Sustainable Tourism
Conference Venues
Calyx Sustainable Tourism can help you meet one of the growing challenges to the convention and meeting industry.
The Environmental Protection Agency has a written policy for employee travel which gives preference to "green" travel. New national green meeting standards are under development by the EPA, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) and ASTM, a renowned standards setting organization. Trends show that Federal, State and local regulations are also expected over the next few years.
Green meetings are good for your business, good for the Earth, and good for host communities… Green meetings make good business sense. They:
- save money by conserving resources
- create and enhance competitive advantage and reputation
- open up new or niche markets
- present positive opportunities for marketing, improve public relations and demonstrate a commitment to corporate responsibility
Green Meeting Industry Council
Many large companies from Microsoft and Starbucks to General Electric now issue Request for Proposals (RFPs) which include questions about meeting venues' green policies, practices, building efficiency and operational practices.
To respond to these trends, convention centers and hotel conference centers are adopting revised operational and purchasing strategies to meet this demand and stem the tide of explosive costs of energy, water and waste. Without doing so, they risk losing business to centers that do.
Even loyal guests, especially businesses, once they adopt new environmental practices in their own firms, might move their meetings to your competitors if you do not respond to the surge in green meetings and conferences. The CIC, recognizing this trend, now includes the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) as a member organization.
Impacts associated with the convention industry come from two primary sources, which are similar to lodgings:
I. The building (envelope), landscaping and overall operations
- The embedded energy, mining ores, forest products and synthetic materials used to build the center
- Energy
- Water
- Waste
- Changes in the natural flow of water across your property
II. Physical Items Purchased
- Interior Design Elements
- Furniture
- All equipment
- Chemicals
- Exhibit Materials
- Transportation for thousands of conference attendees and exhibitors
- Food & Beverage: bottled water, wasted food
- Amenities used in public restrooms
- Electronics
- Plants and other landscaping materials
Benefits to you
- Reduce costs and increase revenues
- Create a healthier environment for guests, meeting participants, tourists and associates
- Reduce risk
- Improve staff retention
- Steward the environment
- Minimize investment and maximize return on investment and equity
- Build public credibility and recognition as a responsible business