Prevue September/October 2011 - (Page 27)

Previous: Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg Opposite: OCSC Sailing School, Berkeley And as Paul Snyder mentioned, Salinger says the most important thing is “gathering the right data to help transform the industry to help transform the world.” A new framework to define metrics, establish benchmarks and gather that data is coming soon to a meeting near you. A NEW STANDARD “Sustainability” has a variety of academic definitions that often obfuscate the discussion and bore the bejesus out of people. For our purposes, it simply means: Protecting what we have now for future generations with regard to economics, community and environment. Britain’s BS8901 sustainability management system was the first standard used by event planners in Europe to manage their events’ impact. With the onset of the 2012 London Olympics, however, BS8901 is upgrading into a global standard. Since last year, 32 countries have come together to collaborate with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create the new ISO20121 sustainability management standard. The new standard is being used to manage the entire environmental, social and economic impact of the London Olympics from the initial bid through to the closing ceremony. Because of this, organizers are touting the Olympics as the first “Sustainable Games.” Chairperson of the ISO initiative is Manchester-based Fiona Pelham, who also spoke at WEC. She operates three companies: Organize This, an event management company; Positive Impact, a non-profit educational network; and Sustainable Events, an arm focusing on sustainable strategy. “I think the really big thing that the London Olympics is doing is raising the profile of what sustainability means for the event sector, and providing the framework and tools so the event sector can continue with the conversation after the Olympics is finished,” Pelham told us. “There’s been quite a lot of interest around the green side of things but sustainability is something different: meeting your budgets, generating sponsors, engaging your local supply chains and community, having a happy and healthy workforce. And on top of that there’s the green stuff, you know, understanding your carbon footprint and managing your waste.” And that’s just half of the equation—the management part. This November, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is unveiling the Event Organizer Sector Supplement specifically for the meetings industry as the international standard for sustainability measurement. This will allow planners to compare their events’ impact with any other event across any other industry. puertovallartamarriott.com Save a Sea Turtle Specifically designed for groups, the “Secretos del Mar” Sea Turtle Rescue Program at the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta was developed by the University of Guadalajara. From June through December, turtles come ashore here to lay their eggs in the sand. A busy tourist beach is not exactly ideal for this, so attendees have the option to assist resident biologists and resort staff collect eggs and place them in a protected sea turtle nursery. Typically, when baby turtles pop out of the sand 45 days later, their odds of survival are slimmest during the slow walk to sea. Attendees can again help staff with the nightly release event occuring every night at 7:30 pm when it’s safer for the little fellas under the cover of darkness. Planners can also arrange fun educational sessions on-property about ocean sustainability. Groups who book the “Mexico in Motion” package at CasaMagna are invited to participate. Valid for a minimum 50 cumulative room nights booked by Dec. 23, 2012, the package includes a bevy of incentives: comp’d welcome reception, 35% allowable attrition, freebie room for every 35 booked, suite upgrades, double Marriott Reward points, room/F&B rebates and more. prevueonline.net | 27 http://www.puertovallartamarriott.com http://www.prevueonline.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue September/October 2011

Back Bay, Boston
Manchester
Meliá Hotels & Resorts
San Francisco/Denver/Cleveland
HSMAI + Soles4Souls
IRF/MGM Resorts, Las Vegas
Daytona Beach
Sustainability: The Next Big Thing
Central America
India
Sweden
Barcelo Resorts/Samana, DR
Portland

Prevue September/October 2011