Features - January 2008

By Karen Brost

It used to be that meetings only focused on what attendees would take away — things like information, motivation and inspiration. But now there’s a growing interest in what attendees leave behind, namely, a minimally negative impact on the environment and/or a maximally positive influence on the local community.

The perfect backdrop for a green meeting is the 3,800-square-foot herb garden at San Diego’s Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa. More than 65 vegetables and herbs are grown onsite to complement the resort’s sustainable food practices that include using locally caught seafood and locally grown produce.  Photo courtesy of Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa

The Need To Go Green
Major environmental concerns such as global warming, rising carbon emissions, overloaded landfills and greenhouse gases are leading more and more companies to give the green light to green initiatives. And that includes their meetings. A recent IMEX focus group (IMEX is a worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events) found that about 75 percent of the event planners surveyed take environmental considerations into account in their work. In addition, 73 percent of those surveyed would deliberately avoid destinations and venues known to have a poor environmental record.

“There is a growing awareness and desire among planners and hotel operators to be conscious of unnecessary waste, while still delivering a ‘wow’ with creative program solutions,” said David Gabri, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), a membership collective of more than 100 Four- and Five-Diamond/Star hotels and resorts worldwide, which specialize in meetings and incentive programs requiring from 10 to more than 5,000 rooms.

“We are seeing greater focus and a growing market for items related to ‘green meetings,’ ” Gabri said. “Corporations are showing awareness and responsibility by participating in various efforts that are friendly to the environment. The hospitality sector has led this trend for more than a decade with innovative initiatives that can save money and conserve resources. Now the concept is becoming more important in discussions during the selection of a venue/site for a meeting or program, as some planners want to support their company’s values with their choice of venue.”

Getting Started
For planners who are tackling their first green meeting, the natural question may be “Where do I begin?” The answer is “Anywhere you want.” That’s because going green involves virtually every aspect of a

IPC Information Systems sales conference attendees participated in Impact 4 Good’s “Bike Build for Charity” event. Here, one of the teams donates the bike they built to a beneficiary associated with the USO. His father is currently serving in Iraq. Photo by Alan Ranzer, Impact 4 Good

meeting, from transportation and choice of a hotel or conference center, to printed materials, energy consumption, and food and beverage options.

For many planners, going green is a learn-as-you-go proposition. Just ask Lainie Gaither, manager, corporate travel and events for the commercial real estate company CB Richard Ellis, headquartered in Los Angeles. She was recently given a very short period of time to “green” a very large meeting.

“On May 31, 2007, our CEO stated that our company as a whole will be carbon neutral by 2010,” she explained. “Then they came to me and asked ‘What can you do to make our conference as carbon neutral as possible?’ That was in June for a September meeting.”

This was no small meeting, either. It was her company’s World Conference that attracted 2,500 attendees from around the globe. Gaither worked with the Newport Beach, CA, travel and event company Ambassadors LLC to plan the conference. Ambassadors recently added PlanIt Green meeting services to its roster of offerings to help companies incorporate environmentally sound policies and practices into their events.

The CB Richard Ellis conference was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Ontario, Canada. “I couldn’t have picked a better city than Toronto,” Gaither explained. “The city of Toronto is very green 

DID YOU KNOW. . . The top 10 countries associated with environmental protection are Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Sweden and the UK. — The Meeting Professional, Dec. 2006

already, and the conference center reflects that. They already had a recycling program established. It’s amazing that so many conference centers do not. They do composting, they weigh the trash. They already have the lights set for motion sensors, and they do water stations instead of water bottles.”

Four hotel properties had been booked for the event before the company’s green initiative was announced. Gaither was particularly impressed with the Sheraton Centre Toronto. The 1,377-room hotel is set in the center of the city’s business and entertainment districts and offers a choice of 59 meeting spaces totaling more than 116,000 square feet.

“The Sheraton was amazing,” she enthused. “Number one, they weren’t shocked that we were asking for green activities. They already had them in place. They had the maids checking to see if lights were left on, they offered recycling in the rooms, and they do the (leftover) food donation. Basically everything we were asking for, they said, ‘We already do it.’”

The Paper Chase
It will come as no surprise to any planner that meetings can generate an enormous amount of paper that can end up in landfills.  Reducing the amount of paper used was another challenge that Gaither took on.

“In the last four years, we’ve produced a printed bound program of events of about 95 pages. This year, we took all of the content and put as much of it as possible on the (event) Web site. For the content we knew they had to have in their hands onsite, we did big reader boards. We also created a very small ‘fold up and fit in your pocket’ program of events. So we went from a 95-page slick, glossy program to a small one printed completely on recycled paper.”

Like many green initiatives, this change took a bit of an adjustment. “Onsite, people said. ‘Where’s the program?’ It was a little inconvenient, but people got it. It was a good experience. We also asked people to recycle their name badges, and we did get quite a few back.”

Green From The Ground Up
A lot of effort goes into making a hotel environmentally friendly. And new properties have the advantage of getting it right from day one by incorporating environmental sensitivities into the planning stage.

DID YOU KNOW. . . Using 1,000 disposable plastic teaspoons consumes more than 10 times more energy and natural resources than manufacturing one stainless steel teaspoon and washing it 1,000 times. — Environmental Defense Council

One such property is Cavallo Point, The Lodge at the Golden Gate, which is slated to open in the late spring of 2008 in Sausalito, CA. The 142-room lodge was created through a partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and is located on the site of Fort Baker, an historic army base.

Nearly half of the lodge’s rooms and suites will be located in faithfully restored turn-of-the century officer’s quarters, and the property will have a strong environmental focus.

“We’re a park partner, and this is a unique public/private sector project, so being on national parkland, we’re doing things to ensure that our hotel is being run in an environmentally friendly way,” said Zeena Fakoury, Cavallo Point’s director of sales for meetings and special events. The property will follow the lodging standards established by Green Seal, an independent non-profit organization dedicated for safeguarding the environment. “It pertains to waste minimization, and water and energy

Harris Rosen, president and COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts (third from left) accepts the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Green Lodging designation for his Rosen Centre Hotel. Pictured with him are (l to r) Todd Frappier, director of sales and marketing, Rosen Centre, Phil Caronia, general manager, Rosen Centre, Christina Thomas, resident manager, Rosen Centre, Vivian Garfein, director, Central District, FDEP, and Jeff Prather, ombudsman, Central District, FDEP. Photo courtesy of Rosen Centre Hotel

efficiency,” she explained. “It also speaks to handling hazardous substances responsibly and purchasing in an environmentally friendly way.”

Upon its completion, Cavallo Point will also pursue LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and it is the national benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. There are four progressive levels of certification for new construction: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

All guest rooms and function spaces at Cavallo Point will feature recycling bins, and the lodge will minimize the use of plastics by using glassware. Plus, in place of the usual array of small bottles of shampoo and other bath amenities, larger refillable bottles will be provided for guests. Compact fluorescents will be used for lighting, and guest rooms will feature dual-flush, low flow toilets.

In addition, no fertilizers or pest management chemicals will be used on Cavallo Point’s landscaping plants, which will be watered with gray water created by recycling. Well over half of the property’s land will be maintained as open space to encourage wildlife inhabitation, and minimal outdoor lighting will be used to reduce light pollution.

Cavallo Point, which offers spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, will offer more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space, and all meeting rooms will be named after threatened or endangered species. Tours will be available for groups that want to learn more about the property’s many green initiatives.

“People are more and more interested in how they can contribute, and they want to feel good about the

DID YOU KNOW. . . In May, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a mandate to its meeting planners that all events must try to use environmentally friendly meeting and conference services.

choices they’re making,” Fakoury commented. “We’re hoping these educational tours will give people a little more knowledge about the property, but also give them some practical tips they can take home.

“We’re also encouraging groups that have environmental objectives to come and meet here. You want to practice what you preach, and there is no better place to meet and discuss environmental issues than Cavallo Point because we are practicing all of these things,” she added.

The new 147-room Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC is a luxury property that was built to use 40 percent less energy and 30 percent less water than a comparable hotel. Its goal is to become the first hotel in the U.S. to achieve Platinum LEED certification. The Proximity also boasts the first North American installation of the Otis Gen2 elevator that generates electricity as it descends.

The Proximity also offers 7,000 square feet of event space, a fitness studio, pool and a guest living room on each floor.

Rendering of the new Lodge at Suncadia to open in 2008 — Suncadia, a “Built Green” community, is home to the already-open Inn at Suncadia, which features an advanced hydronic heat pump that conserves energy, water-efficient irrigation for the golf courses and 5,000 acres of green space. Photo courtesy of Suncadia

The hotel was constructed with building materials with recycled content, and 75 percent of construction waste was also recycled. Water is heated with the aid of 100 rooftop solar panels, and the hotel offers abundant natural lighting and fresh air circulated into guest rooms. Room service trays are made of Plyboo, plywood made of bamboo, which is a renewable resource. In 2008, the hotel plans to install a “vegetated” rooftop on its restaurant to reduce the urban heat island effect.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has also gone green. The luxury chain now offers its “Eco-Meet” program at all of its properties.  The program features four components:
1. Eco-service uses china, cutlery, linens and reusable centerpieces instead of disposables.
2. Eco-accommodation employs in-room recycling, energy-efficient lighting and water-conservation devices.
3. Eco-cuisine incorporates local, seasonal, and organically grown foods wherever possible.
4. Eco-programming offers a choice of environmentally focused activities and guest speakers.

Leaving A Light Footprint
For another example of how a green initiative can work, look to the Professional Convention Management

DID YOU KNOW. . . Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees Perdue Research Foundation and U.S. EPA

Association (PCMA). For its annual meeting in Seattle, PCMA is reducing its impact on landfills by giving each attendee a reusable water bottle that can be refilled at stations located throughout the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. The January event will also feature registration bags made from organic jute and recycled nylon, recycle bins in place of trash bins, and conference materials printed on post-consumer recycled paper. Print-on-demand stations will also be set up to reduce the amount of paper waste generated by handouts for the event’s concurrent sessions.

In addition, meals at the PCMA event will feature locally grown produce, and any leftover food will be donated to a local food rescue program.

Gaither’s mandate to “green” her company’s World Conference in Toronto included the attendees, who were given the opportunity to become part of the environmentally responsible effort.

“Since we had to make the conference as carbon neutral as possible,” Gaither explained, “we hired a company to help us measure what our carbon footprint for the conference would be.” An event’s carbon footprint is measured by first calculating the direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by energy consumption and transportation. This figure is then combined with the indirect CO2 emissions created by the manufacture and eventual breakdown of products used, such as paper and water bottles.

“They came up with the footprint and then they said to be carbon neutral, it would take this much per person to buy carbon offsets. We reached out through our registration process and said, ‘If you’re interested in making your trip carbon neutral as an individual, you can go to this Web site and pay this additional amount. About 400 people instantly went on to the Web site.”

To neutralize carbon emissions, carbon offset donations are used to purchase renewable energy such as solar or wind power or to support activities such as energy conservation or reforestation initiatives.

Green Updates NBTA greens its RFPs. The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) has updated its Modular Hotel RFP for the 2009 bid season to include questions about hotels’ environmental programs. Visit nbta.org for details. New green meetings book hits the shelves. The co-founders of the Green Meeting Industry Council and principals at Meeting Strategies Worldwide, Amy Spatrisano, CMP, and Nancy J. Wilson, CMP, have co-authored Simple Steps to Green Meetings and Events: The Professional’s Guide to Saving Money and the Earth, a comprehensive guide to meetings that incorporate environmentally responsible practices. Printed on 100-percent post-consumer content paper, the 99-page soft-cover book sells for $29.95 and is available at meetgreen.com/book.php. The Lodge Conference Center at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA, has been recognized as the first U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) business conference center in the world. Buildings that meet LEED standards minimize environmental impact through energy-efficient and low-emission design, construction and operation. Marriott headquarters has come up with a creative way to avoid sending 16 tons of Styrofoam and 5.5 tons of plastic cutlery into the landfill each year. The company’s headquarters is switching to SpudWare, fully compostable utensils, plates and cups made of potato, sugar cane and cornstarch. The Florida Green Lodging Program has designated 57 hotels, including Rosen Centre Hotel, Rosen Plaza Hotel and Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, FL, and InterContinental Miami as Green Certified, for their water efficiency, energy efficiency, waste reduction and clean-air practices. Visit dep.state.fl.us/greenlodging for info. The Green Meeting Industry Council’s "Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference" will take place February 19–21, 2008 at The Four Seasons Vancouver, Vancouver, BC. The program will offer sessions on partnering for sustainability, community and global citizenship, and the future of green meetings. For information, visit http://www.greenmeetings.info/conference.htm.

Food For Thought
With all the talk about recycling, minimizing energy use, and carbon footprints, it may be easy to overlook another factor that can help a meeting go green — food and beverage.  Choosing food products that are produced locally also reduces carbon emissions by minimizing the distance items need to be transported.

BlueGreen Meetings, an initiative launched by Oceans Blue Foundation, offers several other suggestions for minimizing the impact of food and beverage on the environment. One recommendation is to use reusable coffee mugs, cutlery, dishware and linens. Another is to provide condiments, beverages, and other food items in bulk instead of in individual packages. They also advise using live plants or silk flowers as centerpieces, and to ask to have usable leftover food donated to a food bank or food kitchen. Unusable food can be composted.

The one thing Las Vegas isn’t willing to gamble on is the planet’s future — the massive CityCenter multi-use project currently under construction on the Strip will be one of the world’s largest environmentally sustainable communities. The 4,000-room CityCenter Resort & Casino (foreground) will anchor the complex. Photo courtesy of MGM Mirage

Giving Back, Taking Pride
More and more groups are also opting to leave more behind than recyclables. They’re choosing to incorporate a way to give back to the local community as part of their teambuilding activities.

“Just like the environment, community service teambuilding is hot right now,” explained Alan Ranzer, executive director of Impact 4 Good, an East Hanover, NJ-based company that specializes in teambuilding initiatives that make a difference. “I wouldn’t call either one of these ‘trends’ anymore. These are issues that are here to stay.

“Corporate responsibility has gone beyond writing a check,” he continued. “Companies want to give their employees a way to get personally involved.”

Recognizing that companies need to pack a lot into their meeting agendas, Impact 4 Good offers community service teambuilding activities that can range from as little as 90 minutes to two or three hours. “Two hours allows you to finish lunch, have a new teambuilding activity and reconvene for a general session,” Ranzer explained.

One of Impact 4 Good’s most popular activities focuses on the environment. “Go Green!” is a two-hour program that divides groups into teams that are tasked with building solar cars from kits and cars from recycled materials. Once construction is finished, a drag race tournament is held to test-drive the vehicles and to encourage a little friendly competition. After the event, the solar cars, new solar car kits and a solar classroom curriculum are donated to local schools.

Impact 4 Good also offers a creative way for corporate groups to benefit Habitat for Humanity when they can’t commit enough time to help build a home.  Each team is given a bio and photo of a Habitat for Humanity family along with a budget to create four items for that family. These projects differ by regions of the country, but may include items such as a welcome sign, a mail and key organizer, a memory board to hold photos, and a birdhouse.

“Each team also writes a letter to the family to welcome them to their new home,” Ranzer added.

PRA Destination Management’s 2007 National Sales Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, included Impact 4 Good’s “Go Green” teambuilding program, in which participants built solar cars from recycled materials and then raced them in a drag race tournament. After the event, the solar cars, new solar car kits and a solar classroom curriculum were donated to local schools. Photo by Alan Ranzer, Impact 4 Good

Michael Baldwin is director of corporate and field communications for IPC Information Systems, a communications solutions provider.  He recently worked with Impact 4 Good on a “Bike Build for Charity” event.

“We were looking for a teambuilding event for a sales conference and something that can give back to the community,” he explained. “This event really fit right in with both of our needs. We had the sales conference planned for about the same time we were moving our corporate offices from Manhattan to Jersey City, so it was the perfect time to focus on something that could help the local kids. Corporate charity is a big focus for our company.”

Nearly 200 individuals participated in the event, which took place at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, NJ. "We wanted folks to mix and mingle, so they were divided into teams randomly so they couldn’t team up with their buddies,” Baldwin explained. “They competed in a variety of events to get the chance to build their bicycles first. The bicycle-building competition culminated with donating the bikes to needy local kids. We actually had some of the kids there. It was just a fantastic hit with our group. It was win-win all around.”

“At the end, we always bring the kids out,” Ranzer added. “This was the first time we had ever worked with the USO, so we were giving bikes to kids who have a parent who is serving abroad right now. It was hard to hold in the emotions.”

Impact 4 Good offers a variety of other teambuilding activities, including the construction of beehives for bee farmers in Louisiana who lost a significant part of their incomes due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

“A lot of people want to give back. They find that it’s a heartwarming feeling. I find that when corporations give their employees a way to give back, those employees have a stronger loyalty to their company. It really makes them happier workers,” Ranzer summed up.

DID YOU KNOW. . . Collecting name badge holders for reuse at an event of 1,300 attendees can save about $975. — CIC Green Meetings Report

He mentioned another key benefit. “What I also find is that they thank the planner for giving them that opportunity.”

The bottom line is that going green or becoming more socially responsible isn’t an all or nothing proposition. Every single effort makes a difference.

Gaither said it best. “When I first thought about going green, I was overwhelmed. Then I stepped back and said, every little thing matters, even if it’s taking three pages out of your program book. My big thing for this year is that I wanted that waste really measured, and next year I want to have less. The more you can do, great, but don’t feel so overwhelmed. You can do one little thing.”    C&IT

Weaning Meetings Off Bottled Water It is estimated that 30 billion non-biodegradable plastic five-gallon water bottles used in water coolers are tossed into our landfills annually; add to that the harmful carbon dioxide emissions caused by the transport and delivery of these bottles from remote sources. To help eliminate this wasteful practice in corporate offices as well as in hotels and resorts, and to ensure that drinking water is contaminant-free, PHSI Pure Water Technology systems has introduced a unique multi-stage filtering system that dispenses a continuous supply of pure, oxygenated, contaminant-free water from the facility’s built-in water system. For more information, visit www.purewatertech.com.