GREENING THE CONFERENCE

NWEC: Where Business Meets the Environment!

The 2008 Northwest Environmental Conference Steering Committee has established a conference greening program to demonstrate how we can use environmental sustainable practices in conference planning. Consult our sponsorship brochure to see how you can become an Environmental Steward sponsor this year.

TRANSPORTATION

• Conference participants and Steering Committee members make a “Green Pledge” at the time of registration to take alternative transportation
• Capture carpool interest at the time of registration and link carpoolers
• Provide bike / walking / bus maps and intuitive instructions to determine route
• Link directly to TriMet Trip Planner, Googletransit, CarpoolMatchNW.org or Bicycletripplanner to simplify use of mass transit and carpooling websites
• Provide a door prize drawing for attendees who take alternative transportation and also for those that ride their bike

COMMUNICATION

• Minimize the use of handouts
• Provide on-line registration incorporating electronic confirmations
• Print conference materials on recycled paper with soy-based inks
• Decrease printed materials and increase electronic conference publicity and communication
• Begin to calculate the carbon footprint of the conference and compare annually

EVENT

• Eliminate single use water bottles by providing water and reusable glassware
• Make the effort to use local/organic food and beverages when feasible
• Provide 100% certified organic/shade grown coffee at breaks
• Donate left over food to St. Vincent de Paul Food Train
• Minimize food waste by ordering food quantities as close to actual consumption as possible
• Provide conspicuous recycling receptacles for mixed paper and beverage containers
• Recycle and reuse name badges and signs
• Encourage exhibitors to green their booths
• Encourage and support the sustainability program at the Red Lion Hotel
• Provide conference tote bags made of recycled materials

CARBON OFFSETS

Significant contributions by our Environmental Stewardship sponsors and attendees will enable NWEC to contribute to The Climate Trust. This organization invests funding from power plants, businesses, and individuals into projects that offset GreenHouse Gas emissions.

For more information about The Climate Trust: http://www.climatetruste.org/about_offsets.php

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES

• Make the “Green Pledge” to take alternative transportation to conference location
• Carbon offsets $5 pledge at the time of conference registration
• Bring an old badge holder from another conference to use (if not sponsored)
• Bring your favorite reusable water bottle (if not sponsored)
• After conference, recycle excess and unusable handouts, brochures, etc.
• After conference, turn in badges for reuse

EXHIBITORS

• Make the “Green Pledge” to take alternative transportation to conference location
• Minimize handouts
• Print handouts on recycled paper with soy-based ink
• Print double-sided when possible
• Submit your printing order online
• Promote electronic information (website, email subscriptions, etc.)
• Reuse or recycle leftover brochures, documents, handouts, etc.
• Reduce the number of disposable giveaways
• Reuse booth displays

SPEAKERS

• Make the “Green Pledge” to take alternative transportation to conference center
• Carbon offsets $5 pledge at the time of conference registration
• If you are providing handouts, please place six slides per page and print on both sides of the page, if legible
• Recycle toner or ink cartridges used to photocopy handouts
• Distribute any excess handouts after the session at the central speaker handout table
• Recycle excess handouts