10 Hot Green Meeting Trends for a Cool Planet

Green meeting trends are all the rage and they are cool! Cool trends in sustainable events are emerging daily as our industry sees a shift to experiential gatherings. The request by attendees to be actively participating in events as a learning tool makes this a perfect opportunity to participate in green meeting initiatives as well. The heightened awareness that events should include:

• Mindfulness
• Wellness
• Healthy options

All of these are good for the mind, body, and the planet. We are all learning from each other, building on one great idea after another at an astounding rate.

That’s not to say the basics of reducing, reusing, and recycling isn’t still vital. Still, the newest ideas take it up a notch and breathe fresh life into environmentally and socially conscious initiatives. So many new initiatives we had to share the top 10 green meeting trends:

1. Technology and Gamification

Mobile App

Technology is cool AND sustainable, so is gamification. Without trying too hard, an event can save a lot of trees by switching to a mobile app that includes:

• Conference program
• Speaker’s bios
• Session abstracts
• Facility floor plans

All of these would have been printed on paper using a mobile app; your event has added a sustainable way to avoid printing!

Gamification

Now turn it up a notch and add a gamification component or, in short, a Green Game. A Green Game includes:

• Leaderboard
• Points
• Prizes

The game will help you catch participants doing something right. Examples that you would be able to track:

• Taking mass transit to the event
• Bringing their water bottle or mug
• Choosing chicken over beef
• Recycling

Mobile app providers should be able to assist you with this, or there are plug-ins available.

Twitter & Hashtags

If your event doesn’t have a mobile app, you can easily recreate the experience using Twitter and a hashtag to capture images of sustainable actions. An electronic monitor featuring a Twitter feed in a prominent area will keep guests informed.
Look for other ways to use technology with the added benefit of saving the planet, then add up the savings to share with your community.

2. Health and Wellness

Healthy Menus

Health and wellness are industry buzzwords right now as event organizers scramble to include practices that are gentler on our bodies than in earlier conferences. The side benefit is that nearly all of these also benefit the environment. For example, healthy menu options featuring fresh local, organic food are good for the body and the planet. Attendees are concerned about eating right on the road, including good food from sustainable sources.

Exercise

The opportunity to get more exercise during meetings is also high on the list for participants, so work it into your program by holding walking contests. Give them pedometers and track daily steps from the hotel to the meeting venue, to local shopping and restaurants; meanwhile, you are saving money on shuttles and cabs while reducing the carbon footprint.

One of my favorite fitness ideas was during a welcome reception when participants took turns on stationary bikes to produce electricity to blend the margaritas. Now there’s a good incentive!

3. Water Stations

Giving Up Water Bottles

There has been a lot of talk about giving up individual water bottles at events and replacing them with water bubblers. Still, nothing is lonelier than a water bubbler sitting against the exhibit hall wall.

Sponsorship & Educational Opportunites

The trend toward making both sponsorship and educational opportunities is essential. It is a win-win with signage educating guests on the environmental savings by reusing their water bottles with a prominent logo sponsored by an organization interested in publicity as a good corporate citizen.

4. Meatless Mondays and Water-Wise Wednesdays

Why not take advantage of a trend outside the meeting industry and make it your own? Many individuals now practice avoiding eating meat on Mondays (Meatless Monday) and choosing drought-tolerant menus on Wednesdays.

How To Incorporate These Programs

You can easily incorporate these into your events by working with the chef to design menus featuring both. The bonus of this initiative is that the cost of vegetarian meals is usually lower than those with meat and, when creatively designed, will ensure even the most strident carnivore is satisfied. For more information on water-wise choices, check out this infographic.

5. Decorations that Live On

Table Decorations

Events are over quickly, but the table decorations linger or are tossed into the waste stream. By rethinking the centerpieces, they can serve a larger purpose. Ask yourself:

• Can they be eaten?
• Are they reusable?
• Can they be planted?
• What organization can I donate to?

Examples

For example, a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit or vegetables makes a colorful centerpiece. After the event, donate to the local food bank, where fresh produce is often scarce. Use items from your menu to provide decorative centerpieces. Such as fancy bread with olive oil or a dessert tray with luscious delicacies.

6. Sponsored Sustainable Treats

If sustainable menu items are out of your budget, consider having them as part of a sponsorship package. A coffee break featuring fairly traded coffee and chocolates will long be remembered by participants. Additional health and wellness sponsorship opportunities:

• Fruit smoothies
• Yogurts
• Granola
• Other organic products

This type of food “experience” trend has skyrocketed in recent years.

7. Experiences that Give Back

Community Service Projects

With the trend toward experiences instead of sitting in a lecture hall listening to talking heads, a community service project will give back to the community and provide an activity with a team-building component.

Considerations for Your CSR Project

There are CSR projects available that attendees can do right at the meeting or event venue or those that are better suited for offsite. Decide what type of time commitment your group will be willing to give and reach out to the local convention bureau to connect with community organizations. International organizations such as Clean the World can create a project for you in most locations. PCMA resource | Give to Get resources.

8. Gifts that Give Back

Expectations

The coolest gifts are:

• Useful
• Thoughtful
• Made sustainably
• From community organizations

Event Participants

Today’s event participants are savvy and don’t place a high value on items that don’t meet these qualifications. It is worth the time spent to impress them.

Upcycling Materials

One tech conference produced messenger bags from last year’s branded vinyl signage, which attendees sought after. Gone are the days when an imprinted pen or stress ball would do the trick.

9. Unique Dining Experiences

Celebrity Chef

Unique dining experiences are the hottest trend right now. Ask the venue or caterer if they have a “celebrity” chef on staff who can prepare a sustainable meal and then present it to guests with a short story about where the food origin.

Farm-To-Table

Look to locations that get guests closer to the food, such as a greenhouse or farm. Have guests gather food at a local farmers market, relax over a glass of wine while the chefs prepare it, and then enjoy the fruits of their labor. Many venues and destinations are developing farm-to-table programs, don’t hesitate to ask.

10. Clean Plate Club or “Dad Was Right”

Gamify Food Waste

My dad never let me leave the table without finishing my dinner, so when I heard that the Clean Plate Club was back, I shuddered. The good news is that the hospitality industry is taking on food waste in a big way and coming up with creative solutions. One of the most innovative to pop up in the last few months is the Clean Plate Club. Here’s how it works:

• Guests are told before they graze the buffet to take as much food as they want to eat
• When they are done, take their plates to the composting station
• Those with clean dishes at the station get a sticker, ribbon, or points in the green game

Educating Attendees

Educating them from the beginning of the process that extravagance and food waste are no longer acceptable while exceptional food in reasonable portions is here to stay.

Gratitude

Thanks to all of you in our community, you know that events are windows to their organization’s soul. You are constantly pushing the envelope, adapting to the latest trends, using creativity and fun to fuel initiatives, and always keeping in mind the planet and her people. Green meetings themselves are a trend and cooler than ever before.