Planning guides: conference.

Green Options for Flights

  1. Choosing a Site

    Not just the mileage, but the takeoffs burn fuel. Minimizing both is probably the biggest step to running a green conference.

    • Place your conference as near the majority of your attendees as possible.
    • For a national conference, can you hold two or more smaller events? Switch to regional events every other year? Supplement a national meeting with web communications?
    • Look for an airline partner who uses your city as a hub so attendees can make direct flights.
    • One last minor point: consider holding the event near an airport such as San Jose or Boston that has taken steps to be green.

  2. Green Transit on the Agenda

    Can you reserve a car on Amtrak, and have a speaker or key entertainer join the more patient travelers?
    For a large conference, establish an airport greeting booth where attendees can obtain information on sustainable transportation from the airport.

  3. A green flight is an oxymoron!

    Any other means of transportation is likely to be better. Encourage attendees to take a train or carpool!
    Consider video conferencing for long distance participants.

  4. Some tips to share with attendees who have to fly...

    Book non-stop flights, they are much more fuel efficient.

  5. Take consideration in choosing an airline.

    • Virgin is experimenting with new technology and British Airways has made green claims which have met controversy here and here.

  6. Want to "Offset" Your Event's Carbon?

    • Offsetting your carbon is very popular, though we feel increasing skepticism.
    • Carbon offsetting is coming to resemble Indulgences. Carbon offsets are a token: a great way to measure how much impact you've had, but they don't really undo it. If you want to make a donation to an environmental cause, they're often one of the least efficient uses of your money -- support a local cause you know something about.
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