Green Event Ideas

Sustainability can carry over from one event to another. Intel created 400 messenger bags from large vinyl banners that had been used at a 2010 conference. The bags became giveaways at future Intel events and some were donated to schools, saving 5,500 square feet of material from landfills. "We do re-purpose other signage. The trick is to not date your material," says Lou Cozzo, Intel's corporate event marketing manager.

Intel has worked with United Van Lines to reduce the impact of shipping. Two of the trucks used to ship materials for the Intel Developer Forum used hydrogen technology that reduced fuel use and emissions. United also uses a scheduling system that minimizes miles traveled to transport the freight.

Communication with event guests is critical to the success of sustainability efforts. Symantec displayed a large sign near the registration area to share information about its initiatives. The company began its awareness campaign two months before the conference with articles in the event newsletter and on its Web site. In addition to the display, organizers shared information about sustainability during keynote sessions and on the event app.

At its Vision Barcelona conference in November 2012, local children joined Symantec executives to plant a tree just outside the convention facility. The 15-year-old founder of Plant for the Planet spoke during the event's opening ceremony and Symantec pledged $10,000 to plant 10,000 more trees.

Symantec reduced the amount of carpet used at Vision Barcelona by 52 percent by covering the trade show floor with reusable, rented carpet tiles; traditional carpeting was only used in the walk ways of the plenary room.

At its Vision Barcelona conference in November, Symantec diverted 55 percent of the waste away from landfills. "Visible, colored bins really stand out when you see them all around the venue, and they help our attendees recycle correctly," says Claudia van't Hullenaar, principal specialist for Symantec global event marketing.

To cut down on e-waste, Symantec stocked the conference's Internet Café with older computers from its corporate office that had been phased out of use. Organizers also eliminated handouts in all labs and training classes (which in the past had amounted to 22,000 sheets of paper) and instead gave participants Kindles and iPads to use.

After the McDonald's Worldwide Convention in Orlando, Freeman disassembled the "Marketplace" exhibit and donated it to a local fairground, transporting it in three tractor trailers. Parts of the remaining 16 booths were also donated to other groups.

McDonald's was the first vendor in the history of the Orange County Convention Center to divert exhibit floor food waste from landfills and contribute it to a soil-enriching compost program for local farmers.