At IBM's annual Information on Demand conference in Las Vegas late last month, organizers replaced paper with digital alternatives, sent uneaten meals to compost instead of landfills and even converted vinyl banners that dotted the Mandalay Bay conference hall into tote bags afterward.

This year's conference was the group's most environmentally sustainable yet, organizers said, and is part of a growing contingent of meetings with more—and more creative—green practices.

According to a recent MeetingNews survey, 93 percent of 202 corporate and association meeting planners said they plan to at least occasionally incorporate green elements into their meetings next year, suggesting growing momentum for such practices, since nearly one-third of the events they planned this year did not incorporate such elements.

Among the most popular green practices, nearly 79 percent said they reduced paper by using digital alternatives, 61 percent said they used onsite recycling programs, and nearly half said they've selected host cities that would require less travel. Though such practices have become staples at meetings of all sizes, planners and advocacy groups are looking even deeper into meeting planning processes and operations. "This is becoming a standard," said Allyson Wagner, project manager for event management firm Meeting Consultants Inc., which worked closely with IBM, the host property and other suppliers to incorporate environmentally friendly practices at the 5,000-attendee Information on Demand event. "It's something that clients expect now. They're starting to look for this in their RFPs. If it's not already there, they're adding it in. They're expecting not only venues but their other vendor partners to bring something to the table."

At IBM's 2008 event, 92 percent of waste was recycled, according to data confirmed by the venue, and organizers expected to "raise that percentage even higher with these new efforts," said Meeting Consultants, though sustainability metrics from this year's event weren't released by press time.

At this year's event, digital signage trumped paper, energy-efficient bulbs dominated show lighting and even materials that couldn't be recycled found other uses through a partnership with local nonprofit group Greener Vegas. "They donate those types of items to local schools, which use them in their art and drama departments," said Wagner.

Advocacy groups also pointed to Oracle's massive annual OpenWorld conference as an event that continues to discover and implement innovative green practices. The show is considered a standard bearer in environmentally sustainable events, and IMEX this year awarded the 2008 OpenWorld its Silver Green Meetings Award.

Oracle promised the more than 40,000 attendees who headed to San Francisco in September an even greener conference than last year's award winner. "Oracle has looked at all aspects of running this conference, including site and vendor selection, transportation, signage, food and beverages, and onsite practices, to find ways to further reduce the environmental footprint," the company said in conference materials.

Oracle said it selected the host city in part because of its green credentials in recycling, landfill diversion and the availability of local and organic food and beverage options. The company required preferred hotels to have "clearly marked recycling containers" and use "environmentally sound cleaning products." Oracle also adjusted shuttle frequency and reduced buses.

The company said it used online methods of communication including an electronic ticketing and reservation systems, online agendas, exhibitor kits, presentations and handouts as well as digital or recyclable signage.

The company also required exhibitors to reduce power consumption, use digital marketing materials and deploy recyclable signage. Furthermore, the conference included "biodegradable name badges, holders, lanyards, and exhibit hall bags; energy-efficient copiers and fax machines; and printers that use recycled and recyclable printer cartridges."

Some respondents to the MeetingNews survey reported obstacles to planning green meetings, with 40 percent claiming a dearth of appropriately sustainable venues and nearly 46 percent claiming green meetings are too expensive. "Too expensive?" said Green Meetings Industry Council executive director Tamara Kennedy- Hill. "So many of these practices are cost-saving elements."

Wagner found that to be true in practice. "We really either had initiatives that were cost neutral or ended as big cost savings," she said. "For instance, we did away with paper surveys. We cut down the number of the large conference guides that were printed."

Oracle for its 2008 event reported that it saved 965 trees by reducing the size of its conference guide, saved $11,600 by cutting down on paper-based, pre-show materials and eliminated 500,000 bottles of water, instead offering reusable containers and water stations. That event witnessed a 75 percent decline in onsite paper usage from OpenWorld 2006, Oracle reported.

Kennedy-Hill encouraged other organizations to track and measure the impact of sustainable actions. "It's now a key performance indicator at their OpenWorld conference, because they've been tracking it and can see the savings and track back to attendee engagement," according to Kennedy-Hill.

She said the evolution of industry standards and best practices, such as the upcoming APEX Green Meeting standards, on which GMIC partnered, would help planners define and advance green meetings practices.

One planner responding to the MeetingNews survey suggested such standards would help: "We are aware, but the effort to go green would be enhanced with specific methods, techniques and tactics readily available."

There are other stumbling blocks to incorporating green elements in meetings. One respondent said corporate management "is not currently excited about green initiatives," while another planner's organization's leaders "just haven't put it into the priority list." Nearly one-third of the respondents said lack of awareness is an obstacle.

"Moving forward, we intend to bring this to the table," Wagner said. "We're not going to wait for our clients to ask. This is a value-add that we can bring to the table—with measured results and initiatives that we know are a success."

Originally published Nov. 16, 2009 This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy