Successful Meetings - November 2008 - (Page 52)

International Meetings Liverpool’s ACC Arena The Green Continent Europe’s conference venues embrace the environment By David Block One morning last September, the wind direction suddenly changed over the English Channel forcing Stephane Rousson to abandon the flight of his pedal-powered airship just short of the French coast. As it ditched, a low-energy light must have gone out in the febrile brains of Europe’s conference professionals. Another straw had blown away in the wind of change that is forcing that continent’s meetings industry to find ways to improve their green credentials. And reducing the carbon footprint of delegate travel around the increasingly interactive European Union (EU) and its satellites is just the start. So although that balloon may have ditched, across the continent a variety of initiatives continue to be launched to make European conference venues and routes as green as anywhere in the world. This August, Meeting Professionals International’s “Quest for Sustainability” European conference was the first to use the new British Standard for sustainable events, the BS 8901—which establishes a generic framework to manage sustainability implementation for events, venues, or suppliers. Diners at the closing night’s event contributed to the sentiment by consuming tap water, thereby swallowing the environmental costs of delivering mineral water. Meanwhile, IMEX, the international meetings industry exhibition is energizing its green credentials by becoming the first trade show in the meetings industry to offer its exhibitors hydroelectric power at IMEX 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany, next May. IMEX Chairman Ray Bloom says, “Now, more than ever, it makes good business sense to take green issues into account. However, if they are to generate trust, credibility, and true, long-term business value, companies need to beware of ‘greenwashing’— actively misleading the market about their green credentials.” Here’s a look at some of the more interesting green venues around Europe. G R E AT B R I TA I N ’ S B I G O N G R E E N Genuinely green benefits are sprouting at Liverpool’s recently opened ACC Arena. Says General Manager Jacquie Rogers, “Our Green Dream Team are continually hot-housing and implementing fantastic ideas that enable ACC to make their events as green as possible. They’re enhancing our ‘very good’ rating by BREEAM, the world’s most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings, which are an essential credential for attracting conference producers these days.” London’s Millennium Dome was transformed in 2005 from an unsuccessful exposition venue and relabeled “O2.” This multipurpose entertainment and exhibition center is now one of Europe’s most versatile venues. It’s certainly the biggest venue: Turned sideways, it could accommodate the Eiffel Tower. “Sustainability concerns drove both the design and construction of the O2,” says David Campbell, CEO of parent company AEG. “For example, we conserved resources by reusing the existing piles and ducts, the service tunnel, and plant items and utilities from the original structure.” On a continuing basis, 100 percent of O2’s food waste is composted, 70 percent of their glass bottles are processed into building sand, 100 percent of uncontaminated cardboard is reprocessed, and 100 NOVEMBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 52 successfulmeetings.com http://www.successfulmeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - November 2008

Successful Meetings - November 2008
Editor's Note
Supplier News - Wyndham Worldwide Launches Green Program and Website with a "Global Green Day"
On the Record
Calendar
Supplier News - Oregon Convention Center Earns Silver LEED�Rating
Planner Spotlight
Management Matters
Meetings Law
Mouth for Sale
Websites of the Month
Professional Development - 25 Eco-Friendly Holiday Business Gift Ideas
Pre-Event
Professional Development - The Green Meetings Glossary
Tools of the Trade
On Site
When Red and Blue Make Green
Green Your Golf
Green-Centric Events Have Spice
The Green Continent
Places & Spaces
Las Vegas
South Africa Supplement
Bermuda
Dallas Metroplex
Kansas City / St. Louis
Boston
Gurus
California: New Perspectives

Successful Meetings - November 2008