The Site International Foundation has released results of the latest Site Index Annual Survey. The Site Index compiles and compares data over a number of years to track changes and forecast trends in the motivational events industry. This third year of the study measures movement in key indices as well as introduces new topics of discussion. “The Site Index results confirm that the overall use of motivational travel continues to be on an upswing,” commented Stephen Powell, President of the…
Green/Sustainable Meetings
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There’s a green app for that!
By Joseph Lo Conferences and meetings can have significant carbon footprints. Power, ground transportation, air travel, paper and many aspects of an event can all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Knowledge is the key towards sustainability and increased social responsibility. More and more meeting planners are recognizing the importance of planning a green event and want to do their part in helping the environment. Whether your goal is to decrease CO2 emissions, travel-related fuel consumption or paper usage, the following…
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Walking the talk: Five tips for getting started with your corporate social responsibility plan
“Walking the talk”, “thinking outside the box” – both sayings make my teeth ache and a tiny vessel on the side of my head pulse ever so slightly. In fact, every time I catch myself saying or using these phrases, I envision a unicorn disappearing POOF!
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Thirty days to a more sustainable you – Ready, set, go!
What are the rules? The rules are simple: make one environmentally friendly change/choice each and every day for 30 days. If you feel like sharing, you can tweet about it using the hasthag #30DaysofGreen and we can follow your progress.
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Top 10 green meeting apps
Joseph Lo, Meeting Appspert and Kirsten Strand, BSc, CITE, CMM, LEED Green Associate select the top 10 green meeting apps. Knowledge is the key towards sustainability and increased social responsibility. Whether your goal is to decrease CO2 emissions, travel-related fuel consumption or paper usage, the following smart phone apps will assist meeting planners in operating a green meeting.
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Taste the four seasons: how food preservation can add local flavour to your event menus year-round
If you are a sustainable meeting planner who has an event (large or small) happening in the very early spring, you should be thinking about winter and how it might effect your “locally grown” menu selection. There will be minimal quantities of local, fresh produce available in the early spring, and that presents a bit of a problem for those who want to showcase regional, seasonal items.
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Paperless versus paper-free: How clear is your sustainability policy?
We see it frequently: usually in bold and coloured type, sometimes italicized and generally with exclamation marks behind it. We are going green! The (insert name of conference) is going to be paperless!What does it mean?
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Ten easy tips for making your event more sustainable
Ten easy tips for making your event more sustainable
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Sustainable event planning
Sustainability is a powerful conversation within major corporations and the corporate meetings marketplace. According to the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project Canadian report, the top 200 largest Canadian companies report that the three main drivers for increased transparency related to sustainability impact monitoring are: 1) new revenue streams, 2) an increase in brand value, and 3) reducing cost and mitigating the risk of rising oil prices. The CDP Canadian report notes: “In short, the majority of companies see a clear economic benefit in implementing efficiency initiatives that replace emissions-intensive technologies and processes with cleaner and cheaper alternatives.”
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Why communication is key to sustainable meeting success
One of the first tips I share with event professionals who are beginning to plan sustainable meetings and events is to remember to tell everyone what they are trying to accomplish (i.e. strategies they are using to minimize the environmental footprint). And then I tell them to ensure that afterwards, they express to everyone involved how well they did (i.e. how much waste was diverted, energy saved, etc.).
