Location plays a major role in making your event green.
Here are 7 tips for selecting the perfect green destination for your next event, according to the Convention Industry Council’s 2004 Green Meetings Report.
Minimal Best Practices
- Consider destinations compatible with the event’s purpose and the demographics of the attendees. When choosing a destination requiring extensive attendee travel, consider using carbon offset programs.
- Use a list of environmental criteria with each Request for Proposals. The questionnaire is a helpful tool to use in gaining information about a destination’s environmental practices.
- Ask the destination’s convention and visitors bureau and local destination management companies to recommend venues and suppliers that have environmental practices in place.
- Inform vendors and suppliers of the environmental strategies the event is considering and ask about their environmental practices.
- Include a clause in the contract with the vendor or property that states their commitment to comply with the event organizer’s environmental requests.
Strongly Recommended Best Practices:
- Consider cities with mass transit systems that connect major venues with each other and with major transportation hubs like airports and train stations.
- Consider off-site events and tours that involve event attendees in the area’s natural environment with minimal impact.
The following cities have been recognized by Best Places to MeetGreen as verified green destinations:
- Banff Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Orlando, Florida, USA
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Portland, Oregon, USA
- San Francisco, California, USA
- Seattle, Washington, USA
Unverified destinations include:
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Dallas, Texas, USA
- Denver, Colorado, USA
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
- Houston, Texas, USA
- Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Monterey, California, USA
- Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Telluride Mountain Village, Colorado, USA
- Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
- Whistler, British Colombia, Canada
