--- title: "Thursday Buzz: Keep Your Event Green" id: "30965" type: "post" slug: "thursday-buzz-keep-your-event-green" published_at: "2015-11-12T21:24:14+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:50:32+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/11/12/thursday-buzz-keep-your-event-green/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/11/12/thursday-buzz-keep-your-event-green.md" excerpt: "Greening your meetings can do wonders—it’s just not always easy. Plus: Who you’re with at an event may be more important than what you’re seeing." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Environment and Sustainability" - "event planning" - "green events" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Thursday Buzz: Keep Your Event Green With climate change as an [international conversation](http://associationsnow.com/2014/05/tv-meteorologists-help-explain-climate-change/) and cities moving toward [cleaner experiences](http://associationsnow.com/2014/10/greener-earth-friendlier-meetings/) , event planners are likewise embracing environmentally friendly events. Problem is, sustainable events are often a bit tough to tackle. “Are you shying away from greening your events because it seems like more work?” Shawna McKinley, sustainability event expert, [asks in her latest Event Manager Blog post (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/green-event-mistakes) . “Have you stopped paying attention to green because you’ve tried before and feel your efforts did not deliver the results you were hoping for?” Learning from her past efforts, McKinley shares everything she knows regarding successfully holding a sustainable, clean, and green event. “Over the years I’ve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to sustainable event efforts,” she admits in her writing. “More often than not they happened because I didn’t know what I didn’t know and had to learn the hard way.” There’s advice such as not starting the planning process too late, communicating your needs in understandable ways, and always focusing on real-world stories over what the data says. It’s refreshing, as McKinley says green event planning allows for more purposeful work. “Sustainable events became a much more effective process when I stopped solely looking at the minutia of practices, and focused on the intention of the process as well,” she says. “Suddenly things got goal-oriented. And creativity blossomed.” Read more of her insights [at the Event Manager Blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/green-event-mistakes) . ### “With Is Greater Than What” **Look at who you’re with—not just what you’re seeing.** That’s the insight nonprofit marketer Colleen Dilenschneider, ‎chief market engagement officer at IMPACTS Research & Development, uncovers in her latest *Know Your Own Bone* blog post and video. In a dive into IMPACTS’ own research, [Dilenschneider highlights that many people who go to cultural events (opens in a new tab)](http://colleendilen.com/2015/11/11/data-reveals-the-best-thing-about-visiting-a-cultural-organization-fast-fact-video/) and facilities value the people they’re with as a key part of the experience—not just the cultural artifacts they’re experiencing. It’s a phenomenon that could offer some important lessons outside of the world of zoos and museums as well. Check out the video above to get a feel for the data. ### Other Links for Your Day **Social media scheduling may have gotten easier.** Management platform Buffer just launched its new social media calendar feature. [Check it out (opens in a new tab)](https://buffer.com/social-media-calendar?ref=producthunt) . **Watch how you communicate.** [Peter Economy wrote at Inc. (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/9-surprising-phrases-that-make-you-look-really-unprofessional.html) about nine surprising statements that can make you look unprofessional—or just not cool—in the office. **Get on your content!** There’s so much to share and so many platforms to deal with. [Aditi Prakhash shared six tools at SocialFish (opens in a new tab)](http://www.socialfish.org/2015/11/6-chrome-extensions-that-are-perfect-for-content-marketers/) for content managers to utilize in streamlining content work. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Patrick deHahn](https://associationsnow.com/author/patrick-dehahn/) Patrick deHahn is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/patrick-dehahn/) Tags: [#Environment and Sustainability](https://associationsnow.com/tag/environment-and-sustainability/) [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#green events](https://associationsnow.com/tag/green-events/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastSustainable Events: How Associations and DMOs Are Leading the ChargeMarch 31, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/03/31/sustainable-events-how-associations-and-dmos-are-leading-the-charge/) - [ArticleReport: Meeting Planners Stressing Personalization, SustainabilityOctober 29, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/10/29/report-meeting-planners-stressing-personalization-sustainability/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F11%2F12%2Fthursday-buzz-keep-your-event-green%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !