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Greening your meetings: 

Greening your meetings Guy Bigwood 7th June 2007

Introduction – Guy Bigwood: 

Introduction – Guy Bigwood Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner: General Manager MCI Spain Director Corporate Social Responsibility - MCI Group Board Member – Green Meeting Industry Council SPECIES IN EXTINTION

Key Questions: 

Key Questions What is the ecological footprint of your events, meetings and communications? How can you organise your meetings, events and communications to lower their environmental impact? What cost implications does this have for the SME?

Video: 

Video

So is this important for small businesses?: 

So is this important for small businesses? 43% of small businesses have been asked by large customers about environmental practices 51% say they have chosen a product or service because of its responsible reputation 2 in 3 smaller business believe that social and environmental responsibility contributes to a more successful business 78% of employees would rather work for an ethical and reputable company than receive a higher salary

Green Meeting Guidelines: 

Green Meeting Guidelines Over a 100 Guidelines created and based on the Convention Industry Council Green Meetings Task Force Report, 2004 DESTINATION, VENUE AND PROVIDER SELECTION HOTELS VENUES TRANSPORT EXHIBITION FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARCOM OFFICE DESTIN- ATION

Examples Guidelines : 

Examples Guidelines Meet Local. Select a site with easy access contains public transport within walking distance of hotels Select a hotel with a recycling, linen and towel reuse program Average 150 room hotel saves 22.680 liters of water and 151 liters of detergent monthly Source: Sustainable Lodging Program website 12/30/04

Example Guidelines: 

Example Guidelines Food and Beverage Select local fresh food as much as possible. Request organic and fair-trade options Eliminate individual water bottles. Use jugs and large drink dispensers Using 1,000 disposable plastic teaspoons consumes over 10 times more energy and natural resources than. Manufacturing one stainless steel teaspoon and washing it 1,000 times. Source: Environmental Defense Fund = €25,000 saved

Example Guidelines: 

Marketing and Communication Buy eco-friendly or Eliminate conference bags - €11,700 Dematerialize” as much as possible. Put Information in pdfs on web and eliminate handouts - €1,950 Use rental or reusable stand design/modules were ever possible Savings based on the Forest Leadership Forum three day conference of 1300 attendees. Data collected by Meeting Strategies Worldwide. Example Guidelines Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Sustainable Communication: 

Sustainable Communication Operational Plan ASSESS AND SELECT PROVIDERS

Measure and Benchmark: 

Measure and Benchmark

Step by Step Approach: 

Step by Step Approach “The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~ Chinese Proverb

Thank you for your time!: 

Thank you for your time! For more information www.mci-group.com/CSR www.greenmeetings.info www.conventionindustry.org/projects/green_meetings_report.pdf Guy.Bigwood@mci-group.com

MCI Offices: 

MCI Offices Barcelona Berlin Brussels Dubai Geneva Gothenburg Lyon Madrid Paris Petersfield/ London Prague Shanghai Singapore Stockholm Stuttgart Vienna Zurich

MCI Green Meeting Services: 

MCI Green Meeting Services Sustainability consulting and green event strategy Full event impact analysis and emissions calculating. Offsetting Event Certification Industry leading MeetGreen methodology and measurement tool

The Impact of our Air Travel: 

The Impact of our Air Travel Aluminium Can Recycling Estimated 14 million cans are used annually on UK flights to Spain If laid end to end would reach from Gatwick to Madrid Aluminium has one of the largest ecological footprints. But 95% of energy can be reused in recycling Energy saved by recycling one drink can is enough to run a television for three hours

The Impact of our Air Travel: 

The Impact of our Air Travel So if all uk-spain flights recycled save 140 tonnes of aluminium – enough to build a Boeing 767 and a Boeing 747 save enough electricity to power 564 average homes for a year save enough electricity-generation CO2 to fly 2,164 people from Gatwick to Malaga and back Source: First Choice Airways, Thomas Cook Airlines and AENA

Market Demand: 

Market Demand 67% have taken environmental results into account when planning a conference or incentive programme 58% selected a hotel for its known environmental Programme 80% of buyers think the environment will become a bigger industry issue in the coming years 50 % think that delegates and participants will become concerned if environmental issues are not taken into account when planning their events? Source: 2006 IMEX 3rd Annual Survey of Buyers