MPI released their annual Future Watch report this week and it had good news for event planners.  Overall survey respondents expect to see about a 3% increase in the number of events being planned for 2010.  I recently polled event planners on LinkedIn to see what their forecast is for event marketing in 2010.  Though an admittedly small sample size, the results were similarly positive  with 83% forecasting that event marketing will play a greater part in their overall marketing plans for 2010.

·          Call for Papers/Presentations:  50 10-page papers submitted, 5 review copies each: 2500 sheets
·          Save the Date Post Cards: 2000 cards, 4 to a sheet: 500 sheets
·          Conference Invitations: 3 pages, 2000 copies: 6000 sheets
·          Conference Materials: 10 presenters, 12 pages per presenter, 200 copies: 24,000 sheets
·          Total: 33,000 sheets of paper.

Paper is a significant line item in your budget.  If it cost $0.25 per sheet to copy/print those 33,000 pages, that’s over $8,000.  And that doesn’t account for the cost of mailing or shipping.   Reducing the amount of paper used is not just good for the environment; it is also good for your bottom line.  And that’s why we see more and more meeting planners looking for ways to “Go Green”.

If you are interested in adopting a “Go Green” strategy for your conferences and meetings, what can you do to move towards a paperless event?

·          Invite potential speakers to submit their proposals electronically and distribute them to reviewers electronically.  Saves 7%
·          Use electronic marketing to get the word out about your event. Saves 20%
·          Require that your speakers upload their bios, presentations, hand-outs etc. to a central repository.  Saves 70%

What are some of the technology options to explore?

·          Marketing: Create a compelling event website and use electronic invitations.  Even for closed or invite-only events, you can market effectively online.
·          Registration: Online registration for speakers, as well as attendees, using a system that allows them to upload documents for you, and/or your attendees, to download.
·          Memory Sticks: Here’s where you can get a huge paper savings.  Provide document kiosks in the registration area where attendees can download, onto a memory stick, all of the conference materials, organized by speaker or session.  For more information on MeetMax Conference Software and how we can help you implement a green meetings strategy, go to www.meetmax.com

What is the best event you have ever attended?  And why?

For me, it was the PopTech conference held each year in Camden, Maine (www.poptech.org).  Here’s why:

• Outstanding, motivational speakers I would not have had access to at any other event
• Innovative ideas that got me thinking and inventing
• Entertaining and engaging, as well as intellectually stimulating
• Compelling topics