Three things every green meeting needs

The Hub is the nation's only privately-owned LEED-certified meeting facility in the nation. We've learned a few things about going green, but we took key steps before embarking on our mission to go--and stay--green.
It wasn't much different from planning a green meeting. The APEX standards are out, but here are the top three things any meeting planner who wants to execute a green event should have.

1. A priority list: Make sure that you've written out both your desires and your expectations, from soup to nuts. It sounds obvious, but it's not always so: If the facility at which you are hosting your meeting donates food and beverage leftovers but only provides water in plastic bottles, will that be a deal breaker for you? You need to know ahead of time which parts of a green meeting are most important. Every little bit helps, but not every facility will be able to provide everything. 
2. Buy-in from all of the key players: If you're committed to planning green meetings, you will need a strong narrative thread that runs all the way through, from your client's end to your end. Make sure everyone on both teams understands not only the how of a green event, but also the why. Don't let anyone go into this blindly. 
3. A clear understanding of the facility's capabilities: This one's a no-brainer. You can't say you're going to plan a green meeting and not know what you're working with. 

Start here, and you won't go wrong.
What about everyone else? Do you have planning tips for laying the groundwork of a green meeting?

Sustainable meetings

Now that the meetings and events industry has come up with a set of comprehensive guidelines for sustainability, there's been a lot of buzz about whether or not we should spend the time adopting those standards.
We said yes, for obvious reasons.
Here's the full post, over at Sched.org. Thanks to Marvin McTaw for encouraging us to post our experience on the green side of business.