After two years of virtual meetings and travel restrictions, it’s finally looking like our workplaces may be getting back to normal. The return of in-person meetings and events after a long hiatus is an opportunity to revisit our practices and adopt some new eco-friendly habits. In today’s post, I’ve got tips for green meetings and conferences.

This post was originally published in September 2019.

Tips for green meetings and conferences

When looking to make your meetings more sustainable, you’ll want to consider everything from how people register, to the material you provide onsite, and the food and drink you serve. Most of these changes are simple to make with a little thought and planning.

Communicate green meeting policies in advance

If you’re planning to adopt green meeting and conference practices, be sure to let your attendees know well in advance. Most people will be open to changes in the interest of sustainability, but it’s best to avoid surprises by managing expectations before they arrive on site at the meeting.

Ditch the bottled water

Science tells us that staying hydrated is important to proper brain function, and it’s easy to get dehydrated during the hot summer months. You don’t want your attendees nodding off mid-afternoon so providing water is essential. However, there are easy alternatives to bottled water.

• For in-house meetings, ask attendees to fill and bring their own water bottles.
• When booking a meeting venue, find out what options they have in lieu of bottled water. Most hotels and meeting sites will provide glasses and water in refillable jugs.
• At longer meetings and conferences, give each participant a refillable water bottle, or ask them to bring their own. Branded reusable water bottles are a great sponsorship opportunity for your conference.

Choose sustainable catering options

Many meetings and conferences involve food. Meals and snacks are a big draw, but catering can be a big source of waste. When booking catering options, think reusable instead of disposable. Here are some ideas.

• Avoid individually packaged snacks. Fruit, or fresh-baked cookies and muffins, are alternatives to packaged energy bars and other snacks.
• There’s an environmental cost associated with meat consumption. Consider offering plant-based meal options, or reducing the amount of meat served.
• Choose venues that serve food on real dishes and silverware, and offer cloth napkins and other linens instead of paper.

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Go digital

Conferences and meetings generate a lot of paper and most of it gets thrown away, or left in the meeting room, after the meeting is over. Going digital is a fairly easy thing to do. Here are some tips to make it happen.

• Make electronic the default for handouts and other conference materials. During the registration process, ask attendees to specifically request paper. If you’re going paperless, let participants know how to download digital copies before the meeting.
• If you must provide handouts, print them on recycled paper and put them in paper folders or cardboard binders.
• Most people bring their own pens and paper to meetings. To reduce cost and waste, make pens and notepads available at the back of the meeting room instead of on tables.
• Finally, put post-meeting surveys and evaluation forms online. And don’t forget to ask participants to evaluate your green meeting practices.

Skip the swag

In my pre-decluttering days, I happily scooped up as many trinkets as I could at every conference I went to. As I’ve become more environmentally-conscious, I avoid picking up the swag offered at many conferences. As a meeting organizer, skipping the swag is an excellent way to cut meeting costs and waste.

• Don’t automatically include sponsored giveaways in registration packages. Leave it up to attendees to pick up items they can use from a central area or sponsorship display.
• Provide an option for attendees to use their own tote bags. In my recent decluttering efforts, I got rid of a pile of conference tote-bags that I had accumulated over the years. Such a waste!

Encourage recycling

The best way to be green and eco-friendly is to avoid waste altogether, but it isn’t always possible. Ask your meeting venue about their recycling practices and make sure recycling bins are conveniently located throughout the venue.  

It’s a great feeling to get away from our screens and gather in person with friends and colleagues again. Since most people haven’t attended many in-person meetings over the last couple of years, now is an excellent time to slip in some green meeting practices. And remember, every small change counts!

Do you have other tips for green meetings and conferences? Tell us about them below.