As many of you have done with your events, organizations and businesses, IEG has stepped up its efforts to operate the conference in an environmentally conscious and sustainable manner. Our green initiatives include:

Pre-conference
Conference materials—from brochures to badge paper, pocket schedules to the Workbook—were printed responsibly on FSC-certified stock using vegetable-based inks. In addition to more environmentally friendly print, non-essential print materials either were eliminated or converted to digital-only formats, from projecting the luncheon menus on the big screens to providing access to speaker handouts and last-minute schedule changes online.

On Site
Our conference planning team collaborated with the Hilton Chicago—the largest hotel in the nation to obtain Green Seal Bronze Certification—on a number of measures to make your on-site experience greener. Recycling stations will be more prevalent and water stations feature filtered water served in biodegradable cups made from corn. Other Hilton greening efforts include compact fluorescent lighting, conversion (in progress) to digital thermostats, and material donations to local businesses and shelters.

Post-conference
Once again, IEG is offsetting the electricity used to host this conference with Green-E certified renewable energy from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Greenergy Program. This commitment to clean, renewable energy helps protect the environment from harmful emissions associated with fossil-fuel-based energy and helps build a more sustainable energy future. For more information on certified renewable energy choices, visit www.green-e.org.

In addition, IEG is planting a tree for each attendee through a partnership with Green Promise—where trees are planted in exchange for promises of sustainable actions. Each tree planted will consume up to one ton of CO2 over the life of the tree. To learn more, or to make your own Green Promise, visit www.greenpromise.com.

Finally, in the spirit of the “The Three R’s” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Britten Banners—the leading provider of large-format banner solutions for sponsors, properties and events—is converting the large-scale banners from the Conference into tote bags.