CONTRACTS AND RFPS REFLECT GREEN INITIATIVES

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By Shari Hockenbery, CMP

In May, at the College Basketball Experience (CBE), the Kansas City Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (KCMPI), in collaboration with the MPI Foundation and notable local sponsors launched its first educational program in support of "green" initiatives and how meetings impact the environment - "Environmentally Conscious: It's Easy Being Green."

Surrounded by basketball history in the heart of the Power & Light District, attendees became part of the historical "green" wave already breaking over the Kansas City business community. With support from Vista Productions and Sprint Nextel, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes opened the luncheon with a few remarks and introduced keynote speaker Anthony P. Pollard, President Hotel Association of Canada.

Through the expert input of Pollard and other guests panelists, including KCMPI's Patti Jo Gaughan, CMP; CEO Phelps Murdock, Bridging the Gap; Veronica Rinard, Community Relations Director Travel Portland; and MPI member Keri Hinton, CMP, Event Manager Proactive, attendees learned the vital importance of preserving the environment through "green" meeting practices.

In addition to the valuable information gleaned from this renowned panel, Pollard provided "green" language for planners and hoteliers to use in RFPs and Contracts, which is already standard practice in the Canadian meetings industry. Incorporating this language into local meetings and events, reflects the desire and necessity to use "green" practices to positively impact the environment in the Kansas City metropolitan area. 

The following language can be used in your RFPs and contracts, and can be found in its entirety on the KCMPI Web site (www.kcmpi.org).

Green Considerations

To help minimize waste, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) would like the following to be in place by time of meeting. (Substitute your organization name for ESA.) Priority is given to sites, which provide the following:

• Drinking water provided in large containers rather than individual bottles - NO bottled water
• No Styrofoam to be used for any food/beverage functions or outlets
• Collections bins for the recycling of glass, aluminum, steel cans, plastic bottles, table coverings, pallets, paper (newspaper, cardboard and other office paper) and grease        
• All paper bathroom supplies with a minimum of 35-percent post-consumer recycled content paper
• Use environmentally responsible cleaning products for carpets, floors, kitchens and bathrooms
• Use china service or biodegradable disposable service at no additional cost
• No polystyrene No. 6 plastic
• Serve condiments in bulk, not individual servings
• Use cloth napkins or post-consumer recycled paper napkins
• Donate leftover food to food bank
• Compost all table scraps
• Use sustainable food

This information is reprinted with permission from the Ecological Society of American (www.esa.org). For more information, contact Michelle Horton, Meetings Manager at (202) 833-8773 or e-mail (michelle@esa.org).

In 2008-2009, KCMPI will continue to include and grow the use of "green" practices in all of its educational programs and events. Be sure to check the website in August (www.kcmpi.org) for a list of all the exciting KCMPI programs and events offered throughout the year.