Sustainability and Our Annual Meeting & Exposition

Share |

Sustainability and Our Annual Meeting & Exposition

2010 marks the start of a third year of ASAE & The Center’s social responsibility efforts to create awareness about what we as individuals and organizations can do to contribute to society while simultaneously strengthening ourselves and the entire sector. One of the sustainability areas that associations and nonprofits have in common is our ability to transform meetings into less environmentally harmful and more socially beneficial events—all while providing outstanding service to our members.

Like the 175-plus other signatories of the Global Principles for Socially Responsible Associations & Nonprofits, we’ve committed to “green” this meeting and give back of ourselves locally while we gather to learn and network. Here in Los Angeles, the city, convention center, host hotels, event sites, and other meeting stakeholders have been working enthusiastically to help us and other meeting planners lighten every organization’s eco-footprints and inspire social progress.

Below are highlights of the actions we’re taking with these partners to live our sustainability commitment and to provide a stellar meeting experience for you. We’ll be updating this right up to the August meeting, so check back often to monitor our progress and feel free to share your suggestions by e-mailing Amy Ledoux, aledoux@asaecenter.org. For information on the Global Principles, visit www.asaecenter.org/srprinciples or contact Chris Wood, cwood@asaecenter.org.

A Journey of Learning

Sustainability can be a major business driver if aligned with core values and competencies, and well-integrated at all levels. That requires active learning, as well as serious conversations, experiments, monitoring, and evaluations. ASAE & The Center want to help by offering a range of education sessions and speakers who will demonstrate the role sustainability plays in almost every functional area of an organization. Look for the special “SR” logo that tags relevant sessions and speakers throughout the meeting. And, of course, you’ll find plenty of sustainability resources, cases, tools, and news at www.asaecenter.org/socialresponsibility if you just can’t wait! You can also swing by Connections Central to pick up materials and share your thoughts and needs in this regard with ASAE & The Center staff.

Lightening Our Environmental Footprint

Transportation

Travel to a meeting often means generating more greenhouse gases, whether from flying, driving, or taking the train. To help attendees reduce those emissions and even save money, ASAE & The Center have again partnered with ATC (Association Travel Concepts) to waive service fees and offset your carbon footprint with a donation to CarbonFund.org based on the pound calculations of your flight to Los Angeles. However, you must make your travel arrangements using the online booking tool to obtain these benefits. We’d love to set a record in 2010!

Air travelers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or Van Nuys Airport will land in the middle of a major green initiative that is well underway, with both airports aiming to generate half of their electricity via renewable green sources by the end of 2010 (100% by 2015).

Once onsite, three of our 10 host hotels-- JW Marriott, Luxe City Center (formerly Holiday Inn), and the Ritz Carlson—are within easy, one-block walking distance of the convention center. Other hotels are five to 14 blocks away and will have “green shuttle” service, thanks to a partnership with Kushner & Associates. The firm is designing the most efficient transportation system possible with the fewest number of motorcoaches traveling the least distances possible to meet our transportation needs.

We encourage you to ride this bus system to reduce our carbon footprint and create an effective “car pool” that replaces the need for pollution-generating private vehicles such as taxis and cars. A single motorcoach can remove the use of 55 cars from the highway, thus reducing traffic congestion around our events and excessive idling and carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, according to Kushner & Associates, CO2 emissions are reduced by a whopping average 85% per passenger mile for every individual who chooses motorcoach travel instead of driving alone.

To further enhance our green initiatives, Kushner & Associates will use late-model motorcoaches equipped with new engine technology that cuts nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 55% and soot and ash particulates by nearly 90%. The buses also are adopting other emission-reducing strategies, including 12-speed transmissions that increase fuel mileage as much as 2 miles per gallon; new fuel-saving tire technology that deceases weight and lowers rolling resistance, and more.

If you must drive, hybrid vehicles and “green car” collections options are available from rental agencies such as Hertz, Econation, EV Rental Cars, and California Rent-A-Car.

However, the city’s Metro system has four electricity-run subway lines and the country’s largest fleet of compressed natural gas-run buses, so they are all eco-friendly options as well.

Green Accommodations and the Conference Center

Few people likely think of LA as an eco-friendly city, but actually the Brookings Institute has ranked it the second greenest city in the U.S. for its low greenhouse gas emissions, mandated conservation practices, easy access to nature and outdoor recreation, and extensive open space. LA also was the first city to mandate that its 49 new buildings be built and LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

To support Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's aggressive “Green LA” initiative, the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau is working with Green Seal to develop an LA Green Lodging Program using the nonprofit’s GS-33 Environmental Leadership Standard for Lodging Properties. One of our host hotels, The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, was the first to achieve this designation, although all 10 host hotels are deeply involved in sustainability strategies. Such strategies—some of them invisible to customers, others involving visitors directly--focus on water and energy conservation, philanthropic or food donations, renewable energy use, waste and carbon emission reduction, and recycling. Look for more details on each hotel’s efforts in future meeting materials.

Meanwhile, the 54-acre Los Angeles Convention Center has long been a frontrunner in the green building arena. Currently working toward LEED-EB certification, it is the largest solar energy-generating convention center in North America. Among its many upgrades are new low-emission steam boilers, chemical-free water treatment, an innovative white “cool roof” that reflects the sun’s heat, high-efficiency lighting and air conditioning, and extensive recycling and re-use programs. Twenty percent of the facility runs on environmentally-friendly renewable energy resources such as hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, biomass, and wind energy.

Printing and Production Techniques

Virtual Brochure and Paper-Lite

For the third consecutive year, you can choose whether you want to receive a printed or virtual meeting brochure. In 2009, 1,600 attendees requested a virtual-only brochure, significantly decreasing our paper print run, saving myriad natural resources, and allowing us to keep content updated for you more easily. The virtual brochure also features imbedded videos and multimedia, which provides a richer, more interactive experience for you and other attendees.

This year’s brochure is the result of our successful 2009 pilot project of this new technology. Thanks to tremendously positive feedback, we’ve now brought the technology in-house and expanded its application to many of our other major meetings.

In addition, as in past years, all session handouts will be Web-accessible to diminish paper usage and help you organize the tremendous amount of knowledge being shared. For convenience, we again are offering wireless Internet connection onsite, thanks to our sponsor ASAE-Endorsed Business Solutions.

On the marketing and communications fronts, all of the printers we use are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a nonprofit third party that determines responsible, sustainable forest growth and harvesting. Nearly 90% of our printed materials are printed on Chorus Art paper, which is 50% recycled and 30% post-consumer waste. All ink is soy- or vegetable-based, and we aim to use reduced-chemical digital toner devices.

Thanks, too, to new technology, we are better able to target our marketing materials to those members and exhibitors most likely to attend. This saves money, cuts waste, and improves customer service.

Meeting Materials and Badges: Greener Than Ever

Conference tote bags are not only constructed of recycled material, they also are made of something unusual: banana leaves! Use them post-show or simply compost them.

Badges are especially cool this year—they’re made of paper embedded with seeds! Plant or recycle them later or toss them in your compost pile. In addition to the badge stock, all badge holders, lanyards, and—new for 2010—ribbons are recyclable and biodegradable. Visit our partner Kleertech at www.kleertech.com to learn more about earth-friendly badge holders and similar materials.

Thanks to our partner eShow, you’ll again have the option of proofing your name badge prior to the meeting (a popular service last year) and receiving it on site instead of by mail, both of which reduce paper waste and delivery transportation impacts.

And of course, we’ll be using “green office” practices (recycled paper, virtual document exchange, etc.) for staff and speaker rooms at the convention center.

Finally, you’ll recognize most of our session signs—you saw them in Toronto and San Diego! These reusable, reconfigurable signs keep us from adding to crowded landfills and saves us (and thus, you!) money. Even the large structures in Connection Central are being utilized for a third year and are being repurposed for other meetings through 2012.

Meals, Munchies, & Drinks

Oooh, California has so much terrific freshly grown, locally produced food and beverages that you are bound to be happily satiated 24/7. We’re putting together a range of sustainable, seasonal menu options for you, and we encourage you to venture out to the numerous award-winning “green restaurants” certified by the Green Restaurant Association. You can find a local list here.

While at the convention center, all attendees will be using biodegradable and/or compostable dining utensils made from a range of natural ingredients, including sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp, palm fiber, wheat and rice chaff, savanna grass, and cornstarch. The facility also diverts all food waste, food-soiled paper, and plants that would otherwise go to landfills.

One thing you might notice, though, is that we are offering bottled water. However, we are using redesigned water bottles that are smaller to reduce water and container waste and are easily recyclable via the many clearly marked recycling bins around the convention area. Please use them!

In addition to daytime dining, all of our major social events—the opening night LA LIVE extravaganza, the Food & Wine Classic, and the Final Night Celebration with “Grand Performances” in the Water Court of California Plaza—are being developed with social responsibility in mind. Please help us by taking advantage of the green shuttle service or walking, recycling your beverage containers, and enjoying the wonderful outdoor opportunities to network, learn, and have fun together under the stars.

Leaving a Social Legacy

Midnight Mission Volunteerism has risen dramatically in the past two years across America, but donating time, money, and expertise has been a longtime tradition of many meeting attendees at association events. In 2010, ASAE & The Center enters its third year of leading “Community Connection” projects designed to give back to our host city and its citizens in need.

And what a variety of options from which to choose! Join us and the Industry Partner Alliance from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 21, to participate in “Helping Hands for the Midnight Mission,” a longtime human services organization centered in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. In fact, you may have seen it featured in the movie “The Soloist!” ASAE & The Center volunteers will help in The Midnight Mission kitchen with meal preparation and service; preparing for a special event, sorting clothing, and assisting in distribution of services. Visit www.midnightmission.org to learn more.

Please meet at the Convention Center by 9:30 a.m. to catch a ride to the Midnight Mission; you’ll be returned to the Convention Center by 2:30 p.m. Registration is $35—100% of which goes to the Midnight Mission. You have the option to register and participate or make a charitable donation.

On Sunday, August 22, from 6 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., you can participate in a 5k fun walk/run to see the iconic sights of LA in a three-mile walk beginning at the Convention Center. Follow a guide and see the sights while energizing yourself for a day of networking and learning. Register and receive a pedometer to track your miles! Registration is $35, again all of which goes to Midnight Mission.

Tuesday, August 24, offers a trivecta of community service and philanthropic activities. From 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m., join other attendees at “Community Connections at the Convention Center,” where everyone will compile toiletry kits and school supplies onsite for clients of the Midnight Mission. Exhibitors and attendees are encouraged to send extra toiletries, conference bags, pens, pencils, and giveaways with their materials to the Convention Center. Bins will be set up to collect extra materials and novelties on site. Registration is $35 (yup, every penny is designated to Midnight Mission).

Not afraid of a bit of elbow grease? We’ve got just the thing: Work with a team from the Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau to build bikes at the convention center for donation to the mission’s clients. Instruction is included, and the team will use those tools on Tuesday from 2:45pm to 5 p.m. Instruction is included. Registration is $35 (for the mission, of course!).

And finally, hey, maybe you need some air, right? On Tuesday, August 24, from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m., take a guided tours of LA for—say it with us now—a tax-deductible $35!

See You in LA!

Although we have tried to examine each planning step, each buying decision, each vendor choice with sustainability in mind, we know that we’re on a constant journey as new innovations and services become available and cost-effective. We are excited about what we have accomplished to date as we evolve into a more sustainable organization. Join us in these efforts! Our partners—and yours—have been indispensible in our efforts to reach our social responsibility goals. Thank you all! And visit us at www.asaecneter.org/socialresponsibility or contact Christopher Wood, cwood@asaecenter.org, for more information on how you can help your organization build a successful, sustainable future.