Incorporate Elements of Sustainability and Recycling into Hotel Vendor Contracts

For some time now, many of us have heard discussions about "green meetings" and "sustainability" for conferences and events. For some, it can seem as if the idea of incorporating sustainability into a program is just one more task in an already long list. But it doesn't have to feel that way. First, planners should know that many of the cities, hotels and venues are already making progress on this front on your behalf. But it's not enough to rely on their efforts. Planners can take some proactive steps to incorporate sustainability and recycling ideas into their vendor agreements as a way of documenting measured contributions on behalf of their organizations.

This month starts a series of articles that I will share through the end of the year based on an exchange of sustainability and green meeting ideas with Elizabeth Henderson, director of corporate responsibility for Meeting Professionals International, and others. Henderson outlines several ideas that event planners can incorporate into the hotel selection process. And she shares with us elements of what she includes in her hotel vendor contracts. Learn more about sustainability and hotel contracts.