Event and meeting professionals are making great strides in greening up our events through catering, décor, printed materials, transportation and of course, the venue selection. When choosing a green venue, the easiest and most logical choice is a building with a LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) designation of either Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The LEED designation is bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council and indicates that a building meets the highest green building and performance measures with respect to:
Lower operating costs
Reduced waste sent to landfills
Conservation of energy and water
A healthier and safer environment for occupants
Reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions
Demonstration of the owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility
In my mind, if a building has a LEED designation, its management undoubtedly cares about the environment. More and more venues are seeking out this designation, but in the meantime, venues can still engage in environmentally friendly initiatives without having the LEED designation.
If you work at a venue, be sure to talk up your green initiatives. Eco conscious planners like me want to give our business to venues that care about the impact they are making on the Earth.
To find an environmentally friendly venue, or to list your environmentally friendly venue, here are some helpful web sites.
• Environmentally Friendly Hotels
• Green Hotels Association
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