Green Meeting - events with sustainability

 

Environmental awareness and thinking about sustainability are successful business prerequisites for all good event organisers. Whether for large international conventions, conferences, seminars, trade fairs or events of any kind, the principal criteria remain the same:

The burden on the environment should be kept as small as possible. This means using regional products, avoiding refuse, sorting and correct disposal, limiting noise, guaranteeing safety, using public transport and showing social responsibility, to name but a few aspects.

Eco-city of Graz

 

Many convention and event centres, conference hotels, caterers, universities and other Graz companies are members of ÖKOPROFIT® Graz. This successful programme promotes active corporate environmental precautions, thereby making an effective contribution to reducing the burden on the environment and conserving resources.

For events taking place in public areas, Graz council has produced precise guidelines and also defined ecological criteria. Relevant information and approvals are available from the Grazer Strassenamt (department for roads).

Graz Convention Bureau, Graz Umweltamt (environment department) and Graz businesses are happy to give you information about environmentally sound measures relating to your event.

Green Events Austria

 

Green Events Austria is an initiative by the Environment Ministry and provides information about many aspects of environmentally sound, integrative and sustainable event organisation.

The Environment Ministry awards the “Österreichische Umweltzeichen” (Austrian environmental trademark) for outstanding products, services to tourism as well as schools and educational institutions. The “Green Meetings” environmental trademark guideline number 62 applies here.

The Austrian Convention Bureau (ACB), working with the Environment Ministry, is compiling a catalogue of criteria according to which events can be set up in a particularly environmentally friendly way and indeed be recognised as such.

 

Yet more valuable tips, contacts and information are available on the following websites:

   »Ecoversum - agency for Green Meetings, Graz 
   »Graz Council - G'scheit veranstalten… (enlightened events)
   »Öko Service – Geschirr Verleih... (crockery & cutlery hire)
   »Province of Styria - G´scheit feiern…(enlightened catering)
   »Tips for events with sustainability in Austria