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June, 2009
UPDATE
GMIC's Million Tons of Trash Challenge
The average meeting produces 9.1 kilograms (20 pounds) of trash per participant per day—four times more than the average person generates at home. So on Earth Day, April 22, 2009, the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) officially launched the Million Tons of Trash Challenge.
As a GMIC Gold Member, The Conference Publishers is actively promoting the Trash Challenge, and we're encouraging our clients to build the Challenge into their events. If you need advice or information to get started, we're happy to help you find them.
"The Trash Challenge is more than a competition," said Kerrie Sheldon, president of GCG Events. "It is a tool for us to use in educating event venues and suppliers on the importance of measuring our event waste and diversion ratios. We hope to enter all of our upcoming global events in the challenge."
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In This Issue
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Participants can record data and share success stories on the Trash Challenge website. So far, case studies include:
- The Quebec Congress Centre, which has held 32 eco-friendly events since 2007 and recovered 59 tonnes of waste, avoided 6,634 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and saved 515 trees
- Canada Media Marketplace 2008, which saved 140 pounds of wood, 180 gallons of water, and 23 pounds of solid waste at an event for 500 participants in Los Angeles
- Oracle Corporation, which achieved a 61% waste diversion rate at its 2008 conference and is aiming for a total of 100 tonnes in 2009
The Million Tons of Trash Challenge is open to meeting planners, hosts, and suppliers around the world. Participants can report data for individual events, or sign up for all their meeting activity, by providing two simple numbers: the volume of trash produced, and the amount that was recycled.
First Annual Golf Tournament Raises Money for Canadian AIDS Society
When a company is 25 years old, there are not many firsts left.
However, on June 10, The Conference Publishers sponsored its first charity golf tournament in support of the Canadian AIDS Society. The day dawned overcast and grey, but the rain held off all day, and everyone agreed that they'd had a great time. The tournament was held at the Château Cartier resort with an après-golf hosted in the patio tent.
After starting the day with a charity breakfast sponsored by the Château Cartier, 17 golf foursomes loaded up the carts for a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start. As they made their way around the course in a best-ball format, they participated in a number of different challenges. All the teams completed the tournament in a very respectable 4.5 hours before coming together for great food and prizes.
How much did we raise for the Canadian AIDS Society? At the time of this writing, the final numbers have not been tallied, but early estimates look very good.
For a closer look at this fun-filled day, check out our golf tournament newsletter.
Our Style Guide Goes Viral
Well, not quite viral.
But when project manager Kate McAteer was staffing a recent project in Edmonton, Alberta, she learned that our reputation preceded us. The new freelancer she was recruiting already knew us as the source of the smart, rigorous style guide that was making the rounds in the local writers' community.
Renovating the style guide was an early priority for managing editor Karen Irving when she rejoined the firm in October 2006. The new guide translates into a better, more consistent product for clients, and fewer revisions for our editorial department.
And we've had writers in at least three countries tell us how refreshing it was to receive a style guide illustrated with faux Monty Python quotes: rather than a dry inventory of rules, it's a document our freelancers can enjoy reading (and, we hope, memorizing).
Memo to Edmonton: We've just introduced a new, even better style guide. (Sorry about that.) But big kudos to Karen for setting a standard that is beginning to extend beyond our walls.
Kate Goes on Leave, Adam Returns
Margot Cragg makes the winning guess in the "Where's Kate's baby hiding?" contest. May 29 was project manager Kate McAteer's last day in the office for a while. She and her husband Dan are thrilled to be having their first baby. Much as Kate will be missed, we're happy for her and looking forward to the newest addition to the company's (extended) family.
Kate's desk will be staffed by the ever-popular Adam Hardiman, who has worked with us both in sales and in the Project Management Office. He's been away for four months, and we're delighted to have him back.
Morale Officers Maydeleh and Shiloh chose Gail McHardy of the Canadian Society of Association of Executives as winner of our latest Blog Boggler trivia contest. Gail correctly identified the Green Meetings Industry Council's 2009 Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference as Mitchell's reason for travelling to Pittsburgh in February.
Gail received a copy of our favourite game, Travel Scrabble®, and our congratulations. Honourable mentions go to Suzanne Despatie, Claire Fitzpatrick, and Kim Picard.
Shiloh and MaydelehThe winner of the next Travel Scrabble game will be selected from readers of our blog who correctly answer the following question: Who was our first (and, so far, only) guest blogger?
As usual, the answer will be found in The Edge, our company blog. Maydeleh and Shiloh will select the winner from among the readers who send the correct answer to Vice President and COO Woody Huizenga by June 30, 2009.
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