Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC) Portland 2011 - Report Day #1

Hi everybody! Welcome to our first full day in Portland at the GMIC 2011 Conference. Well... yesterday we did a bit of sight seeing and today was all about Green. We wanted to check in and provide you all with our top highlights from today! #GMIC #GMICblog

We are at the Doubletree Portland - very nice hotel and what an amazing job they have done in going green! I'm going to see if we have a video to show you on how wonderful they are...

• We started the day with one big message - the catalyst to change is industry collaboration. We couldn't agree more - with GMIC being approx. 70% planners from across the board - special events, meetings, conferences, association, corporate, religious, pharm, US, Canada, Europe - we all have to come together to effect change.
• If we want to push a Green Supply Chain - we need to begin speaking with our vendors and become their partners in going green. And, of course, walk the walk.
• See about "closing the loop" with suppliers - for example - where they will collect your vinyl banners and make them into bags for you to give to sponsors...
• We, as planners, can create a Green Planners Wish List... wouldn't that be great.
• But, I have found some great Green vendors that we visited with today. More to come tomorrow...
• The first is Vapur - it's a reusable water bottle that you can fold, roll, or flatten like a piece of paper. As a business it donates 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations. Check them out... http://www.vapur.us/ It's also BPA free!


• Second is KleanKanteen - check them out at http://www.kleankanteen.com/

• Two Vendors that we will be able to post about tomorrow are - Eco Promotional Products and BolderPath.
• A new term, coined from Richard Aaron at BizBash, get your ROG - Return on Green. Know what your ROI is in going green...
• When working contracts with venues/hotels - look for established programs and at a minimum include Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle programs.
• Check out the APEX Green standards... http://www.conventionindustry.org/StandardsPractices/GreenMeetings/APEXASTM.aspx

OK, that's it for day 1! We look forward to tomorrow's exciting fun. Follow us on Twitter at either "MumtazEvents" or "SimplyMumtaz".