Is the Green thing really just a trend?

What do IBM, Siemens, GE, GM, Lockheed Martin, Daimler, Ford and Raytheon have in common other than being gi-hugic and really successful companies? Every one of them has a targeted policy in place reduce facility emissions and/or improve the sustainability of their operations.

Why should we (the Royal “We”, that is, the event/meetings industry) care? I believe the indication is that the phenomenon that is often referred to as the green “trend” is in fact here to stay. And today I read in Tradeshow Week that:

Tradeshows and conventions represent the second most wasteful industry in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

So let’s put this together. Some of the biggest companies on the planet have corporate goals in place – today – to be better stewards to the environment and the communities they serve.

They produce and participate in tradeshows and conventions regularly. If their goals are embraced by the entire corporation, that means each team within is tasked with doing their part to reduce waste and support corporate responsibility initiatives.

As a partner to any one of these companies, an event planner and producer would do well to have a decent understanding of how energy consumption is managed and measured. If you’ve only dipped your toe in the Green Pond – maybe put in a few recycling bins or using glassware instead of paper cups – here are some resources to get you conversant in some other interesting initiatives:

• Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions
• Green Hotel Initiative
  
• Florida’s Green Lodging Program
• Green Lodging News
• Green Meetings Initiatives from the EPA
• Wikipedia’s Green Conventions Page

Some interesting initiatives are emerging. If they are indeed trends, as the cynics claim, then shame on us for not doing what just makes good sense.

As always, we welcome your comments for additional resources or ideas for greening up every aspect of the planning and production process!