Execugifts & Envirogifts Green Policy

Execugifts provide a lot of our satchels - they have also recognised the need to have a corporate social responsibility and have started an organisation called Envirogifts to supply environmentally sustainable bags and satchels to conferences.  Click here to read their green products brochure.

Convention Wise getting greener

Convention Wise is getting greener.  We have just gone from paper fax to online fax, getting rid of our old thermal fax paper machine and transferring to an Australian online company traitel.com.au/ that enables us to receive and send our faxes by email.  Trust me - it works.  No printer or toner required!  We have invested in a scanner for submitting  documents, but haver got rid of our fax telephone line - another saving which covers the cost of the online service!

MEA Member - Hotel Grand Chancellor - Andrew Best

Some time ago The Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart came to the conclusion that you have to start with the little things when it comes to greening our venue. The bigger things take some planning and lead time but we knew we could make a difference immediately. The hotel ensures that all glassware that leaves the building is recycled; the same applies to paper and cardboard. All paper products from conference booklets, office supplies and hotel phone books are sent to recycling stations. Each bin at the hotel has been doubled up with a recycling bin making the recycling process second nature. We give the guests the opportunity to retain towels rather than have them washed on a daily basis.

The Hotel Grand Chancellor is also one of the first hotels in Hobart to use a geo thermal, heat recovery system for the heating of the Federation Conference Centre. We also utilise the power of the sun to pre heat our hot water storage tanks through solar heat exchange units. We are currently reviewing natural gas as another opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint.

One of the key issues in reducing carbon emissions is to ensure it is part of every decision. The Hotel has made a commitment to considering the environment in every decision to ensure that moving forward we are reducing both direct and indirect green house gas emissions. Water saving bathroom fittings have already been sourced for our ongoing bathroom refurbishments. By January the hotel will have completed new waste water management plant equipment which will help to improve the quality of water emitted from the hotel.

Tasmania already has very carbon efficient hydro energy so it's natural for the hotel to continue to further reduce carbon emissions and keep our state beautiful."

Green Meetings - more than just sustainable!

Have you considered the impact that a conference might have on our environment.  Convention Wise are keen to develop a green meeting policy so that conferences can reduce their "carbon footprint".  There are numerous ways of doing this.  The first example is to use an online registration process and work 'smart' using technology suited to reducing the need to print hard copy material.  So rather than print a 12 page glossy booklet to market the registration forms and program, why not go online and use the web to enable people to register - and save up to $10,000 printing costs for example.

If flying to your conference destination, participate in a "carbon offset" program now being offered by some of the airlines and car hire companies.  Click on the "Calculate your emissions" image on the right and read all about being carbon neutral.

Conference convenors might want to talk with the venues that they are using and see if they have a policy in place to reduce waste, improve efficiency of their power use, recycle materials, encourage water saving and so on.

VIRGIN BLUE have been doing this for a while.  Read about it here
Read about JETSTARS Carbon Offset Program - click here
Read about QANTAS Carbon Offset Program - click here

Check out Scene Change's move into being green also ...

New AV Company operates in Hobart

Scene Change is another AV company now operating in Tasmania.  This is sure to enhance the competition and bring new standards into the local industry.  Run by local technicians who have operated in Tasmania for many years, this company will bring a revolutionary image to your AV productions. Scene Change are also the first Carbon Neutral AV Company in Australia

Full Carbon Offsets At No Cost To Clients
Scene Change are purchasing carbon credits to offset the AV power used on all our clients’ events, as well as offsetting the carbon footprint from our own business operations. Unlike some commercial carbon offsets, it will cost clients no extra, as Scene Change is paying the offsets on your behalf. 

The next Australian Wooden Boat Festival February, 2011

Held on Hobart’s historic waterfront every two years during February, the Australian Wooden Boat Festival celebrates maritime craft, art and heritage through four unforgettable days of colour, action, music, theatre, flavours and fun.

The setting is brilliant – the festivities are centred on the docks of historic Sullivans Cove, the harbour of the Derwent and the city’s scenic dockside precinct, with the convict-built sandstone pubs and warehouses of Hunter Street and Salamanca Place as the perfect backdrop. 

Convention Wise were responsible for registering all boats for the 2009 Festival using EventsPro and EventsInteractive - our online specialty software program that makes it easy for boat enthusiasts to be involved.