Green is the New Black

Or haven’t you heard? There’s “green” chatter everywhere you look these days. Social media sites abound with people asking: “Where do I start? Who can I call for help? What does “going green” really mean, anyway? And how can I afford to do anything green?”

Whether you’re going green because of a corporate mandate, or because of your own personal beliefs, it doesn’t really matter. It’s safe to generalize that we’re all headed in that direction – especially as younger generations interested in sustainability and corporate responsibility move into leadership roles. It’s hard to ignore the fact that tradeshows and events are one of the largest waste-producing industries in the world. Yes – in the world.

Traditionally, going green has meant spending lots of green. However, as more and more people and organizations adopt green behaviors, stewardship of the environment grows easier and more affordable for all of us.

From implementing simple no- and low-cost initiatives to aiming for full accreditation by a regulatory agency, there are steps that every event can take to go green (event if your budget just got slashed.) Here are just a few examples of things you can implement now, at low cost:

• Appoint a team member to oversee your green efforts going forward
  
  
• Discourage driving by offering admission discounts for those who walk, bike or ride public transit to the event
  
  
• Offer free parking for hybrids and electric vehicles
  
  
• Instead of the traditional bag, mug or pen, offer sponsors the opportunity to brand a reusable shopping bag or refillable cold drink bottle
  
  
• Ban disposable giveaways by requiring exhibitors to stick with recycled and recyclable materials
  
  
• Encourage or distribute refillable drink bottles, and steer attendees to water stations
  
  
• Reduce paper by steering participants to electronic information sources
  
  
• Hire contractors who use materials that are not environmentally harmful for staging, carpeting and all other areas• Remember, marketing-based initiatives must also be considered: a company’s image, brand and products can all be affected by how green is communicated through events

When you’re ready to make more robust and structured changes, British Standard 8901 may be a good place to start. It’s quickly becoming the de facto sustainability standard for our industry, and outlines requirements for planning and managing sustainable events step by step. You can find out more about BS 8901 here.