In this issue

» Industry Update
» Green Events Source News
» Partner Profile
» Sponsor Announcements
» Upcoming Events
» Great Green Ideas
» Question of the Month

Partner ProfilE

MARY BETH NOWAK,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Mary Beth Nowak has been greening her meetings for more than 17 years. "When I first started they didn't refer to it as “greening.” We were thinking more in terms of 'stewardship' of resources,” she said. Over the years, she has learned how to cost-effectively implement green meetings through a mixture of common sense, trial and error and resourcefulness. More on our blog...

Have a question for Mary Beth? Comment on our blog and we'll post her answers.

great Green Ideas

Using Social Networks to Share Ideas and Learn

Well over half of Americans ages 15-34 are actively using online social networks, spending on average more than seven hours per week on such websites and driving the growth of overall time spent online. The top five green social networks (Yahoo! Green, Care 2, Treehugger, Gaia Community and Kiva) have thousands of users exchanging environmental information and ideas on a daily basis. Eco-conscious event planners can get together with people they know on these sites or join one of the existing green event planner groups that have popped up on LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace. You can also use Ning, a free social networking platform, to create your own group. Great way to join the conversation and learn!

Have other interesting ideas to share? Bring them to our attention. Email deb@ greeneventsource.com

Question of the Month: JULY

Question: What's so bad about plastic bags? I thought it was OK as long as I recycled them.

A: According to the EPA, between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed each year worldwide, and only 1% of them gets recycled. Moreover, it costs more to recycle a plastic bag than to make a new one. More on our blog...

Have a comment on this question or something else you'd like to ask? Post your comment on our blog or email deb @greeneventsource.com.

 

Industry Update

Clearing the Air on the Beijing Olympics . This week, the Chinese officially unveiled Beijing’s new Olympic Green Convention Center, touting its energy efficiency and eco-friendly design. Yet the city continues to struggle with the city's air quality amid concerns about the health of  the 10,500 athletes and hundreds of thousands of visitors who will descend on the city August 8. More on our blog...

Chicago to Launch Chapter of The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC). A group of more than 20 meeting industry leaders met last week to discuss establishing a Chicago chapter of the Green Meeting Industry Council. The new Chicago Chapter will be the first local chapter in GMIC's history. More on our blog...

Green Standards Move Forward. ASTM International and the Convention Industry Council's APEX commission have agreed that core environmental standards will be initially developed by the APEX initiative and then submitted to ASTM for refinement and approval. On October 1, in Miami, ASTM will hold an organizational meeting for a new main committee on sustainable development. To find out more about the process and how you can get involved, contact tfrazier@conceptsworldwide.com.

Green Events Source News

The Glacier(TM) Enhances Green Exhibiting Product Line. Green Events Source has expanded its product offerings to include a flexible new display product. The Glacier(TM) incorporates recycled aluminum; graphics printed on fabric made from recycled yarn; LED lighting; and other environmentally preferable elements. Plus you save on shipping costs and drayage because it breaks down into a compact, lightweight recycled plastic crate. For additional product information or to request a quote, visit our website at www.greeneventsource.com/products.php.

Reserve Your Space for "Greener Events Chicago." More than 150 meeting planners from the Chicago area already have registered for "Greener Events Chicago," an education and networking event for corporate event planners organized by Green Events Source. The FREE event takes place at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on August 13 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m with food by Greg Christian and presentations by Julie Larson of McDonald's, among others. Other sponsors include Ally Entertainment and The Event Gallery. Space is going fast! Register now at www.greenereventschicago.com.

Sponsor News & Announcements

Neenah Releases new Green Seal certified paper choices

Oregon Convention Center reports record waste diversion rate

Upcoming Events & Education

TS2 - July 28 - 31

Greener Events Chicago – August 13

BizBash Event Style Expo -- August 20

Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, National Affordable Meetings and Event Technology Expo - September 10 -11, Washington D.C.

West Coast Green - September 25- 27, San Jose

IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2008 - October 7 - 9, Singapore

Expo! Expo! -- December 9 - 11, Miami

Holiday Showcase (Association Forum) -- December 16, Chicago

Resources

Book

The Second Printing of The Green Events Source Book includes information, tips, advice and tools plus expanded supplier resources!

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