INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM 2008
GREEN INITIATIVES

 

SYMPOSIUM VENUE

Management

  • Work with venue management and staff to set benchmarks and ramp up overall green initiatives at the hotel.

Guest Arrival/Departure

  • Decrease the amount of paper handed to guest at check-in/check-out, with goal of paperless process.
  • Recycle key cards and holders.

Building Design

  • First ‘Gold’ LEED (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified building design with over 100 “green” features including extensive use of recycled materials, forest friendly lumber, low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and sealants, solar panels, solar tubes, recycled stones, tiles, and granite.
  • Chemical Free Landscaping using recycled water.
  • Carpets contain post consumer recycled material.
  • Appropriate sized and efficient HVAC units are used throughout the venue.
  • All windows used are efficient, low energy transmittable and reduce glare.

Guest Rooms

  • Offer in-room recycling.
  • Offer all guests the option to reuse linens.
  • Minimize paper and notepads in the rooms and, where necessary, supply recycled paper goods.
  • Newspapers are available in the lobby & restaurant, not delivered to each occupied room, for guests that read the paper.
  • Water reduction using 1 GPF (gallon per flush) toilets.
  • Low flow shower heads.
  • Bulk soap and shower dispensers to help eliminate hundreds of pounds of plastic containers.

Meeting Space

  • Encourage recycling by providing recycling bins in all meeting space areas.
  • Utilize cloth linens, ceramic or glass drink ware and tableware, and metal flatware for all meal functions.
  • Prohibit plastic water bottles and replace with reusable water bottles.
  • Supply conference with notepads and pens of recycled materials.
  • Oxygenate the space with plants.
  • Use recyclable and/or biodegradable serving products, instead of plastic or styrofoam for staff (if ceramic/glassware not available).
  • Reduce AC and lighting and ensure it is turned off when room is not in use.

Food & Beverage

  • Create menus using organic produce from sustainable local farmers.
  • Coffee is Organic/Fair-Trade/Rain Forest Alliance-certified.
  • Teas are Organic/Fair Trade-certified.

Business Center

  • Set all printers in the business center to print 2-sided.
  • Utilize recycled printer cartridges.
  • Set computers, printers, etc., to go into "sleep" mode after a few minutes.

Awareness

  • Add information on hotel's Green initiatives to the hotel website.
  • Train hotel staff to comply with green standards: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

General

  • Use recycled goods only when paper goods are needed.
  • Recycle materials whenever possible.
  • Use nontoxic cleaning products.
  • Promoting awareness of sustainability.

STAFF PRODUCTION


Transportation, Energy, & Fuel

  • Optimize venue to use as little electricity as possible.
  • Use hybrid and/or electric vehicles for the production, when possible.
  • Assure that transport vehicles do not idle unnecessarily.
  • Direct staff to carpool or use public transit, when possible.

Staff Office

  • Recycle production office materials. (paper, plastics, bottles, cans, cardboard, wood, toner, etc.). Ensure recycling bins are accessible around office.
  • Buy unbleached, chlorine-free, high post consumer recycled-content items for office.
  • Set all printers in the office to print 2-sided.
  • Utilize recycled printer cartridges.
  • Install power strips so turning off all electronics at once is easy.
  • Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs.
  • Keep mailing list up to date to avoid any duplicate mailings.
  • Edit documents on screen as much as possible to avoid multiple printings.
  • Use postcards for mailings when possible.

General

  • Use local vendors.
  • Offer a carbon offset calculator for all event participants, staff, and meeting needs.

Guest Communications / Signage

  • E-mail registration confirmations, agenda revisions and updates, and distribute a minimum of handouts onsite.

MARKETING


Direct Mail

  • Reduce all marketing materials to minimum, and utilize website and e-mails to provide program updates.
  • Print all marketing materials on FSC- and SFI-certified post-consumer recycled paper using soy/vegetable based inks.
  • Provide the option for participants to receive all communications via e-mail.