APEX/ASTM E60.02 Environmentally Sustainable Standards for Meetings, Events, Trade show & Conference

Eye on the Environment

Dena Rose, CMP, CMM

A&M Meetings and Incentives

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”

~ Native American Proverb

I am pretty sure that at this point, most planners have at least heard of the Standard that was spearheaded by the US Environmental Protection Agency and Green Meetings Industry Council in collaboration with APEX (Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange) and ASTM (An ANSI certified international standard development organization) but what do you really know about it?

The standard was designed to complement already existing recognized meeting standards; hold accountable both planner and supplier; offer tiered structure for different levels of engagement; and are measurable. The standard covers nine areas of meeting management – AV/Production, Exhibits, Transportation, Accommodations, F&B, Communications, Meeting Venue, Destination and Onsite Office.

Within each sector or area are eight categories that are meant to capture the environmental and social areas of each sector. The categories are:

• Staff Management and Environmental Policy

• Communication

• Waste Management

• EnergyAir quality

• WaterProcurement

• Community Partners

Category 1 & 2 relate primarily to policy, 3 – 7 are environmentally focused and 8 is the social aspect.With each sector there are also different levels (level 1 – level 4). Level 1 is the easiest to attain making level 4 the hardest. So now what? GMIC, in partnership with Twirl Management, have created RFP addendums for the planners. These are based on achieving level 1 compliance for each sector. You do not need to meet all nine sectors of the standard. You can pick and choose.

As for the suppliers, GMIC endorsed iCompli as a third party organization to certify supply side vendors against the standard. They provided a submission form that will assist in figuring out where your company currently is and provide a gap analysis on your practices to see where you are should you want to pursue certification. Visit this website for more information on the addendums and submission form.

These standards are applicable for either planner or supplier; association or corporation; events large or small. The different levels give any organization a great place to start and a path for continual improvement. Besides it being “the right thing to do”, most major corporations now require at least a level 1 RFP. This is our future. If it seems overbearing or confusing, the local chapter of GMIC offers Lunch and Learn sessions quarterly or GMIC Global also has a variety of training from building your foundation to becoming certified.

“Try to leave the Earth a better place than when you arrived.”

~Sidney Sheldon