2009 Green Meeting Trends

They said it wouldn’t last.  They were wrong.  Learn about the trends for the sustainable meeting industry in 2009.

 

Overall Industry Trend: Green Meeting Influence Grows

It’s 2009 and the sustainable meeting industry is alive, growing and shows no signs of stopping.  In fact, the move from fringe to mainstream is well underway. According to the December 2008 Ernst & Young Report, Global Hospitality Insights: Hospitality Going Green, “Those companies with business models that revolve around green practices will have the strongest opportunity of achieving a ‘sustainable’ competitive advantage.”

“It’s a buyer’s market, and the buyers appear to want green,” reports Tyler Davidson, editorial director, Meetings Media. “There was a sizeable jump in the number of meeting planners who are planning or expect to plan a green meeting, led by 51 percent of independents [a 16 percent jump over the last survey] and followed by 46.8 percent of corporates [a 10.5 percent jump over the last survey], and 44.4 percent both of association planners and government planners.”

The MPI Business Barometer, November 2008, reports similar findings. “Many meeting professionals continue to expect a trend toward ‘green’ meetings. Technology providers and regional destinations may specifically prosper from current trends.” The same report identifies “green meetings” as a “Top Ten” trend planners anticipate influencing meetings and events business over the next six months.

A recent survey of corporate travel managers by the National Business Travel Association indicates nearly 30 percent of managers incorporate green considerations into their travel policies and that nearly 25 percent prefer green meeting suppliers. Another 30 percent will use hotels in the future that feature environmentally friendly amenities and practices.

Consumers are driving the demand. A 2008 survey on consumer choice and the environment found that customers “feel empowered when it comes to the environment and are taking some action in their daily lives to reduce consumption and waste.”  More than a third of American respondents in a TripAdvisor survey said they will visit an environmentally friendly hotel or resort in 2009. Additionally, 32 percent of respondents said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions than they were the year before.

 

Green Meeting Economic Trends: Increased Scrutiny and Sustainable Success

According to American Express’ annual Global Business Travel Forecast and Trends report, meeting managers can expect more scrutiny as corporations continue to crack down on meetings spend. The study also reports that companies will be planning shorter events and holding them closer to home offices.

Organizations committed to sustainability have been thriving. Their bottom line is better, employee retention is increased, and consumers want to do business with them. “Companies that report sustainability data generally experience higher gross margins and return on sales, higher return on assets, and stronger cash flow and rising shareholder return,” according to a recent report from  PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Joel Makower, in an October article entitled, “Thinking Green in a Blue Economy,” put it powerfully: “At the end of the day, most green business activity is — or should be — about making companies, and economies, more resilient and competitive. That seems to me to be a recipe for success during good times and bad. Green can make sense when times are tough — and even because times are tough.”

 

Green Meeting Policy Trend: New Certifications Abound

Many organization or associations are establishing new green standards or certifications. For example, Green Seal is developing a certification for food service, among other areas that impact the meeting industry; and, in October 2008, the international community adopted the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. These are just the tip of iceberg. As more and more certifications come into existence, meeting professionals will be challenged to determine which ones really matter.

Meeting planners should first carefully consider if the standard or certification will help their business, evaluating the costs and benefits and contacting those who have been certified. Many of the entities launching standards or certifications are well established. Some, however, are not. Planners should be cautious of organizations with short histories, and focus instead on those with track records of creating and managing standards.

The most valuable standards engage stakeholders like industry, government and environmental groups. An example of such engagement is the Convention Industry Council’s collaboration with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the process established by the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) to create a standard for green meetings. The process began in 2008 and is being driven by nine committees under the Green Meetings and Events Practice Panel of APEX. A draft of standards will be shared with the industry for input in the first quarter of 2009. The intention of the APEX standard is to compliment other standards in the marketplace and make it easier for professionals to set policies and practices that clearly define what a green meeting is.

 

Green Meeting Technology and Innovation Trends: Web Strategies, Virtual Meetings and More

2008 saw substantial growth in the use of technology and tools designed to make meetings more sustainable. Highlights include webinars and podcasts, which increasingly replace seminar formats; reusable electronic badges; and the proliferation of websites with information and services focused on green meetings. New recognitions such as the PCMA Green Award encourage sustainable achievement and innovation.

As online distribution supersedes printed materials, marketing efforts can utilize any number of technologies. The simplest technique is to maintain a website with relevant information and online registration. One of the most innovative websites is Scandic Hotels’ Live Sustainability Report, which not only tallies their environmental achievements but also allows planners to estimate their meetings’ impact. Blogs are emerging as a great way to advertise and keep participants informed of new event developments. Attendees can subscribe via RSS feed and get the updates e-mailed straight to their in-boxes, with minimal effort on the part of the organization. Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook allow participants to interact and meet before and after events, increasing the effectiveness of their networking and forging relationships that are solidified by in-person meetings.

Upsets in fuel prices and the economy often leave travel budgets the victim. Some conferences are turning to virtual technologies for interactive meetings that don’t require participants to hop in planes, trains or cars. The best examples are presentations that include chat sessions with company representatives and “lounge areas” which allow attendees to talk directly with one another. At the extreme end of the spectrum, projection technology takes video-conferencing to the next level. Such technology creates a three-dimensional image (“hologram”) that can interact with live human beings on a stage in a real-time, lifelike manner. Virtual technologies such as these have the advantage of increasing attendance and reducing carbon footprints.

Some other green innovations include the development of green exhibit booth products and recycling programs such as Office Depot’s technology trade-in program. Bio-based and recycled product offerings have expanded significantly in the last year. These include new types of compostable service ware and bags made from recycled coffee bags or renewable fibers such as jute.
 
In 2009, new measurement tools will likely emerge. As the need for demonstrable outcomes becomes de rigueur and as companies seek ROI for green strategies, the ability to measure sustainability factors will become increasingly important. More sophisticated tools will track carbon, energy, and water footprints; as well as overall conference achievements. Newer tools like the Ecological Footprint Calculator from Environment Protection Authority Victoria (Australia) and Best Places to MeetGreen have been launched in the last year. These new tools will work hand-in-hand with established tools such as paper-savings calculators and the MeetGreen Calculator.

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