What are Green Conventions?
Green conventions, meetings or events are conducted in ways which
minimize the environmental burdens imposed by such activities. Green
event planners apply environmentally preferred practices to waste
management, resource and energy use, travel and local transportation,
facilities selection, siting and construction, food provision and
disposal, hotels and accommodations, management and purchasing decisions.
Green event and convention planning is now an established trend
within the global tourism and convention industry. Several cities
in the United States and Europe now sport green convention centers
designed using green building principles and practices.
Several high visibility events including Olympics in Turin, Sydney,
Salt Lake City and Athens, the World Summit on Sustainable Development
in Johannesburg, and the 2004 Democratic and Republican National
Conventions in Boston and New York, implemented green practices
with varied success. Such efforts aim to conserve resources, protect
air and water quality, habitat and human health, and showcase sustainability
practices and concerns.
The tourism and convention industry promotes green meetings, conferences,
and convention planning as energy costs and demand for sustainability
and green tourism increase.
Industry associations have produced standards, guides and working
groups to advance green meetings. Government agencies and non-profit
organizations also promote best practices with research, recommendations,
grants and technical support. Some consultants in the meeting and
event planning industry specialize in producing green events, and
industry and governments now sponsor awards to recognize outstanding
achievement.
Green meetings, conventions and events, green hotels, and eco-tourism,
are all part of a the growing international movement for a sustainable
economy and livable planet.
Partial List of References & Links
For more Resources click here
Green meeting guides & standards:
BlueGreen
Meetings
Carbon
Neutral Conferencing
Convention
Industry Council's Green Meetings Report (English);
in German
translation
Environment
Canada's Green Meeting Guide 2005
Environmentally
Responsible Business Travel
Green
Globe 21: Benchmarking & Certification for Travel & Tourism
Meeting Planner's
Questionnaire for "Green" Lodging Establishments
Greenpeace
Olympic Environmental Guidelines
Sustainable
Hotels Siting, Design and Construction
Government agencies & organizations:
BlueGreen Meetings
California: Green Lodging Program -
Green
Resources for Hotels
Ceres
Green Hotel Initiative
Coalition for Environmentally
Responsible Conventions
EPA
Green Meetings Website
Green Globe 21
Greening
Government - Canada
Green Meetings Industry
Council
Green Tourism Association
(Canada), &
How to be a Green Tourist
Portland,
Oregon
US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
Green
Meetings Initiatives, Green
Hotel Initiatives, Green Hotels Standards, Green Hotels/Chains,
Green Travel Services, Related EPA Programs
Green convention centers:
Oregon
Convention Center, Portland, OR
Lawrence
Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA:
Melbourne
begins construction on Australia's "Greenist" Convention
Facility
Greening
Pittsburgh's Convention Center:
Lessons in Market Transformation
Awards & Recognition
IMEX Green
Meetings Award
Large Green Events (Olympics, conventions, etc.)
'Greening'
major public events
2004 Democratic & Republican National
Conventions
International
Olympic Committee Sport and Environment Commission
The
Johannesburg Climate Legacy
Metro-Toronto
Convention Center's "Zero Waste Event"
Note
on WSSD Johannesburg Climate Legacy Project
Other
A
how-to guide to staging a 'green' meeting
Agenda
21, United Nations Development Programme
more
on Agenda 21
California: Green Lodging Program - Green
Resources for Travelers
greenhotelier magazine
Green Lodging News
Green Restaurant Association
No green medals
for Athens Games (MSNBC) [2004]
also: Green:
The Missing Link
Greening
Olympics Reaches New Peak at the 2006 Winter Games in Italy
The
Green Issue: What responsible planners need to know about
eco-friendly cities, facilities, hotels & meetings.
M&C Magazine, August 2006. Online
or $10 per copy:
800-446-6551. M&C Online -
Meetings & Conventions
Winter
Olympics Not a Green Triumph [2002]
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