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May 15, 2013
Meeting planners, hotel managers and suppliers of goods and services who want to adapt sustainable practices into all aspects of their work can find valuable guidance in a complete set of ASTM International standards that cover the major areas of sustainable event planning.
The final standard in this suite, ASTM E2772, Specification for Evaluation and Selection of Accommodations for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows and Conferences, has recently been approved and published. All nine standards are now available in one convenient online compilation, ASTM Standards for Green Meetings, which can be found at www.astm.org/BOOKSTORE/COMPS/GREENMTGS.
The nine standards in this series have been developed by Subcommittee E60.02 on Hospitality, part of ASTM International Committee E60 on Sustainability.
The latest standard, ASTM E2772, delineates procedural evaluation and selection of accommodations for environmentally sustainable meetings, events, trade shows and conferences. “ASTM E2772 and the other E60.02 standards are a good starting point and catalyst for meeting professionals to begin or affirm sustainable meeting practices,” says Amy Spatrisano, CMP, principal, MeetGreen®, and co-chairman of E60.02.
Following the structure of the eight other standards in the suite, ASTM E2772 presents criteria in eight different categories: staff management and environmental policy; communications; waste management; energy; air quality; water; procurement; and community partners.
Each of these criteria is split into four progressive levels of achievement, indicating the degree to which sustainability has been achieved in that area. The four levels provide a clear baseline for measuring environmental performance while being flexible enough to adapt to the needs of more advanced planners and to establish a performance path that encourages improvement.
According to Spatrisano, primary users of ASTM E2772 will be meeting/events industry professionals, including planners of meetings, conferences, trade shows and events as well as suppliers of related services, such as hotels, food and beverage providers, and transportation companies.
“Our hope is that the meeting/events industry can help drive demand for more environmentally responsible products such as cleaning solutions, food, collateral materials and temporary built environments,” notes Spatrisano.
The nine E60.02 standards that cover planning for sustainable meetings cover the following topics:
• ASTM E2741—destinations;
• ASTM E2742—exhibits;
• ASTM E2743—transportation;
• ASTM E2745—audio visual (AV) and production;
• ASTM E2746—communication and marketing materials;
• ASTM E2747—onsite offices;
• ASTM E2772—accommodations;
• ASTM E2773—food and beverage; and
• ASTM E2774—meeting venues.
Subcommittee E60.02 is now working on potential refinements for ASTM E2772 and the other eight sustainable meeting standards. All interested parties are invited to join in the standards developing activities of E60.02. Spatrisano says that the subcommittee would particularly like to hear from suppliers and planners to learn what is working with the use of sustainable meetings standards and to hear suggestions for future revisions to ASTM E2772 and the other standards.
To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 877-909-ASTM; sales@astm.org). ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.
For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sn-environmental or follow us on Twitter @ASTMEnvironment.
ASTM Committee E60 Next Meeting: Oct. 22-24, 2013, October Committee Week, Jacksonville, Fla.
Technical Contact: Amy Spatrisano, CMP, MeetGreen®, Portland, Ore., Phone: 503-252-5458; amy@meetgreen.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Stephen Mawn, Phone: 610-832-9726; smawn@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org
Release #9373