Education, Research and Constraint (and Collaboration!)

Greenwashing stresses me out. As it should, I suppose. It stresses me out as a consumer because there is so much to be aware of. It stresses me out in my professional life because there is so much to be aware of. Making the right decisions is a moving target--everything just changes so quickly now.

Robert Carey, writing at the Meetings Industry Megasite, talks more about greenwashing in the meetings industry:

Planners, organizations, and suppliers that fail to "walk their talk" risk damaging their reputations in a way that won't soon go away, noted Mark Glickman, director of resort marketing and sales for Mauna Lani Resort in Hawaii.

The meeting industry sources Mr. Carey spoke with agreed that there are three things that can save the planner: education, research and constraint.

"Most planners are still learning what it takes to be green and are not as informed as they need to be," said Eisenstodt. But according to Michelle White, director of environmental affairs for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, planners are taking steps in the right direction.

Education and research for planners should be a given--this is really unchartered territory for many and the only way to make it is through knowledge and informed choices. I would also add that collaboration is key. Thankfully, the internet makes finding others to collaborate with easier. I recently came across this group for green meetings and events, housed at Google Groups, which is based in the Bay Area but open to others. It's still a little slow, but I see promise, especially as people start bringing their experiences with green events to the table.

And, importantly...

In the highly critical environment of eco-friendly events, practicing constraint in environmental claims can go a long way toward protecting an organization's reputation—and the planner's reputation within the company, too.

As tempting as it is for marketers to join the green chorus, they should honestly evaluate their efforts and market accordingly.

The article also asks planners to consider whether the event must be in person. This is something I have been struggling with a lot. I still believe the in-person connections are important, but events that allow for in-person connections are not always practical (environmentally or financially) and more and more technologies are emerging to help us cope with this. Just check out HP's Halo telepresence and video conferencing solution. And maybe social networking services, like the new EventVue, will take on a larger networking role for conferences as they move from live to digital. Their networking platforms may be the new reception room.