Lindsay Smith | Plan Your Meetings

How to include green requirements in RFPs

By now, most of you have seen the “Top 10 best green practices for meeting planners.” We know plastic bottles are bad, compostable or recyclable disposables are good, china is better, and to never, ever use styrofoam. However, after finally wrapping our heads around what we need to produce a sustainable meeting, we are now [...]

Heck yeah I’m attending the 2010 Sustainable Meetings Conference!

Table of contents for Meeting sustainablyGreen meetings step No. 1: Obtain commitment from the top downIt may seem pretty obvious that I plan on attending the Green Meeting Industry Council’s (GMIC) upcoming Sustainable Meetings Conference. After all, it is being hosted at the Colorado Convention Center (the facility at which I hold the position of [...]

How to be truly green instead of a greenwasher

Table of contents for Meeting sustainablyGreen meetings step No. 1: Obtain commitment from the top downFor many planners, one of the biggest hesitations to begin implementing green practices is not cost or desire, it is the fear of not doing enough, thereby not being considered green … but a greenwasher! What exactly is greenwashing? Wikipedia defines [...]

Waste Management and You! REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE

Table of contents for Meeting sustainablyGreen meetings step No. 1: Obtain commitment from the top downA first step for many planners when they decide to implement sustainable practices is to develop a waste management plan. This is a logical start because not only is it highly visible, but waste is an area in which we [...]

APEX Standards: What are the objectives?

The industry has been abuzz with talks about the soon to be released APEX Green Meetings and Events Practice Standards. During the months of August and September, several City Discussion Groups were held to discuss the nine standards of meeting sustainably. The standards are a response to a much needed demand for consistency within the industry as to what constitutes a “green meeting.” The standards also act as a roadmap for planners and suppliers who wish to implement sustainable practices, but do not know where to begin...

Straight talk about sustainability with Visit Denver’s Rachel Benedick

Table of contents for Meeting sustainablyGreen meetings step No. 1: Obtain commitment from the top downIn our final interview with green meeting industry leaders, we talk with Rachel Benedick, vice president of sales and services for Visit Denver, the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). CVBs are often the first contact planners have when choosing a [...]

Sustainable food and beverage: An interview with Tim Stein of Levy Restaurants

Every month I interview leaders within the various sectors in the meetings and events industry, focusing on the steps they are taking towards implementing sustainable practices. This month, I talk with Tim Stein, the director of operations for Levy Restaurants, the food and beverage contractor for Denver's Pepsi Center.