Greening your Events

I previously mentioned the presentation by Greg Christian that I attended at BizBash Chicago. I'd like to share further learnings that I hope are as profound for you as they were for me.

Here are some notations on how Greg makes his events/kitchen green:

• zero-waste kitchen
• cooking oils > biofuels
• increase % of organic and local ingredients
• sustainable seafood
• fair-trade tea and coffee
• free employee meal(s)

Greg urges event planners to put "green" questions/requirements into our RFPs. I think this is such a fantastic idea. It forces the hotels/convention centers to go green and think about their footprint. Here are some starting points:

• Specify that a certain percentage of food must be local and/or organic
• Specify use of "green" alcohol - at least beer and wine
• Ensure hotel recycles
• Ask that extra food be donated to a local shelter

Additionally, you can get specific. For example, Fiji Water is the most sustainable bottled water brand in the world - ask for it. (Although filtered water is preferred, we all know that it is not always well-received by event guests.)

Here are some additional sources to learn more:

• B Corporation: The new coporate standard for social and environmental performance. http://www.bcorporation.net/
• Green Meeting Industry Council: http://www.greenmeetings.info/
• Greg Christian: http://www.gregchristian.com/
• Monteray Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch: see what seafood you should eat at different times of the year: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch.asp
• Review Greg's presentation: http://www.bizbash.com/chicago/tradeshow/presentation/2008/

"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
— from the World Commission on Environment and Development’s(the Brundtland Commission) report

Our Common Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).