Meeting Trends: Mobile Technologies Are Green in More Ways than One

We are excited about the continued efforts across our industry to reduce the environmental impact of meetings and conventions. Our team often works with clients to incorporate common-sense green initiatives that also save money, such as using local suppliers to reduce shipping cost, custom-building menus to take advantage of local and seasonal ingredients, and managing power usage.

Small changes are important, but their impact is gradual. One big step that organizations can take to reduce their carbon footprint as well as boost the budget is to add technologies that reduce or eliminate the need for printed materials. Online registration virtually eliminates faxes, as well as reduces staff time and stress. E-marketing has become easier and more affordable – as well as more effective! – than expensive postcards and printed advance programs. And e-posters allow content to be captures and shared beyond the boundaries of time and space.

Replacing a printed conference program with a mobile app can easily save an annual meeting thousands of dollars in printing costs alone. In fact, one of our team members saved an association nearly $50,000 in printing and shipping costs by transitioning their meeting to a paperless format. By contrast, mobile apps start at just $5,000!

A comprehensive mobile app reduces or eliminates the need for printed materials of many kinds, including:
* Conference program books
* Exhibit hall maps
* Exhibitor guides
* Speaker biographies and session descriptions
* Onsite errata sheets to alert attendees about changes and last-minute additions

The C&LC team is proud that our meetsmart mobile conference navigation app is being used to support green initiatives. For additional ideas on greening your meeting, visit meetsmartmobile.com.

In Honor of Earth Day...

Here are some Carbon Footprint Reduction Tips for Work & Home!

Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at Work:

There are many improvements to be made at your workplace as well. Small changes can be implemented to even make a positive impact on the climate, such as:

At your Office

• Only print as many copies as absolutely needed. Instead of having each employee have their own files, create a central filing system to avoid having to make many copies of the same documents.
• Use smaller fonts when printing internal documents to save paper and ink.
• Recycle everything, including ink cartridges and toner. Ask local suppliers if they can deliver supplies in reusable bins rather than cardboard boxes.
• Turn off and unplug equipment when not in use.
• Telecommute whenever possible, but make a commitment to do it at least one day per week.

For your Meetings

• Ask your caterer for biodegradable tableware (plates, cups, utensils, etc.), or use china and metal silverware.
• Monitor meeting room temperatures. Turn the heat down a few degrees in winter and up a few degrees in summer, and encourage attendees to dress in layers.
• Make sure lights and AV equipment in session rooms are turned off when not in use. Ask your AV provider to unplug equipment at night.
• Offer a carbon-offset donation on your registration form. Many companies will plant trees for as little as 50 cents each.
• Provide materials that are eco-friendly: recyclable, printed on recycled paper, or go paperless altogether.

Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at Home:

Carbon emission from your home is directly correlated to everyday energy consumption. One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to improve energy efficiency inside your home. Some simple solutions with major impact include

• When appliances are not in use, turn them off and unplug them. Even small appliances like cell phone chargers waste energy when plugged in all day.
• Take shorter, cooler showers and turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
• Recycle everything you can.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL low energy bulbs, which use just 20% of the energy of a normal light bulb and last 15 times longer.
  
• When replacing older appliances, always opt for appliances that use less power and receive a good energy rating.
  

Want to Learn More? Additional Resources:

www.carbonfootprint.com
whatsmycarbonfootprint.com
coolaustin.org

HAPPY EARTH DAY!