It's Not Easy Being Green
Oracle is committed to protecting the environment, and we make sure that our efforts and awareness extend to Oracle OpenWorld, the world's largest event dedicated to helping you get the most from your information technology. During the 2007 conference, we did a lot to ensure that the event had as little environmental impact as possible, but in 2008, we want to do even better.
With that goal in mind, we commissioned Meeting Strategies Worldwide, an award-winning environmental firm that specializes in the meetings industry, to make a green assessment of our 2007 conference. We wanted to find out what we did right, where we could do better, and how to use Oracle OpenWorld as a springboard to implement environmentally friendly practices companywide. Let's begin with what we did right.
During Oracle OpenWorld 2007, we donated a ton (literally 2,000 pounds) of food to local charity, and diverted almost 60 percent of all the conference waste from landfills by composting, recycling, and reusing. Eighty percent of our exhibitors used online kits instead of printed material to provide brochures, fact sheets, and white papers to customers. Printed materials for the conference were produced with 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based ink. And we transported VIPs to and from the show in hybrid or biodiesel vehicles.
We didn't get everything right, however. Meeting Strategies made some suggestions about how we could be doing more. For instance, the evaluation pointed out that we could include green clauses in contracts we sign with local vendors, ensuring that their best practices are contractually obligated. Additionally, we might also want to purchase some carbon offsets for all the unavoidable emissions the convention creates.
These are just a few of the evaluation findings. Check back soon for more green posts, including important insights from guest blogger Nancy J. Wilson, CMP of Meeting Strategies Worldwide.
There are many different takes on what makes a conference truly green—see this CNET article for example. If you have observations or suggestions about how to make Oracle OpenWorld greener, please leave them in the comments section below. We'd love to hear what you think.
Jodi Morrison
Senior Director, Event Marketing Technology and Operations
Comments (6)
Discuss Energy Environment Issues :
Energy Environment Forum
Cheers
Posted by scotty | July 16, 2008 6:46 AM
Posted on July 16, 2008 06:46
Why not plant a tree for every attendee.... 40,000 trees would make a nice new forest...
Posted by brent | July 16, 2008 9:49 AM
Posted on July 16, 2008 09:49
Great information on the Energy Information Forum. I will pass it along to the team managing the content for our Green Room to see if we can include some Energy Environment Issues.
Posted by Jodi Morrison | July 16, 2008 2:28 PM
Posted on July 16, 2008 14:28
That's great to hear Jack and thanks for showing Oracle is doing more behind the scenes. I blogged about Oracle's OOW07 green efforts, and now I look forward to seeing what happens in OOW08!
We all have to do our bit, no matter how large or small. Keep up the good work :)
Cheers,
Chris Muir.
Posted by Chris Muir | July 17, 2008 4:35 AM
Posted on July 17, 2008 04:35
Oops, was that Jack or Jodi who posted. Thanks either way ;)
CM.
Posted by Chris Muir | July 17, 2008 4:37 AM
Posted on July 17, 2008 04:37
Hi Chris. Great post on your blog about Oracle going green. As you point out in your comment to that post, it's customers like you who can really make a difference in the green effort by showing that you're paying attention -- and that you care. Let us know if you post about this year's Oracle OpenWorld, and we'll make sure to link to it.
Posted by Jack Flynn | July 17, 2008 8:58 AM
Posted on July 17, 2008 08:58