Yes, it’s still about ‘green’ meetings

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Yes, it’s still about ‘green’ meetings

By Paul Salinger
Published: January 28, 2013

Paul Salinger is an event designer, event strategist and a member of Oracle's marketing management team. As a vice president of marketing he is primarily responsible for creative marketing concepts, strategic communications, working with executives on messaging and event presentations, and working with event marketing on integrating event design and sustainability into the event planning process. Paul is an advocate and evangelist for a more sustainable and responsible approach to events and is past president and current board member of the Green Meeting Industry Council. He has been in the events business, on both the supply and client side, for close to 40 years.

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Note: PYM welcomes Paul Salinger to the conversation. Look for his columns every month.

Let’s not confuse the conversation. When it comes to running events more responsibly, we still need to use the term “green meetings.”

We have to be honest. The planet is warming. It’s stressed from a rising population and diminishing resources. That has to be our starting point.

What I’ve seen in the few years is a change in the conversation. Now we want to talk about sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

All well and good, but when it comes down to it, we have not yet solved the basics. The planet needs less carbon, less waste, less consumption of energy and water, and less use of toxic chemicals.

As much good as the meetings and events business does in creating positive economic impacts (and that is all good), it’s also contributing heavily to the consumption of resources. We fly all over the place to attend events of all kinds. Once there, we generate lots of waste — food waste, stuff we just throw away, leftover materials that we shipped there in the first place, lots of things that can’t be recycled or reused and just go into landfill.

Don’t get me wrong. I would love nothing more than to elevate the conversation and work toward a far more sustainable industry — one that really believes in and practices the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. One that truly takes CSR seriously and creates meaningful, long-term legacy projects that have positive impacts beyond the fun, one-day ad-hoc affairs that many events run now. One that creates sustainability policies and practices into their cultures and integrates them fully into their event-planning processes.

But, my friends, we are not there yet. Not when there are event planners and suppliers who haven’t taken even the most rudimentary steps to begin working on the problem. Not when most events don’t even attempt to look at their waste diversion plans to reduce the amount of waste they produce. Not when most events do not take carbon output seriously or don’t look at strategies to reduce or offset it in some fashion. Not when there are still far too many venues and hotels that use toxic chemicals in their cleaning products, and suppliers who use them in building and exhibit materials. I could go on and on, but hopefully, you get the picture.

The other thing I want to say is this: The last thing you need is another scold to make you feel guilty and preached to. I’m writing this because I care deeply about the event business. I have been in it for almost 40 years.

What we need are solutions, not speeches. We need action more than words at this point.

What this column will attempt to do in the coming months is to provide solutions and some best practices that you can use to start your own journey to more responsible event management.

So, let’s have this conversation. I look forward to your feedback.

Join the discussion

Joan Eisenstodt Says:

2013-01-28 13:48:06

In yesterday's New York Times, there were two articles about carbon - one about the carbon use of travel and comparing driving and flying; the other about how there will be no more snow one day, clearly related to all of this. The articles were on the same page - not a coicidence. I've posted all over our industry's discussion groups and tweeted about the impact of the drought JUST in the US. No one is responding to the crisis of that. There is no understanding of the big picture. And I 'get' that - it's a bit overwhelming. Rambling a bit out of frustration -- and I know you and others share that frustration. All anyone seems to think is that if we have no handouts, we will have a green meeting. Thanks, Paul, for a steady dose of this and to PYM for adding to it w/ Paul's writing.

Shawna McKinley Says:

2013-01-28 18:05:43

Thanks Paul, for being brave to say what is needed! CSR projects, while important and meaningful, miss the point that we are on a path to exceed the 2C increase in temperature that will cause severe impacts from climate change. Impacts that affect humans and, selfishly, the success of our events through increased risk and loss from climate events. Not that I'm advocating against them, but CSR "experiences" also allow us to lull into a false sense of security we're doing something, while the environmental issues go unquantified, and largely unaddressed. I'd challenge each event company to start to measure their carbon impact, and set a reduction target. Challenge yourself to see if a basic 5% reduction in carbon is possible. Start a 5% solutions list. Add to it what you might do to put a dent in your emissions: provide hybrid options, reduce or close-loop materials use for things like signs, name badge systems and promo items, reduce air travel, provide transit incentives and for heaven sakes cut food waste(!). Looking forward to future installments and solutions. Grateful to PYM to providing a forum for this topic!

Kathy Janich Says:

2013-01-28 18:26:13

Thanks for your comment, Shawna. PYM will be sharing Paul's thoughts on a monthly basis.

Kathy Janich Says:

2013-01-28 18:26:36

Thanks for the info, Joan. We can always count on you!

Tahira Endean CMP Says:

2013-01-30 02:16:01

Thank you Paul, Shawna, Joan, PYM and so many others for continuing to share the message that together we can all be 5% more responsible, one step at a time - BUT we have to be willing to take the steps. I am proud that at Cantrav and in Vancouver we have taken and continue to take these steps, and am so happy to share our lessons, and the easy things we do from name badges to hybrid vehicles and hybrid meetings, and yes, even serving less of more seasonal product to decrease the waste just be serving sensible portions as a start. For CSR, we have seen little that makes a difference, but recently worked with Shifting Growth to plant community garden boxes during a "backyard event" for a special, smart client at the Vancouver Convention Centre, and offset with Cow Power - so again, one at a time, please keep it up.