Meeting News - April 20, 2009 - (Page 24)

Green Beat Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Greenest Planner Profile: Harith Wickrema Independent planner plans global, but acts local, for events and incentives “Where I grew up, we always found a second use for everything,” said Harith Wickrema, president of Philadelphiabased meeting and incentive planning company Harith Productions Ltd., who was a winner at the Greenest Planner Awards at the Green Travel Summit, at the Fairmont Newport Beach. Indeed, for as long as the editors of MeetingNews and Successful Meetings have known him, Wickrema has been the master of reduce, recycle, and reuse in ways that are both unusual and imaginative. In 2003, Wickrema made a splash by producing a small 40-person incentive on the coattails of a larger 850-seat gala at the Atlantis Resort & Casino in the Bahamas. For “Mystical Powers of Atlantis,” Wickrema used theme decor from the resort itself,saving thousands of dollars on scenery and sets. In subsequent meetings and incentives, Wickrema continued to balance a passion for sustainability and a dedication to the “wow” factor—while keeping a steady eye on the bottom line.For a Mexico incentive in 2007, Wickrema combed the markets of Tonala, Tlaquepaque, and Chapala to find pottery and local flourishes, such as agave honey, mango marmalade, pewter trays, and a dance troupe. “If you find that emotional connection,” said Wickrema,“you add a little bit about the destination into your event—even if it is inside the ballroom of an elegant hotel.” Sourcing locally, he added, is “a goal whenever I bring a meeting to a destination. I want to give the attendees an authentic experience, and I want to make a contribution to the local economy.” Last year, Wickrema produced an incentive in Rio de Janeiro. He locally sourced everything for the “An Evening of Carioca Pride” gala dinner, for which he won a Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (now Site) Crystal Award. This year, he is planning a sustainable incentive in Iceland and readying the debut of his Virgin Islands eco-retreat. —Terri Hardin USGBC First N.A. Group To Get U.K. Green Title he U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Conferences and Events team has been certified under BS 8901:2007, becoming the first North American organization to get the British standard, which is also the world’s first certifiable sustainability management system standard for the events industry. Each year, USGBC Conferences and Events organizes over 100 events, including the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo—the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building—as well as the USGBC Federal Summit, various roundtables, and Member Circle events. “Certification under the British standard validates our processes, execution, and post-event monitoring and incentivizes us to continue,” said Kimberly Lewis, VP of USGBC Conferences and Events. —TH T Green Travel Summit Marries Environmental Concern with Business Needs At the Fairmont Newport Beach in California March 23-24, Green Travel Summit keynote speaker David Refkin, former director of sustainable development for Time Inc., told meeting planners to watch for tropical diseases moving north, heavier rainstorms in some areas and droughts in others, and general variability in weather patterns as a result of environmental changes. Meanwhile, panels tackled greening of hotels and venues; an introduction to carbon offsets; how virtual meetings fit into a green plan; green meetings guidelines and checklists; and case studies of Royal Caribbean’s eco policy and InterContinental Hotels Group’s social responsibility policy. A luncheon honored the National Business Travel Association’s corporate social responsibility award winners and the winners of MeetingNews and Successful Meetings’ Greenest Planner Awards: Harith Wickrema of Harith Productions (profiled in story above), Jodi Morrison of Oracle Corp. (March 23 MN, p. 11), and Kim Booriin with Guardian Investor Services in New York City (to be profiled in the next issue). Harry Lewis, attorney advisor for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, delved into how the EPA is incentivizing companies to go green by doing meetings business with eco-conscious firms. The EPA’s RFPs now include the “14 Questions” that address water conservation, recycling, accessibility to public transit, and related issues. Lewis also discussed his own “environmental neurosis.” He once declined to travel to a meeting to speak on a panel because of limited time to share his information and the environmental cost. In addition, for companies curious about carbon offsets but not sold on the idea, he favors spending money on a nonstop flight over the offset. In a speech, Auden Schendler, executive director of sustainability for Aspen Skiing Co., and author of Getting Green Done, said while it’s empowering to hear of green successes, it’s vital to discuss, and learn from, failed attempts, too. —Kinley Levack 24 MeetingNews April 20, 2009 www.meetingnews.com https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/mn_20090323/index.php?startid=11 http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - April 20, 2009

Meeting News - April 20, 2009
Contents
What’s Up in the MeetingNews Community
Inside the Industry
People Making News
Thirty Under 30
Hotels & Resorts
Chef Talk
Convention Centers
International
Destinations: Caribbean
Destinations: Kansas City, MO
Green Beat
Destinations: New Jersey
Destinations: Myrtle Beach, SC
Live from the Forum

Meeting News - April 20, 2009