e-Communiqué

June/July 2007

Published exclusively for members of ACCED-I

People. Planet. Profit. In business, these are often viewed as the triple bottom line of sustainability. If you are like most people, you already recycle your bottles, cans, newspapers and cardboard boxes at home and in the office. You are increasingly aware of your energy usage, thanks to the utility bills that seem to increase every month and gas prices that may hit $4 a gallon any time. But are you aware of the impact of what you do on the people you serve and the financial success of your unit? Have you thought about ways that as professionals in conference services we can be more sustainable in our business practices through the lens of the triple bottom line?

At California State University, Chico sustainability has become ingrained in our way of life. In fact, last year the university added a sixth strategic priority to solidify our commitment to preserving earth’s resources.

Believing that each generation owes something to those which follow, we will create environmentally literate citizens, who embrace sustainability as a way of living. We will be wise stewards of scarce resources and, in seeking to develop the whole person, be aware that our individual and collective actions have economic, social, and environmental consequences locally, regionally, and globally.

As a university we are constantly looking at ways that we can implement this strategic priority. As a result, Conference Services has been asked to improve our business practices to conserve resources now and create an environment that enhances our opportunities for the future.

You may already be using sustainable practices such as online registration and recycling soda cans, but we have found a myriad of other ways to contribute to conservation while not compromising our business offerings. Many of our practices are behind the scenes and not readily visible to the clients we serve. Others actively engage conference participants in the process and encourage learning about sustainability. Here are some best practices from our Conference Services Division.

Marketing and Communications

Email, Web, listservs, electronic newsletters and two-way video are just a few examples of how technology helps save resources. Moving away from traditional print marketing pieces to electronic marketing, and smaller print pieces (such as postcards) when a mailing is necessary are simple and effective ways to reduce printing costs. Instead of printing lengthy conference programs, Web-based programs provide easy reference and a more robust, customized, and dynamic resource for participants.

During a campus conference last October, we eliminated several traditional print pieces and moved the conference schedule and program to the web. Participants were asked to print their own schedule as needed rather than print a conference brochure that contained all the sessions and tracks. Registration was all online, and all conference announcements were disseminated via email. Not only did this save thousands of dollars in printing costs, it significantly reduced the amount of waste created by printing pieces that immediately hit the recycling bin without being opened.

Additionally, we asked all conference presenters to only print and distribute handouts that were absolutely necessary for a successful session. We made all presentations and supporting materials available to participants on the Web for reference on an as needed basis.

Food Service

Utilizing china rather than paper products will save thousands of plates and plastic silverware hitting the landfill. As often as possible we replace paper cups, plates and plastic silverware with china, ceramic coffee cups (coffee cups make a great give away for a conference gift) and metal silverware. The CSU, Chico campus is also experimenting with biodegradable paper ware for use when we can’t escape paper products.

When possible, we try to serve locally grown food to conference participants. Generally this is a healthier alternative and products grown locally require less transportation to reach us. We are fortunate to live in an area that is known for a wide variety of agriculture products within a 30 mile radius, but if you look around you may be surprised at what is readily available to you. Grab and go snacks like whole fruit, yogurt and nuts have been very popular. If you are doing a food intensive event, contact a local food bank or homeless shelter to pick up the leftovers at the end of the event. This can usually be easily arranged through a phone call.

Additionally, hundreds of gallons of water can be saved by not pre-filling water glasses at banquet tables.

Energy and Transportation

During a large conference on our campus last spring, we experimented with what it would take to “off-set” our energy usage. We were able to receive donated credits from a wind company who wanted to partner with us and essentially zero out our energy usage during the time of the conference.

We also encourage conference participants to walk as much as possible when the weather allows. We select conference hotels that are within walking distance to our campus and try to plan activities that are close enough for people to comfortably walk to the destination. When walking cannot be accomplished we provide bus transportation so that we don’t have several cars going to a location or encourage carpooling.

Client Involvement

Managing conferences in a sustainable way has an added educational bonus. It allows conference participants to learn about the importance of protecting the environment through active participation.

We have also found sustainability to be a competitive distinction when marketing our campus as a conference venue. We let potential clients know we can preserve precious natural resources while still providing exceptional customer service and ensure that the footprint left on the environment from an event is as small as possible while remaining memorable for all attendees. If nothing else, it opens a conversation about the importance of sustainability.

It all sounds great, but is there “green” in being green? Meaning, will all the effort impact the bottom line? Last year at a single conference of 1,300 people it was estimated that:

• Online registration eliminated paper, printing and postage, saving $3 for each registrant. Total savings = $3,900
• Not providing conference bags at $9/person plus shipping saved $11,700
• Not providing a standard 15-page handout saved $1,950
• Providing water in pitchers instead of plastic bottles at a rate of one bottle per participant, per day, saved $12,187
• Choosing hotels close to the university saved $30,000 to $40,000 in transportation costs for the three day conference.
• Recycling plastic name badges at 75 cents each saved $975
• TOTAL SAVINGS REALIZED $68,000

We have found sustainability to be one of the competitive distinctions at our university. Our students are proud of their contribution to the greening of the earth and faculty and staff are delighted to find opportunities to educate through programs, courses and personal experience.