Travel Portland
Got a couple minutes and a free playing finger?
Discover the lighter side of planning green meetings with Meetingland.
It's fast, fun and filled with valuable green meeting facts.
Join the quest for Greentopia and learn how to:
- spot
greenwashing
- turn water to money
- save the earth with a mousepad
- uncover hidden green cost savings
Best of all, complete the game and you'll win a free white paper on green meetings entitled Ten Ways Going Green Can Cut More Costs in 2010.
Go for the green! Press Start Play
to begin; Continue Play
to make your next move. And don't miss the click-friendly roadside attractions along the way.
1. Productive Delegates
The average U.S. meeting attendee, over the course of a 3-day event, accounts for more than 20 lbs. of waste and 1,419 lbs. of greenhouse gases per day — the amount produced by driving a car for a month.
(study, Environmental Protection Agency)
Minimize your meeting's carbon footprint by choosing venues that will work with you across a variety of areas — recycling, transportation, waste reduction, and others — to plan responsibly. This handy checklist can help.
2. Green Giveaways
- Pencils made from reclaimed wood
- Mousepad made with recycled rubber
- Cornstarch mugs
- Organic chocolates
There are dozens of ways to make eco-friendly choices in your delegate interaction, through registration, signage, handouts, leave-behinds, complimentary gifts and waste recycling. Find out more — order a free copy of Simple Steps to Green Meetings and Events.
3. E-Smarts (Paperless meetings)
As a green meeting planner, the web can be your BFF (except when you hear I got a better rate on the internet
for hotel reservations — grrr). Online registration is just the beginning, though.
Paperless meeting communications save money, time and trees. Besides online registration, consider emailing attendee packets, online exhibitor kits, and media and sponsorship kits. Make the final program available online. And don't forget to ask hotels for electronic check-in/check-out if possible.
Leveraging the web is just one of hundreds of easy ways to eco-nomize.
For more, contact our Travel Portland Green Team experts.
4. You're Getting Warmer
Too hot? Too cold? Getting venue temperatures right for everyone may be second only to achieving world peace. Try to hit a fair comfort zone, erring on the side of less energy usage (warm or cool). Then ask attendees' cooperation in dressing accordingly to support your conservation efforts.
5. Where am I?
Ah, the S
word. Signage. No matter how big, how many, how explicit, someone will always ask, So, where am I supposed to go?
From a sustainability angle, signage is key. Reusable banners and signs can save tens of thousands of dollars. Choose reusable when ordering for your organization, and ask venues and hotels to provide the same.
6. Green vs. Green
The green meeting bandwagon is a crowded one these days. Some call it greenwashing
: a destination or venue makes a few token eco-minded gestures to attract green meeting planners. Don't be fooled, though. Real green shines through, from the ground up. Click here to watch a video on Portland's environmentally friendly facilities.
7. Follow in the Footsteps
Getting to Greentopia doesn't have to be complicated. But it's not automatically a slam-dunk, either. To help avoid potential risks and pitfalls, follow the paths of these organizations which have created green meeting success, and see what steps they took to ensure win-win events.