Green Meeting Guide

21st Century Meetings: Eliminating Unnecessary Waste

admin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Business travel used to be one of the pricier perks of executives. Business class sections of the jetliner, car rentals, first class hotels etc. were the marks of success. Times have changed and businesses are seeking ways to get the same job done at less expense and risk to the environment. Clean technology has replaced the energy consuming travel and consumption of the recent past. Staff today can e-mail and use online seminar technology to meet with coworkers on other continents and even at the Space Station. Web cams have made face to face meetings with associates a reality even the most remote parts of the world.Additional information can be found at http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/07/0719twa-inflight-movies/. Cell phones and tablet computers can load a 1980′s roomful of technology into multiple applications that custom fit the customer. Less air travel means less fuel consumed. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution, until more hybrids and electrics are produced. The ability to communicate on the internet on a 24/ 7 basis means that more opportunities for economic growth are available and in more places. More people are now capable of being innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs due to the technology that lets them research, produce and market products. A cleaner environment is possible with high technology meetings

Smart Technology Tips For Virtual Meetings

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Employers are wholeheartedly embracing the concept of virtual meetings. They are a cost-effective means to achieve hundreds of goals, like conferences, training sessions, and seminars. These meetings come with little to no overhead but it is important to ensure that companies continue to communicate effectively.

The first and most important tip is organizations must know when to utilize the technology. Conducting business via virtual meetings is not suitable for all circumstances and knowing when and when not to use it can mean the difference between enhanced productivity and loss of client relationships. It is dangerous for managers to assume that they can use the same presentation for both live and virtual audiences. Leaders are limited, to a certain degree, in the ways that they can interact with a virtual audience and they should always take into consideration the presentation environment when designing the data.

Virtual meetings require more upfront presentation because virtual meetings eliminate the casualty of a physical location. Managers will benefit from creating and sending agendas, designing visuals which reinforce the presentation’s message, and distribute them to the members of each team involved well in advance to the meeting date. Moreover, sending out the log-in information at least a day before meeting allows participants to test run for connectivity issues.

How To Host An Environmentally-Friendly Business Meeting

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We all know that our environment is under a lot of stress because of the way our society chooses to live. Although there are many conveniences they do take a toll on the strength and durability of our environment. Even so there are ways to reduce the negative impact we make on the environment while still going about our daily tasks. When a business meeting is in order there are several ways to make it more environmentally-friendly. One of the biggest ways is to actually hold the meeting remotely. There are many ways to do this such as telephone conferencing and online video or chat. Holding the meeting remotely will reduce the amount of travel the attendees will have thus reducing the amount of gasoline used and pollution in the air.
However, if the meeting must be help in person there are still ways that you can make it more environmentally friendly. One way is to hold the meeting outdoors. If weather permits you can hold a meeting outside and reduce electricity use. Also, record notes on a voice recorder and instead of handouts put important points on a powerpoint presentation. Of course, provide water in refillable containers instead of offering bottled water. It couldn’t be any easier than that. Just by taking these simple steps you will be on your way to holding more environmentally-friendly business meetings. These simple changes are all it takes to make a difference for our wounded environment.

Using Eco-friendly Tools in Business Meetings.

www.greenmeetingguide.com — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Times are changing and business is changing with them. The typical business meeting is no longer held in the office conference room, planned weeks in advance and utilizing lots of resources. Now teleconference calls connect people across great distances. No need to pay employees extra for the costs of traveling. No need to hire a commercial jet to fly to another city. No need to print out enough reports for everyone. Less effort and travel makes life easier for employees too.

Businesses can make use of webcams, email and .pdf documents to share vital information with one another during a teleconference. These tools sometimes have a high initial cost, but save money in the long run. They also allow businesses to communicate with each other and with their own employees more frequently, reducing the risk of miscommunication and cutting back on the time involved on projects. Offices can even use alternative energy to provide electricity therefore saving time and money.

TexasElectricityProviders illustrates the many different kinds of renewable resource and plans. In Texas, solar power farms and wind farms take advantage of the state’s vast natural resources. Sign up for renewable energy or even set up your own solar panels on the roof to supply the building’s extra energy needs.

A Gift For Your Employees and Mother Nature

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Walk into nearly any office building across the country. Next to the coffee maker, what do you see? A skyskraping stack of Styrofoam coffee cups that make the Leaning Tower of Piza look like a structurally sound edifice. From an architectural perspective, this is perhaps the most pervasive trend across the American business landscape. How do theoretically bulldoze this eyesore in your otherwise pristine office space?

Giving each new employee a coffee cup as part of a welcome package will not only boost morale as a souvenir but discourage the use of disposal cups that will one day wind up in a landfill somewhere. Or, offer cups as part of a goodie bag for an all-company event or retreat. Putting their name on it will not only seem thoughtful, but make each recipient more likely to use his or her own cup.

If you don’t have the budget to provide coffee cups for your employees, there are more strict methods by which you can limit the Styrofoam buildup. Simply send out a companywide memo stating as of next week there will be no more disposable cups available for the coffee maker and it will be necessary for all employees who drink coffee to bring their own cup from home. Assuming you offer otherwise fair compensation, certainly your employees can more than afford to spare a coffee cup.

By all means, we recommend giving more so than taking, so if you find the money splurge on a cup by all means do so, but the planet on which live is more important than corporate convenience, so please try to enjoy all refreshments responsibly.

Cutting Down Paper Use in the Office

www.greenmeetingguide.com — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:47:12 +0000

Paper is commonly associated with the working world, just as it is commonly associated with trees in the forest. This gives economic success and environmental prosperity an inverse relationship in terms of paper use. The more successful a company is, the more paper it is likely to use. Here are a few tips to help mitigate the effect of growing your business on the outside world around you.

Switch to automatic hand dryers You may not like for employees to blow hot air at you, but when it comes to washing your hands, there should be no problem. Paper towels are wasted by the dozen in office bathrooms around the country. Motion sensor hand dryers are not new technology; they are plenty affordable on almost any company budget.
Axe the memos/newsletter (or any form of non electronic internal communication really) Not the content, just the physical newsletter itself. It is still important to maintain contact lines with those who would read it, however, digital prints of the publication are just as effective and with the number of people who have personal computers or even e-reading devices, there should be no problem with maintaining readership.
Read the newspaper online It may be important for you to stay up with daily news outlets, maybe trade periodicals, the Wall Street Journal, but be sure to so online as opposed to daily delivery. If you require employees to stay current via the press, encourage them to do so via online editions as well.
Charge for printing It may seem cruel and unusual, but charging for printer use will discourage employees from printing personal items at the office, not to mention make them think twice about printing items that may not be necessary.

Turn your Business Meetings Green

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:26:46 +0000

While your main motivation should be saving the earth, you might find there are actually more personal business motivations behind going green. Whether you want to give your business a ‘green’ reputation or satisfy a client that enforces ‘green’ ideas, your business is likely to benefit from a few environmentally friendly products. Check out some these eco-friendly products that are not only eco-friendly; they’re stylish and functional too.Instead of plugging in a typical plastic flash drive to your computer, try an Eco Flash in a cherry wood finish. These wooden bits of technology are sure to spark a conversation about the greener aspects of your company and promote a fun product at the same time.Replace your old cups (especially Styrofoam ones) and writing utensils with biodegradable corn products. There are many stylish and practically priced cups and lids that are made from 100 biodegradable lactic acid that has been extracted from corn. The same can be said about Corn Pens, and eco click paper pens which are made from recycled paper and corn derived bio-plastic. You can also give your meetings some color with enviro-mood pencils which change color from the heat of your hands.If you have the environmentally friendly writing utensils, you need the environmentally friendly notebooks. We recommend Recycled Terra Notebooks which come in combinations of 4 fun colors and are made from 100 recycled cardboard, 30 recycled journal paper, and have 100 pages complete with the recycle symbol in the corner. Buy enough for the whole company for under 5.00.Another enjoyable green product is anti-bacterial hand sanitizer that keeps your hands and the environment clean at the same time. Available in 1 oz bottles or individual packets, both the sanitizer itself and the trendy packaging are safe for the environment.

Ten Tips for Environmentally Friendly Events

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:12:42 +0000

Structuring your next meeting or event as an environmentally friendly can benefit you, your company, your client, AND the environment. Here are a few tips from BlueGreen meetings to get you started on a road to a greener business.

Determine the environmental policy you plan to implement then put it into writing. Get funding from the meetings host organization then share the policy with suppliers and speakers who will most likely be eager to help you go green.
Use the media to cut back on paper use. Create a conference website, advertise on the web, and offer electronic registration.
Choose a central location. Find a host city that is close to as many attendees as possible and a venue that is close to where they will be staying.
Make sure the venues you use have recycling policies and facilities available.
Use bulk dispensers for condiments and salt and pepper instead of individually packaged items.
Pick a hotel that offers linen reuse programs and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps.
Offer vegetarian meals and serve meals that use local seasonal produce.
Use environmentally friendly products such as recycled paper, cups made from corn, and vegetable based inks.
Be sure lights and air conditioning units are turned off when rooms are not in use.
Calculate the money and energy you save by implementing environmentally friendly policies. Chances are, you’ll never return to your old traditional ways.

“Meetings” Without Meeting

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:11:30 +0000

When scheduling a meeting, keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be in-person to be personal. With the advent of today’s communication technology, we can still see the shining faces of distant coworkers and clients crystal clear on our computer screen without actually having converge on a central location. While meetings that don’t actually require people to meet may seem strange at first, the concept actually makes a lot of sense both economically and environmentally. Perhaps the only excuse for resisting such modern day meeting alternatives is a simple nostalgia for a simpler time, but honestly, how much simpler could it get? Instead of going through the hassle of scheduling flights, booking hotel accommodations, reserving conference rooms and allotting yourself the time it takes to get from one location to another, participants can just turn on their computer from their home or office desk, log in to a chat or conference application and instantly exchange a back and forth of ideas and shoptalk with people from all over the country or globe.Telephone, satellite and internet conferencing options have truly made the world we live in smaller and more accessible. It makes reasonable sense to take advantage of the most up-to- date options possible. While the hassle of coordinating and attending meetings and conventions can be inconvenient, the logistics of putting them into action can be costly. Think of all the expenses an internet or telephone conference makes completely unnecessary. Air travel is pricier than ever and your transportation budget does not end there. Cabs and rental cars don’t come cheap, even if only used for short periods of time. While hotel rooms can be reserved in blocks to cut down on total cost, not having to book one at all makes clearly the most fiscal sense. Most importantly, meetings that take advantage of new age concepts and communication options help to preserve out natural resources by limiting the use of energy required to move people from city to city and by cutting down on the trash and waste that’s a byproduct of large gatherings. Such innovation and forward thinking helps to ensure the long term health of planet Earth, while having a positive effect on your bottom line as well.

Have a Green Ole’ Time

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:10:41 +0000

We hear all about the latest hybrid automobile technology and how ways you can reduce your energy consumption at home with solar panels and Energy Star products, but what about every day events? Going green involves more than just the big, life-changing events. Your day to day consumer choices have an enormous impact on the environment, and it’s easy and cheap to buy more eco-friendly products. Next time you’re planning a little get together or even a huge bash consider these simple ways to add a splash of green to your event.If you’re going to send invitations to the party, there are hundreds of websites offering free e-cards. Not only will you save paper, you’ll save money too. Socializr, Purpletrail, and Evite all offer a variety of free cards and invitations with sound, pictures and animations. If you’ve got friends or relatives who don’t go online very often, look for cards made from recycled material.Another way to go green is with your plates and utensils. Americans throw away unbelievable amounts of paper and plastic tableware every year. If you’re hosting a small event, try to use washable items that can be used. But, if it’s a big event and you have to go disposable, there are plenty of products made with recycled material. And as always, make sure to recycle everything you can. As simple as it is to throw something away in a different bin, sadly, many people won’t walk ten feet out of their way to dispose of trash in a recycling bin. Make sure to set the bin right beside the trashcan with each one clearly marked so there are no excuses for unnecessary waste.A final way to keep with the green trend is the food and drink you purchase. Buying local, organic products helps local farmers and also reduces the CO2 emissions released in the transportation of goods from far away. Even better, you don’t have to worry about the harmful effects that pesticides might be having on your body.