Kermit the frog famously sang, "It's not easy being green." For meeting planners, however, it is, as its APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards are now available for online purchase as a complete compilation, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) announced this week.
Created by CIC, the APEX/ASTM standards were finalized and published in February by ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials. Currently, eight of nine standards — each of which addresses specific sustainable elements, including staff management and environmental policy, communications, waste, energy, air quality, water, procurement and community partners — are available:
• Audio/Visual
• Communication & Marketing Materials
• Destinations
• Exhibits
• Food & Beverage
• Meeting Venue
• On-Site Office
• Transportation
Previously, the standards were available only for individual purchase, at a cost of $40-$46 each. Now, meeting planners can buy all eight available standards in a bundle for $149. The ninth standard, Accommodations, will be added once it receives final approval from ASTM.
For more information, visit www.conventionindustry.org/StandardsPractices/APEXASTM.aspx.