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GREENING EVENTS
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The global environment crisis is, • Use lightweight stands and equipment which will reduce the as we say in Tennessee, real as rain, and I cannot stand the thought emissions from transport. of leaving my children with a • Electronic media is preferable to degraded earth and a diminished physical media, e.g. billboards, future. posters and banners. -Al Gore
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GREEN EVENT IDEAS
The following section provides some ideas of how to green your event.
Dress Codes
Dress codes must be appropriate for the venue’s climatic conditions inside or outside. Communicate this to your delegates. This will reduce the need to consume energy through the use of air-conditioners or heaters. This information should be communicated in the pre-event marketing and invitations. • For warm venues, suggest to attendees / delegates that they dress down (e.g. avoid suits and ties and allow short sleeve shirts). This will reduce the need to cool the venue down and conserve energy. • In cooler climates, it is suggested that attendees / delegates wear warmer clothes, which will reduce the need for e.g. gas heating or air-conditioning.
Exhibitions
• Provide green guidelines to exhibitors, which include energy and water conservation, waste management, green tips, procurement policies etc. Make it a requirement for exhibitors to display their own environmental initiatives.
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THE TOURISM HANDBOOK
• Billboards, posters and banners should be re-usable and made from recycled / biodegradable fabrics and organic inks. • Instead of having marketing materials printed, consider getting a local artist / stenographer to hand make materials – especially those that are re-usable. • Ensure that waste stations with collection bins, colour-coded and / or labelled is provided at points which are easily accessible for attendees / delegates. Waste stations should include provision for recycling of paper, tin, glass and plastic, wet waste and other waste. • Communicate information about waste stations as part of the marketing materials and information packs. • Bring only what is needed to the event and take away what they do not give out. Find institutions that will be able to use left-over materials, e.g. schools. Alternatively, design materials to be generic and re-usable at future events. Collect what is not used and hand out at the next event. • Gifts, hand-outs and information brochures should be kept to a minimum. Source from empowerment projects, use recycled paper and materials which will biodegrade quickly.