by Sarah J.F. Braley |
August 01, 2006
How much responsibility do
planners and their organizations really take when
arranging meetings? An online survey conducted in June was answered
by 252 planners, 17 percent of whom said when selecting a meeting
venue, it is very important that the facility makes an effort to be
eco-friendly, while 41 percent said it is somewhat important, 32
percent said not too important and 10 per-cent said not at all
important.
Do planners support ecological efforts made at
hotels? Fifty-five percent of those surveyed require or prefer to
have recycle bins in guest rooms, while 6 percent prefer not to
have them and 39 percent have no preference. Also, 26 percent want
low-flow showerheads in rooms vs. 30 percent who prefer not to have
them; 20 percent look for soap and shampoo dispensers in guest
rooms instead of disposable bottles, vs. 35 percent who prefer the
containers; and 54 percent require or prefer to have water-saving
methods used in public rest rooms.
When conservation methods are employed at
meetings, 23 percent of respondents said some of their attendees
appreciate them, and 20 percent said many attendees appreciate or
even love to see their meeting hosts use environmentally friendly
practices. Another 2 percent said their delegates actually dislike
the eco-minded efforts.
Fully 55 percent of respondents have
never surveyed their attendees to determine whether they appreciate
the organization’s eco-friendly measures. If such methods aren’t
used at meetings, most planners (63 percent) said attendees have
never asked that they be implemented.