An Insider’s Look at Event Sustainability
Author: Talia Salem
February 2010
The Green Scene with the GMIC
Oracle does more than see into the (sustainable) future, it is part of it
For Oracle OpenWorld 2009, Oracle decided to take their event to an even greener level. In years past they had incorporated sustainability, but in 2009 the technology giant had raised the bar with a 16-member Green Team that staged a sustainable event for 37,447 registrants from October 12-16, 2009 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center and many hotels in the area.Some of the event’s notable accomplishments include:
- Diverting an estimated 140 tons of material from landfill.
- Sourcing 60% of food items from within a 100 mile radius of San Francisco.
- Reducing ground shuttles by 30% of peak usage, reducing emissions by 18,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and fuel use by 800 gallons.
- Total energy use and emissions avoided through purchasing decisions amounted to 1,146,130 mega joules and 120,073 lbs of CO2. This is enough energy to power 12 American homes per year, and the emissions equivalent of removing 11 cars from the road for a full year.
- 5% of signs were reused from 2008 and 37% of signs used in 2009 will be reusable for future events.
- A net cost savings of $800,000 through reduction and reuse.
Carbon footprint kiosks at OpenWorld.
Have you planned a sustainable event prior to Oracle OpenWorld?
Oracle OpenWorld is the first large-scale event where we really looked at its impact and how we could make significant changes. We’ve had occasions to do small, basic things in the past, like recycling and cutting down on paper use and bottled water, but Oracle OpenWorld really allows us to implement and track against bigger goals.
What would be your first step to planning a sustainable event strategy?
Well, I think it is much like planning any business strategy. You need to establish business goals—for sustainable meetings this means looking at both how you can reduce the footprint of the event from an environmental- and resource-management perspective, as well as looking at all of the implications of your actions. There will be trade-offs and you need to understand the goals of what you want to achieve to make appropriate decisions. So, the first step is to establish your sustainability goals and align them with your overall business goals.
Once you have set your goals, what are your next steps from there?
Procurement can be one piece of it, but the method we are using is stakeholder engagement and common alignment around our business and sustainability objectives. We’re working closely with all of the event-supply chain stakeholders and all of our vendor partners to jointly establish key performance indicators for the event (in this case, Oracle OpenWorld), and get common agreements on the things we are all going to track, measure and report on to help us reduce the overall environmental impact and footprint of the show. This involves internal stakeholders as well as external stakeholders .
Waste receptacles at OpenWorld.
What are some of the resources you use to track your event’s sustainability?
We work with MeetGreen to take all of the data that is reported from the venue(s) and all of our operational vendors. We then put it through their MeetGreen calculator to come up with a score for the event based on industry standards and a series of questions that establish baselines against which to measure in nine categories (destination, venue, accommodations, food and beverage, transportation, A/V production, exhibit production, marketing communications and on-site office/practices). There is specific data we look for in each of these categories that we score against.
What would you say are some of the keys to your sustainability program’s success?
I’d say partnership across the event supply chain to determine and meet common goals and a commitment to measuring and reporting them are key areas for us.
Should you have a designated sustainable events team or was it up the meeting planner?
We think that it is important for the entire events team, both internally and externally, to be a part of the sustainability effort.
How can you get company buy-in?
We have been successful with aligning with company goals, measuring things that matter, showing continual improvement and adding to both the company bottom line through cost reductions and efficiencies, as well as brand reputation.
Are there any resources that you used to help you in this process?
We’ve worked closely with our green consultants, MeetGreen, and leverage networking with the sustainable meetings industry through the Green Meetings Industry Council.
What advice would you give a planner in the beginning stages of sustainable event planning?
Do lots of research. There are a lot of resources out there that can help. Consider joining the Green Meetings Industry Council. If you have the budget, consider hiring a consultant with experience in developing a sustainable meetings strategy and running green events.
Anything else that you would like to mention about planning and implementing a sustainable meetings strategy?
Make sure you consider your audience. Communicate with them and educate them as to what you are doing and why. Show them that the reductions you might be making, such as not having a paper conference guide or bottled water, is not about just saving money, but it also allows you to invest back into their experience of the event in meaningful ways that deliver value for them.
To learn more about Oracle’s sustainability at Oracle OpenWorld 2009, read their case study here. Oracle is a member of the Green Meetings Industry Council, an organization focused on the meetings industry and its green initiatives. To learn more about the council or to find a local chapter near you, visit greenmeetings.info.
