Business meetings with eco flair

I don't know about you but my New Year has been plagued with meetings. Budget meetings, design meetings, sales meetings, it's a meeting frenzy!

As I questioned my reason for being in some of those meetings, I started thinking of how we could bring eco awareness into these confrences. Then, I came across Amy Spatrisano's blog post, Rethinking Meetings to Achieve Greener Formats and Sustainable Solutions. She makes use of several sustainability concepts including rethinking meetings and using local meeting resources to support the community.

So, what exactly is an eco aware meeting? According to the AIA's best practices, "A green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting to minimize the negative impact on the environment. The creation of a green event must consider all aspects of the planning process. Making informed choices regarding everything from site

selection to meeting materials to catering can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the event. A green meeting can be accomplished through minimizing the use of disposable items, reducing energy consumption, using paperless technology, and making informed decisions regarding catering. Green meetings may also incorporate social aspects such as donating unused or reusable supplies to charitable organizations."

With this in mind, I considered alternative meeting approaches. BlueGreenMeetings offers a wealth of information on their site related to sustainable meetings. From destination and accommodation selectors to food and beverage checklists and exhibition production, the site offers quick views and "how to’s" for business sustainability.

Also worth considering are GoTo Meetings and GoToWebinar. Both offer online tools allowing you to meet online rather than in person - a great option to minimizing travel.

Being that meetings aren't disappearing any time soon, the opportunity presents itself to bring eco awareness to our meetings and thereby support the building of business sustainability. What sustainability concept are you bringing to your next meeting?