In what appears to be a precursor to future LEED standards for Hotels, the US Green Building Council has released the “Green Venue Selection Guide: Integrating LEED into Travel and Event Management.”

The guide is intended to serve as a checklist for those properties that are not currently LEED certified. USGBC suggests the user package the checklist with their Request for Proposal. They do clarify that it should be obvious this is a product of the USGBC. One could surmise that the USGBC is wise in distributing this document to properties with the intent that hoteliers will recognize the increased demand from planners and organizations who would like to hold their events in certified green properties. Nice move USGBC!

You can download the document here. You can also see their presentation enticing hospitality professionals here.

An archived version of the Project Green AV webinar that aired 11/17 is now available on-demand. You can access it here.

For a copy of the presentation with all links live, please send a message to midori *at* pulsestaging.com You can also view the document on my LinkedIn Slide Share page.

Enjoy!!

Women's Global Network

For attendees of my presentation on CSR, Small Business and You at the Women’s Global Network, here is a copy of the presentation and resources I recommend for measurement, values assessment and ROI.

CSR Resources

Copy of Presentation

Thank you so much for attending and please let me know if you have any other groups or businesses that might be interested in learning more about this topic.

Cheers! Midori Connolly, CEO and Chief AVGirl midori *at* pulsestaging.com

Trash. No longer just for the dump.

As I watched my five year old son play with his most cherished toy in the world (yes, a trash truck, I know), it occurred to me that throwing any and all waste into one single receptacle represents an outdated, outmoded and, frankly, old way of thinking. As you can see, the reality to my son and his entire generation is that the contents of our bins are not just waste. There is composting, greens, recycling (he prefers to separate his materials) and then only what’s left over or can’t be reused goes to the dump. So, how can we, as the sage leaders we’re supposed to be, continue to take all of the rubbish from our events straight to the landfill?

Now, as an Audio Visual producer and sometime speaker…I’m kind of low on the totem pole when it comes to input on event management. We do participate in the creative planning process and often share handy tips for various operational challenges, but we’re generally not involved in the overall operational goals. Especially for something like waste management. So, imagine my surprise the other day when Paul Salinger, the mastermind behind the Green Meeting Industry Council’s Million Ton Trash Challenge, asked me if I could use my influence to sway the organizers of one of our upcoming events to participate in the Trash Challenge. Why! It never occurred to me that I should be rallying the troops for ALL of our events. It was a lot less of an aha moment and much more of a big “duh”!

So now, Pulse Staging vows to assume the role of trash troubadours. We will serenade our event managers to please share their trash data with the GMIC so that our industry might meet the goal of diverting one million tons of trash from landfills. We will broach the subject from the initial point of contact…offering suggestions and ways to avoid even creating the waste in the first place (which can also eliminate some of the hassle and expense associated with its management).

What’s more, I also raise my voice in a rallying cry to all of the other suppliers who might feel like us. I’m sure there are many more of you out there who hadn’t considered it was appropriate for you to “weigh in” on the weighty trash situation. Singers, photographers, graphic artists, registration companies, don’t be afraid to think beyond the impact of just your service and encourage and assist your event organizers to join the GMIC Trash Challenge.

And I leave you with a final trashy thought that’s always vexed me. Why must the city’s regular trash receptacle be larger than the blue recycling? I’v always wondered, could this have a psychological effect on our wasteful habits?

Pulse Staging is proud to sponsor the Green Career Conference co-presented by the San Diego Renewable Energy Society and the Solar Living Institute.

We invite you to join us on 4/25/08 as our own Midori Connolly will be speaking on the topic, “Undercover: Agents of Change discuss greening a non-green profession.” Perhaps you are on your way to securing a “green job.” And perhaps you’re in the process of learning more about what you need to do to launch this new career. On the other hand, there is a strong possibility that your passion is for sustainability but your paycheck comes from a non-green source. This session is intended for those of you in this situation. Whether you are an entrepreneur, potential entrepreneur or simply have a desire to take ownership of your career path, join us for a relaxed conversation on how any job can become a green job with the correct knowledge and passion. Hear the stories of co-speakers David LeCours, Creative Director of LeCours Design and William Franklin, Sustainability Coordinator, Navy Region Southwest.

The conference will highlight educational workshops, extensive networking and even complimentary resume reviews. Clicking on the link above will take you directly to the registration site. We hope to see you there!

Launched this month, Pulse Staging will be performing a series of interviews and podcasts on all things green in the meetings and events industry. The podcasts will be ten minutes or less and will feature lively and entertaining discussions with industry professionals.

The podcasts can be found on the MeetingsPodcast.com website. The first interview, featuring the founder of GreenYourTheme.com, Jessie Upp, can be found here. Listen to what she has to say about why greenwashing might be…GOOD??!

Future topics include the greening of event venues, green event materials and processes, stories from what experts have learned along the way and conversations with those new to the greening process. Remember to listen all the way through. Interviews always feature at least one random and fun fact about our interviewee!

There is an alarming trend that has developed under this muggy economic shroud. “Should we abandon our sustainable initiatives if they require additional expenditures?” is a predominant topic of conversation. The popularity of this question shows that many members of the business community perhaps never intimately embraced and understood the great green craze but merely viewed themselves as passengers on a very crowded bandwagon. To help build their resolve and answer the tough questions, we must examine the  legitimate business case for sustainability.

A strong and obvious case is built by a recent study by AT Kearney. Over a six month period in 2008, they evaluated 99 companies with a strong commitment to sustainability, comparing their financial performance with industry averages. In 16 of the 18 industries studied, those companies committed to sustainability outperformed industry averages by 15%. However, the firm does advise that if the commitment to sustainability is on the shallow side, where efforts are simply to improve public relations or catch up with industry leaders, then capital might be better directed at other areas.

Additionally, when we look at the business case for environmental strategies, we have to look deeper into all of the potential benefits. For example, while energy and water efficiency are the obvious economic advantages to building green, the human element must also be considered. A study by the Rocky Mountain Institute showed that in six green projects, employee productivity rose anywhere from 6 to 16 percent (productivity measured in terms of reduced absenteeism and quality of work amongst other factors). An increase of just 1 percent in productivity can provide savings to a company that exceed its entire annual energy bill. We could even take this one step further and look at employee retention rates and the associated cost of employee turnover.

The fundamental meaning of sustainability is to last, to endure. While it has been very appealing to many companies to become “green,” they must now consider what will drive their sustainability. Balancing long-term vision with short-term need and plugging in to the humanity of being green will lead to lasting profitability. And this is the only way for a business to endure.

At a time when many organizations are seeking means of verifying their policies of social and environmental responsibility, 3rd Party certification is the hottest trend around. As reported before, just months ago the Council for Responsible Sporting began offering an outstanding certification process for sporting events. Now, meeting and event organizers have one more option to establish credibility for their greening efforts.

North American based EcoLogo has just released the newest version of their ecolabel for events. Classified under section CCD-095: Events, the new standards pertain to the three categories of 1)Waste, 2)Materials and 3)Energy, Carbon & Transport.  While the standards might have missed a few opportunities to improve the event’s “green factor” – such as suggesting use of alternative energy or fuels for shipping – ultimately the criteria establish a manageable and respectable baseline.  It is a clear declaration to all stakeholders that the organizers have complied with minimum guidelines and are serious about their commitment to sustainability.

With roots in both Canada and the United States, EcoLogo was founded 20 years ago by TerraChoice Marketing. You might be familiar with TerraChoice as the genius firm responsible for the creation of “The Six Sins of Greenwashing.” A unique and highly appealing feature that accompanies the EcoLogo labeling process is free strategic counsel, market research and environmental marketing consultation by the experts at TerraChoice.

Of course we won’t be particleboard panelists! We’ll be the attractive, healhty alternative that I’m raving about: ChloroFill.  Okay, so that’s entirely off the subject, but an interesting, green building materials sidetrack all the same.

Back on the main track, the San Diego chapter of Meeting Planners International will be holding an educational program on 11/18, “Understanding & Embracing Corporate Social Responsibility.” The program is catered to the hospitality and toursim industry but will be beneficial for all industries. We are honored to have Elizabeth Henderson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Meeting Professionals International, lead the discussion. Three panelists from the areas of green meetings and CSR will participate.

For more details and to register, please visit the San Diego MPI website. Thanks for your support and we hope to see you there!

As if things around here haven’t been exciting enough the last couple of weeks…

Not only are we steering the guidelines for the US EPA’s standards on green audio and video, but now InfoComm International has selected Pulse Staging as its designated expert on green staging.

On October 23, 2008, PSE will join 20 leaders from top A/V manufacturing, consulting, integration and staging companies to gather for an industry-first green A/V strategy session. As the only staging company invited, we will be helping to identify and chart green strategies for our entire industry. We recognize the significant responsibility of representing our peers and have already begun to prepare for this historical event.

I know our “aw, shucks” attitude might be a little repetitive, but keep in mind that we are minute plankton swishing our way amongst the baleen of our massive colleagues! This latest honor is a supportive reminder to stay our course and persevere with educating meeting planners, event producers and other A/V companies on the positive impact of changing our event practices.