Turning over a new leaf
August 2010

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Meetings and events go green

By Jamie Zachary

From no-idling policies and organic registration bags to local-only menus and waste-management procedures, today's meetings are showing their true colours.

Green planning is a tour de force in today's meeting industry, evolving beyond its niche beginnings, when the novelty of low-flush toilets and compact fluorescent light bulbs was enough to satisfy most.

Today, governments, industry stakeholders and their clients are demanding environmental sustainability be made a top priority -- whether at a team-building seminar or weekend retreat -- and venues, as well as service providers, are listening.

"Green meetings are not a trend, they are a reality," says Deborah Whittle, marketing officer of hospitality and conferences for the Banff Centre, which has been recognized by both the Hotel Association of Canada and Audubon International's Green Leaf rating program for its eco-friendly efforts.

"And more than ever, today's meeting planners recognize that it is socially responsible to incorporate good environmental practices into their meetings."

Tucked alongside Banff's Tunnel Mountain on 17 hectares of pristine Rocky Mountain wilderness, the Banff Centre is among hundreds of venues across Canada responding to clients' increasing demands for enviornmentally friendly alternatives.

The centre -- which is located in Banff National Park, a UNESCO world Heritage Site -- is governed by a comprehensive environmental management system that is designed to minimize its environmental impact. That includes everything from building to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building standards, to rigorous environmental performance audits.

The centre also sets aside $20,000 annually for specific environmental projects, as well as training and communication.

For green planners, the Banff Centre's eco-friendly efforts translates into access to green checklists, in-staff environmental officers and waste-management solutions, to name a few.

"It is about making smart choices," says Whittle of green planning. "Although still optional in the hospitality industry, we feel that, over time, they will become a baseline requirement." 

In Vancouver, environmentally friendly meeting planning plays a similar role to that in Banff -- in fact, it's top of mind, literally.

The Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC), which was the international broadcast centre for the 2010 Winter Olympics, is home to a 2.4-hectare living roof -- the largest in Canada and largest non-industrial living roof in North America -- at its west building.

Featuring 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses, as well as drainage and recovery systems that are designed to collect and use rainwater for irrigation during summer months, the VCC's living roof represents the role that envrionmental stewardship is playing in the industry, says Claire Smith, vice-president of sales and marketing for the Vancouver Convention Centre.

"Our operation is green, so whether or not a client chooses to measure their event’s green efforts, the facility itself maintains its green practices," she says.

And for planners -- particularly those looking to reduce their environmental footprint -- that makes the decision-making process of where to host their next meeting a whole lot easier, adds Smith.

"Traditional factors are still playing a key role in decision-making by planners. However, we are finding that environmentally friendly services are becoming more important to planners, and that they are expecting more green initiates from their venues," she says.

"This is especially true as more delegates are concerned with attending green meetings."

That means not only green in design, but green in practice. The VCC, for example, features a “scratch” kitchen that specializes in freshly prepared meals using locally produced and grown products. What's more, "Happy Earth" menus offer guests certified organic and free-range options.

The VCC is also home to an aggressive recycling program, where an average of 180,000 kilograms of materials are recycled annually – nearly half of the total volume of waste generated, says Smith.

Planners looking for something more can also take advantage of the VCC's sustainable event guidelines, which includes information and suggestions as to how clients can include green initiatives in their event programs.

"We also have the ability to offer zero-waste events in collaboration with clients and their suppliers. In fact, we have hosted Vancouver’s first audited zero-waste event," says Smith, noting the VCC will also be carbon neutral by this year, and is able to offer zero-carbon events in collaboration with clients and their suppliers  

Across the Strait of Georgia, the Vancouver Island Convention Centre is making similar waves on the eco-meeting front. That includes a comprehensive composting program, solar water pre-heating system, as well as several carbon-reducing initiatives that go so far as to reducing shipments to three days a week.

Such efforts are necessary, argues general manager Denise Tacon -- not only because such facilities have a responsibility to reduce their environmental footprint, but also to remain competitive in the meetings and events industry.

"It is a human responsibility, and is not a fad," she says of green planning. "Green meetings make a difference in creating awareness about the need to be eco-friendly. 

"(Also), planners are choosing locations based on a number of factors, one of which is how eco-friendly is the venue. Planners are looking for eco-friendly services to prove to their membership that they are leading by example by choosing a venue that is eco-friendly."

Yet going green for the sake of it is unrealistic, maintains Tacon. Clients need to be able to measure the successes of such eco-friendly initiatives -- not just through membership or attendance, but also financially.

"It is very important that we quantify the benefits to the environment," says Tacon. "Therefore, when we work with a client to produce a green meeting that has environmentally friendly elements, we promote the benefits of those elements -- such as when using tap versus bottled water, we can quantify, for example, energy and plastic saved as well as a cost savings."

Quantifying green initiatives is a point that often gets overlooked when planning a meeting or event, says Randy Park, a speaker, facilitator and member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers.

Planners need to keep in mind that, while green meeting strategies are popular, they remain so only if they are cost-effective, convenient and easy to measure, he says.

"You know the signs you see in hotel rooms, that talk about how millions of gallons of water and thousands of gallons of detergent are wasted every day washing towels? asks Park. "Saying how this hotel wants to help the environment, and asking you to re-use your towels? How many hotels do you think would take that approach if it cost more not to wash the towels?

"I think that is a useful frame to keep in mind when thinking about green meetings. People like to feel good about doing something for the environment, but not if it costs them more or is inconvenient."

Denise Breau, cluster director of sales and marketing for Hotel Indigo Ottawa, agrees. She says the downtown boutique facility has responded to a number of requests for green services from organizations -- such as federal government offices and non-profit groups, but feels cost still remains a factor.

"I think there is a genuine interest in this type of meeting," says Breau, noting they've worked with some very specific "green" organizations that have been very insistent on green menus, including serving sustainable fish at one of the banquet events.

"However, I have not seen that the customer is ready to pay extra for the service."   

Outside of the meeting room, Hotel Indigo Ottawa has gone green in a number of areas, including the use eco-friendly cleaning products, biodegradable containers in food service areas and focusing on local, organic ingredients."The Hotel Indigo brand is committed to bring balance and vitality to the world so it looks at many different ways to reduce impact of the hotels on the environment," says Breau.

One way that will allow clients to measure the true effectiveness of eco-friendly efforts is to measure carbon dioxide emissions as it relates to a particular meeting or event, says Park.

For example, one economy air fare across the country produces approximately 400 kilograms of carbon dioxide, he says. A 15-kilometre taxi ride from the airport produces six kilograms, while one set of printed proceedings weighing half a kilograms produces 1.5 kilograms.

While attendees can't share an airplane seat, they can share a taxi, says Park. Or if driving to an event, delegates can share a ride. Organizers can even facilitate ride sharing from the airport or to the event.

"By focusing on a variable such as carbon dioxide emitted, success in reducing emissions can be quite easily measured," says Park, noting a local citizen's group he's involved with always site its meetings on the subway line.

And, when all else fails, remember the three "Rs."

"As to where to shop for green, the simple answer is, don't shop," says Park. "The recipe for green is simple and consistent, it has always been the 3 Rs.

Reduce: Don't hand out loot bags with items, or bags themselves, that will immediately be tossed

Reuse: Collect items, such as badge holders, that can easily be reused

Recycle: make it easy, convenient, and a priority with simple actions like having lots of recycle bins.

"If you are truly serious, announce to the audience that green is a priority and ask them to participate," adds Park.


           

Filed under: Unique Venues