Green Meetings

What is a Green Meeting?

Everyone knows what a meeting is.

Large or small, they are a means of bringing people together to share information, generate ideas, and make business connections. When you think of being "green" or environmentally responsible, recycling is usually the first thing that comes to mind. A green meeting goes beyond recycling.

A green meeting has been defined as a "meeting that incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment."

Greening an event encompasses all aspects of the planning process. By making choices at every planning level, from site selection to serving condiments like ketchup and sugar from bulk containers, the environmental impact of the event can be significantly reduced. It means taking steps to minimize waste through recycling, composting and avoiding disposable items, to decrease energy consumption, and to use products with post-consumer recycled content and food that is organic, local or fair trade. Green meetings also incorporate social aspects such as charitable donations and projects that give back to the community.

Pemberton Valley Lodge offers:

Paperless Meeting Planning - All communications are electronic, and we won't be printing off a 'meeting check-list' and filling it out or filing it. All meeting contracts are sent and filed electronically.

Sustainable Meeting Services - We use post-consumer recycled paper products, recycled content paper flip charts, and whiteboards, potted plants/organically grown flowers and recycling and compost bins. Our meeting rooms have large windows to allow plenty of natural light into the room.

Sustainable Food and Beverage - Locally roasted coffee, China services rather than disposable products, condiments in bulk dispensers to reduce waste, eco-alternatives to bottled water and unopened left-over food gets donated to our local food bank.

Green Power - All public and meeting spaces are powered by power offsets (green energy projects) reducing our greenhouse gas emissions through Bullfrog Power.