Green Meetings

If ‘Going Green' is a priority for your next meeting, then look no further than Boulder.  Boulder's strong community-led environmental stance has been recognized by Meetings & Conventions Magazine and named us in the list of "Best City for Green Meetings".  Many of Boulder's businesses offer an array of low-impact eco-friendly solutions to your meeting planning needs.  Explore how Boulder can turn your next meeting green.

• Boulder Green Resource Guide
• Green Meeting Tips
• Green Checklist for Planners
• Other Green Resources

Green Meeting Tips

Here are a few tips on how to make your meeting or conference a green experience

• Reduce the usage of bottled water by having glasses and pitchers of water available.
• Add recycling bins to the meeting and sleeping rooms.
• Use silverware and cloth napkins in lieu of Styrofoam and plastic dishes and utensils. 
• Distribute handouts to meeting attendees only on request and print information on both sides of the paper.
• Instead of a buffet, have the meal served in the form of plated entrees, which reduces the amount of wasted food. 
• Employ natural lighting as a resource for daytime meetings.

Green Checklist for Planners

Some of the most common eco-friendly practices employed by hotels are listed below.

• Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs
• Linen reuse program
• Smoke-free policies
• Laundry system conservation efforts such as ozone-activated laundries.
• Use of outdoor LED lighting and fiber-optic technology
• Use of low-flow shower heads and toilets and other water conservation methods
• Use of EnergyStar-compliant products
• Waste-management procedures, including recycling efforts
• Conservation efforts such as soap or shampoo dispensers instead of individual bars/bottles
• Use of recycled products in renovation projects
• Partnerships with community or other nonprofit environmental groups
• Whether the hotel has a designated employee who coordinates or oversees eco programs

Other Green Resources

Center for Environmental Leadership in Business: www.celb.org
Conservation International: www.conservation.org
Convention Industry Council's Green Meeting Task Force: http://www.conventionindustry.org/projects/green_mtgs.htm
Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/oppt/greenmeetings
Green Meetings Industry Council: www.bluegreenmeetings.org (also has online public forum)
Green Seal: www.greenseal.org
International Association of Conferences Centers Green Task Force: www.iacconline.org
International Ecotourism Society:  www.ecotourism.org
Native Energy: www.nativeenergy.com
Sustainable Travel (carbon offset programs): www.sustainabletravel.com; www.carbonoffset.org
Terra Pass: www.terrapass.com
U.S. Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org