There is a major shift in the meetings and conventions industry toward holding environmentally friendlier events. Holding a green meeting is “no longer a quirky, nice thing to do,” said Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com. “It’s something that increasingly is being asked, if not demanded, by meeting producers.”

Why is this an issue? If not closely monitored, thousands of conventioneers can accrue plenty of waste in just a couple of days. For example, a five-day event with 2,200 people could produce one ton of plastic waste in the form of disposable serving pieces alone. There is a massive amount paper consumption and waste from unused or ineffective promotional materials. And who hasn’t seen the piles and piles of trash heaped by the trade show aisle at booth set up and tear down?

Not surprisingly, companies with the environment in mind, such as the U.S. Green Building Council and the National Recycling Coalition, have been on board with green meetings for years. But in the past 18 months, companies from a wide range of sectors have begun planning more sustainable events.

Many companies and meeting planners have been pleasantly surprised that producing green meetings can be cost effective. Some elements do cost more, but the increase in efficiency can offset the expense.

For example, using pitchers of water instead of individual bottles might cancel out the cost of organic food. Companies now offer attendees the ability to review company information online instead of printing expensive and wasteful informational materials.

There is an ever-widening selection of eco-friendly booths hitting the market that can make this durable investment less harmful. When companies feel they need to offer giveaways to attendees, there are now green trade show promo options available.

There may never be a perfectly sustainable conference, but that isn’t a reason to start taking steps today that will make a big difference tomorrow.

Tags: sustainable booths, sustainable conferences, Sustainable Marketing, sustainable trade-shows