Ecotainus

I have to admit, I’m a pretty fortunate individual to have the opportunity to have many goose bump moments in my life because I have the chance to work with people, all over the country, on events that aim to educate, strive to achieve new heights in sustainability and mobilize the masses into action. Well, treehugger.com honors those individuals, ambassadors and events that embody all of these actions and epitomize the Best of Green each year. Our pals (and, yes, clients) at the US Green Building Council are nominated for Best (Green) Event for their annual Greenbuild Conference. We were in Phoenix this year with USGBC, for our fourth year in a row, to work on their Welcome Event at Chase Field - so, yes, we do hope that we had a little something to do with their exciting nod. So, please help Greenbuild win for Best Event on Treehugger by voting…just click on the Treehugger logo below and click the button to vote for GREENBUILD!

So, we’re about to travel to two conferences and, when in the conference setting, so many times food options can be beyond unhealthy…more like heart attacks waiting to happen. At both Opportunity Green and Greenbuild, attendees are treated to food options that are locally sourced, farm raised and certified organic where possible. Yes, you can demand that your conference centers go beyond their comfort (food) zone and get more creative and in tune with local cuisine.

In Los Angeles, we’ve connected with an inspiring company called Organics to Go who will be providing lunch to attendees offering a delicious (compostable) boxed lunch option of assorted salads, wraps and veggies. Their innovative catering company & cafes can now be found in LA, Seattle, San Diego and Washington, D.C. and they strive to walk the talk of sustainability from the farms they use to the floors their guests walk on to their way to their counters. For more on what I mean, check their committment at http://www.organictogo.com/AboutSustainability.html.

In Phoenix, we’re excited to be working with the Chefs and tireless staff at Levy Restaurants for the Opening event for Greenbuild at Chase Field. Everyone’s come together to produce a locally-focused & sourced, baseball-themed menu. We’ll be blogging more next week about this awesome event as we have so many folks to tout from the local producers to the pig farm we’re composting to…stay tuned.

As we get ready to head to Los Angeles for Opportunity Green, the go-to conference for the “brightest innovators leading the growth of the new green economy” and then to Phoenix for Greenbuild, the world’s largest conference and expo for the green building industry, what better time to blog about the eco way to conference.

Let’s be honest, business conferences can be a huge eco problem. They are often located in cities that require most attendees to travel, leaving a massive carbon footprint. Luckily, once at a conference, attendees generally stay in or near all of the conference events, thus limiting more carbon emissions. But, there are many more ways to keep the environment out of harms way during your conference.

Pause on the printing. Info folders bursting with note paper, schedules, charts and speaker info are most likely tossed in a nearby garbage can when the conference ends. Yes, we’d love to think that at least it would help up in a recycle bin but why take the chance? Instead of wasting paper, give each conference attendee a USB port with the conference files loaded up on to them. Employees bring their laptops with them everywhere anyway, so the ports will provide a great convenience. Not to mention they are usable beyond the conference and employees will be happy to have a place to store their files and, of course, it’s a great branding opportunity for your company or for a sponsor.

Find me online. At Greenbuild, US Green Building Council offers a way for attendees & exhibitors to locate one another, communicate and network through Greenbuild Connect, their conference social networking site. Beyond attending their annual Greenbuild conference, USGBC also offers an opportunity to continue learning through their interactive green building learning portal, Greenbuild 365, where education is available to anyone, anwhere at any time.

Leave (the waste) behind. Ditch the company monogrammed pens, notebooks, and coffee mugs. Employees already have a stock of them and often the pens and notebooks find their way into the trash (with those bulky info folders). Instead, spend a little more and get employees something eco, cool, and useful. At Opportunity Green, attendees will be suited up with cool Kor water bottles and fantastic To-Go Ware that may become my new favorite thing.