Professionals in the meeting industry have access to the very first green meetings and event standards in the areas of Audio-Visual, Communication & Marketing Materials, Destinations, Exhibits, Food & Beverage, On-Site Office and Transportation. The American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) recently published seven of nine sustainable meeting standards.
The standards, produced as a partnership between the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) and ASTM, were initially conceptualized by the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC) in discussions with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Publication of the standards comes after a period of intense development since the project was initiated in 2008.
The APEX/ASTM standards are comprised of nine individual “sector” standards, covering all facets of event planning and management. Seven of the nine have been published with the Accommodations standard, currently undergoing final balloting through ASTM and the Meeting Venue standard being prepared for publishing:
Audio-Visual
Communication & Marketing Materials
Destinations
Exhibits
Food & Beverage
Meeting Venue
On-Site Office
Transportation
Accommodations
Each of the standards will address specific sustainable elements: staff management and environmental policy, communications, waste, energy, air quality, water, procurement and community partners.
Much of the work and research behind the initiative was a result of the work done by the APEX Green Meetings and Events Practice Panel, which consists of 300 planners, suppliers and sustainability experts from across nine time zones. ASTM International provided comprehensive input, review and feedback from its technical experts, engineers, materials scientists, and sustainability experts across the globe.
The standards are available for individual purchase at the cost of $40 – $46 each through ASTM International in both electronic and paper options. After the ninth standard on Accommodations is complete, all nine will be collected into a single, specially-priced compilation at a cost to be determined once the final Meeting Venue and Accommodations standards are published. Additionally, ASTM members may select one free Volume of standards with their membership dues that will contain all nine standards. The modular design of the nine standards gives planners and suppliers the flexibility to choose the mix of resources that are relevant to their operational footprint.
For more information on the standards, ordering information and a complete list of the volunteers that contributed to the project, visit http://www.conventionindustry.org/StandardsPractices/APEXASTM.aspx
