can plan and manage green events of all sizes and types.
Although the U.S. Green Building Council this spring became the first North American organization to be certified under BS 8901:2007, MeetGreen is the first to be recognized under BS 8901:2009, which includes several new, more rigorous standards and is currently pending approval to become part of the prestigious International Standards Organization (ISO), which is the world's most widely recognized certification body.
For more information about BS 8901, visit www.bsi-global.com.
October 23, 2009
QUAESTOR: Green Certified
The QUAESTOR Travel Agency participated in this year's Green Office contest, and won the Green Office Certification. In every field of the organization's operation environmental consciousness is becoming more and more important, this is what lead to the green developments in the central office. The aim was the optimization of the operational expenses and the minimalization of its negative environmental effects, and to raise the environmental consciousness of the employees. QUAESTOR is also working on the promotion of responsible travel in its new catalogues and on its new website as well.
GMIC talks trash
Council Sets Million-Ton Target for Waste Diversion, Recycling in 2009. A million tons of waste will be diverted, recycled, or composted if the travel, meetings, and hospitality industries embrace the challenge issued at the 2009 Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference, hosted by the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC).
Inspired by the conference theme, ACTION = SUSTAINABILITY, participants in GMIC’s two-day Leaders’ Track agreed on the Million Tons of Trash Challenge as a catalyst for meetings, festivals, and other live events to measure and reduce the carbon they emit, the waste they produce, and the water they consume.
The average meeting produces 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms) of waste per person per day. The Million Tons of Trash Challenge will be launched on April 22, Earth Day, and will continue through the end of the year. Meeting planners, venues, and hotels around the world will be invited to measure the waste they recycle or compost and enter the total weight in an online system, where GMIC will tabulate a running total. Organizations with the best recycling and waste diversion rates will be recognized, and the results of the challenge will serve as a best practices guide for the entire industry.
For more information on joining or sponsoring the challenge, please send an email here or visit this website.
Source: www.greenmeetings.info
Sustainable Events Summit 2009
The Sustainable Events Summit 2009 has now launched and we’re looking forward to a great day of debate, discussion and commitment to action on May 22nd.
The second annual Sustainable Events Summit takes place on Friday 22 May at One Wimpole Street, London. With sustainability currently a huge issue in the events industry, and organisers eager to learn best practice which will allow them to implement sustainable measures, this is a timely moment for this summit to take place.
The event took place last year, and over 200 delegates enjoyed speakers such as Tom Feegel, Chief of Staff at Live Earth, who outlined the current state of play in the industry and the pressing need for change. We hope to build on that platform to deliver a series of presentations, workshops and debates which will push the agenda from thinking and talking to doing and acting.
We hope that this second Sustainable Events Summit will lead the way towards the cleaner, greener events industry we all want.
More info here!
HCB Goes Green
Knowing that tourism contributes greatly to climate change, the Hungarian Convention Bureau considers promoting environmental practices to the actors of the Hungarian meetings market one of its most important tasks. According to the Green Meetings Industry Council, an average participant of a conference produces 9.1 kilograms of waste per day. The study of the Environmental Protection Agency made in 2001 showed that the participant of a 3 day conference is responsible for the emission of 635 kilograms of greenhouse gases. As one of its firsts steps towards environmental responsibility, the HCB has offsetted the amount of CO2 that's emitted by the operations and trips of the Bureau in a year with the help of the CO2NTRA company. Besides, the employees of the HCB are committed to continue environmentally responsible operations, including selective waste collection and the limitation of printed materials (all publications of the HCB are available in a .pdf format). Please browse our website website, www.hcb.hu for further tips of how to green your meetings, or contact us for information about green certified hotels and venues!
MeetGreen Creates 'Eco-Event Zone' for Meetings
In partnership with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Portland, Ore.-based event management company MeetGreen—formerly Meeting Strategies Worldwide—has unveiled a new program with which to promote green meetings and events. Introduced last week, the program uses so-called "Eco-Event Zones" to encourage ongoing, long-term sustainability initiatives among meeting planners and the cities that host them. It works by encouraging planners who are hosting meetings in the same city—the same "zone"—to collaborate on finding and creating green meetings opportunities in their host destinations, and to work together in order to understand the cumulative impact they can have by greening their pre- and post-event processes. "Too often we see meetings as a singular event, rather than a transformative process," MeetGreen's Shawna McKinley said in a statement. "This initiative shows meetings are about much more than a few days sharing in education or networking. Conferences and events are multi-month or multi-year processes that can positively transform the cities where we meet and change how we look at an event footprint if we work together with our stakeholders." For more information about Eco-Event Zones, visit MeetGreen's Web site at www.meetgreen.com.
GMIC talks trash
Did you know that the average meeting produces 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms) of waste PER PERSON, PER DAY?
Join event industry leaders who are pledging to divert 1 Million Tons of trash from worldwide landfills in 2009.
The Million Tons of Trash Challenge was conceived by leaders and members of the Green Meetings Industry Council during the 2009 Action=Sustainability Conference. The purpose of the Challenge is to build momentum and awareness toward the ultimate goal of reducing the environmental footprint of meetings and events, thereby building a more sustainable industry.
Our challenge website offers tips, resources, case studies, and networking opportunities for anyone who wants to reduce event trash.
We invite all who are involved with events to sign up and commit here to reduce and divert waste and to measure and submit statistics using our online calculator.
Follow us on Twitter and check back often to see Blog updates and new case studies that will motivate the industry to make a difference and change our event waste habits forever.
Questions about how to participate in the Trash Action Challenge? Please email challenge@greenmeetings.info.
GMIC Introduces Green Meetings Portal
In partnership with The Conference Publishers Inc., the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) has launched a new Web site dedicated to knowledge sharing in the realm of green meetings, it announced last week. The new site, the Green Meetings Portal, is intended to be a "one-stop knowledge source on green meetings practice, policy and technology." "The Green Meetings Portal will give the meetings industry a single window on the green strategies that will help it survive and thrive. The Green Meetings Portal features a dozen different theme areas, ranging in subject matter from green facilities, food and beverage, and transportation to corporate social responsibility, climate change and carbon.
For more information about the new Web site, visit it at SustainableMeetingsPortal.com.
MeetGreen Calculator
Meeting Strategies Worldwide has launched the MeetGreen Calculator , a gauge for environmentally friendly meetings.
To assess an event’s environmental impact, the MeetGreen Calculator compares practices of a specific event against the greenest alternative practices. Results provide a benchmark for future events and a comparison with other green events. The calculator is part of a suite of products and services that includes tools to use throughout the planning process to lessen detrimental environmental effects and a program to certify that an event is following the best green practices. A product of the industry's foremost experts in green meetings, MeetGreen is destined to become the leader. If you are serious about green meetings, these tools will help you achieve your goals.
Source: www.environmentalleader.com
CSR Hungary Award for two hotels in Budapest
In 2009, InterContinental Budapest and Hotel Panda both have been awarded as a recognition of their CSR achievements.
"Mr. van Alphen also hopes that other corporate executives will follow the example and look at these initiatives beyond simply being PR opportunities. “We treat Corporate Social Responsibility as a guideline which enables us to create healthy living and working environments for our families and business partners. The more we follow it the more all of us can benefit from it”.
Source: CSR Hungary, 16th October, 2009
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