By Amy Spatrisano, CMP, and Nancy J. Wilson, CMP

As the business world scrambles to survive the recent economic downturn, it would be easy to view sustainability as an expendable luxury. It is, however, a bottom-line necessity.

The Oregon Sustainability Act provides one of the best definitions of sustainability: “Sustainability means using, developing and protecting resources in a manner that enables people to meet current needs and provides that future generations can also meet economic and community objectives.”

Sustainability is emerging as a compelling business strategy for the meeting industry as industry leaders seek ways to improve their economic, environmental and social bottom lines. First, conserving resources saves money. Secondly, environmental stewardship is a competitive advantage as environmental consumerism increases. Thirdly, the growing demand for Earth-friendly products and services is fueling new business and opening new markets.

Opportunities for sustainability

Perhaps nowhere are the challenge and opportunity of sustainability more evident than in the meeting industry. Interfacing with a variety of businesses—transportation, hospitality and communications, to name a few—and conducted on local, national and international levels, the industry is uniquely positioned to make a meaningful difference.

Consider this example of a hypothetical conference’s impact on the environment. During a typical five-day conference, 2,500 attendees will use 62,500 plates, 87,500 napkins, 75,000 cups or glasses and 90,000 cans or bottles. Multiply that by the thousands of meetings produced each year worldwide. The environmental impact is staggering, but so is the opportunity for substantive change.

Dispelling the myths

While more organizations are working to make their meetings more eco-efficient, misconceptions about sustainability are holding back many others.

• Myth 1: Environmentally responsible meetings are too expensive. Actually, the simple act of asking a hotel to change sheets and towels by request rather than on a daily basis reduces the environmental impact, saves the hotel money and empowers the attendee—all at no cost to the host organization.
• Myth 2: If conservation can’t be 100 percent, why bother? In fact, every effort toward sustainability has a significant impact. According to Green Suites International, if one hotel adopts the aforementioned bath and linen program, 200 barrels of oil are saved—enough to run a family car for 180,000 miles.
• Myth 3: Eco-efficiency requires too much effort. Every meeting, green or otherwise, requires a commitment of time and resources and involves the same elements—from site inspections and contract negotiation to promotion and logistical management. It is simply a matter of setting priorities and then working to meet them.
• Myth 4: Only “environmental types” are making efforts to go green. That would be news to the Fortune 500 hotel chains participating in an environmental benchmark program through The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. Sustainability also is keeping company with mega-retailers such as The Home Depot, which ultimately is committed to selling only wood from sustainable forests. And in the five years ending August 2001, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index outperformed the Dow Jones Global Index with an annualized return of 15.8 percent versus 12.5 percent.
• Myth 5: Individuals are powerless to change their workplaces and communities. The burgeoning green marketplace is filled with success stories of individuals who came up with an environmental solution and helped meet the growing need for Earth-friendly products and services. Empowerment is a primary goal of eco-efficient conference management, giving each attendee the opportunity to reduce environmental impact and adopt responsible behaviors that continue beyond a single event.

A new economic mindset

The United Nations has declared 2002 the International Year of Ecotourism—a call to action, an acknowledgment of the global impact we have as we travel and gather together and a reflection of new economic realities. The meeting industry is uniquely positioned to reduce environmental impact on a meaningful scale.

In more prosperous times, conspicuous consumption was tolerated. But as the market tightens, the need to cut costs is pushing sustainability to the forefront. Waste is out. Conservation is in. Strategically minded businesses increasingly are broadening their perspectives to look at the outcomes of their actions across the board and on every bottom line.

Sustainability is simply good business. As news spreads of its ability to save businesses money, provide a competitive edge and attract new markets—all while preserving the resources on which ongoing prosperity depends—sustainability has moved from a would-if-we-could nicety to a must-have strategy for the meeting industry.

AMY SPATRISANO, CMP, and NANCY J. WILSON, CMP, are principals for Meeting Strategies Worldwide, providers of consulting, training and management services with an environmentally responsible emphasis. They can be reached at (503) 252-5458, amy@meetingstrategiesworldwide.com or nancy@meetingstrategiesworldwide.com.