Open Forum

Happy Monday! Here's our next Huddle topic where we'd love to hear your input!

Going green is the right way to go not just for the environment or to save resources, but also to win more business! As planners stress more on sustainable best practices, hotels around the world are rolling out a plethora of green initiatives like smart showers, solar power installations, and waste diversion.

Here's an evergreen Cvent blog with 25 ideas to go green 

Questions for you:

• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog?
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel?

#HuddleoftheWeek
#Sustainability
#VoiceIt 
#ManagingRoomBlocks
#SourcingaVenue

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Tanvi Kakodkar
Customer Marketing at Cvent
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• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog? Yes, we try to implement a number of these ideas (water-filling stations, recycling bins, reusable/compostable flatware/dishes) We also purchase branded, reusable bags to share with participants to avoid use of plastic.
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel? I do not work for a hotel, but for events that we host, we have gone paperless, instead creating signage with a QR code to take you to an online website or app that shares information for the program.  We have also prioritized recycling receptacles and compostable disposables. We have fully shifted to canned, rather than bottled, water.

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Cate Liverman
Director-Constituent Relations
UVA Medical Alumni Association and Medical School FoundationUnited States
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• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog?
  Reducing food waste is a big target for us. 
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel?
  We have already removed almost all paper handouts. We are looking to further incentivize attendees to pass on housekeeping more. 

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Chris Townley
Marketing and Communications Associate
National Council Of State Housing AgenciesUnited States
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I'm not a hoterlier but we implement a lot of these for our events and looking for these things are things we take into consideration when choosing a venue.

We like to reduce water bottles so we look for hotels with water filling stations. This year for staffing our events rather than fly everyone around, we found the bulk of our event staff support from a local DMC. We reduce the number of printed items on site, opting for a mobile app to keep things green.

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Rachel
NJ
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• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog?
  • Yes, we are mindful of several of these when we have events at venues
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel?
  • n/a

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Lori Wildman
Marketing Director
lwildman@dmainc.com
DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, Inc.United States
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• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog?  We utilize many of the options listed and do ask questions of venues when sourcing.  We also have a carbon emissions calculator we can use to estimate carbon emissions for each event.
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel?  I'm a big proponent of reducing food waste.  I've worked at a resort that used special bins for leftover food that would go to a local pig farm (donations to the local shelter wasn't allowed by the health department).  The pig farm paid for the food, so we go a little money for providing it and saved on trash pick-up.  Personally, I'm very picky about the taste of my water, so the water filling stations (not water fountain) are a big thing for me.

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Julie-Michelle Davis, CMP
Meetings Manager
Amex GBT - USA
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• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog? I relate to a lot of this.  As a large university with a huge green initiative, I'm always looking for eco/green friendly options.  Some of these ideas really resonate as "we need to do this more" - Create a green team, look for hotels that are green/provide eco-friendly items, and options for reducing waste.
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel?  I don't work at a hotel, but I would like to see hotels provide less waste - no more small toiletries, have a central unit.  Provide reusable mugs.  Love the idea of composting and overall a greener infrastructure.  I also prefer when hotels don't always come in to clean/change sheets.  I prefer to say "PLEASE clean" vs assuming. 

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Lesley Irminger
in_person
George Mason - Office Of University EventsUnited States
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Questions for you:

• Do you relate to any ideas mentioned in the blog?
  • Yes we try to go green as much as possible, sustainable hotels, redeuce/reuse/recycle - print less etc. Mindful of our carbon footprint!
• What are some environmentally friendly ideas that you have or would like to implement for your hotel?
  • Chalk boards/dry erase, refillable bottles, more solar?

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Olivia Popofski
MKTG
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and AffiliatesUnited States
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