‘Do The Math’ screening – Wed, 29 May

Things are hotting up: A week ago, CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million – last experienced several million years ago.

Rather ironically, Bill McKibben of 350.org today launched a short film – Doing the Math – which charts the organisation’s ’endgame’ strategy to stop the reckless behaviour of the fossil fuel industry. More information about the movie at math.350.org

Join us for a screening of this inspiring film (45min long) and we hope you will stay afterwards for 45 min or so to brainstorm taking-action ideas.

[Read on...]


Visit us at WASTEX 2013

The Event Greening Forum will have a stand at WASTEX Africa, Africa’s dedicated waste management, recycling and environmental protection expo and indaba.

The dedicated expo showcases existing businesses involved in the entire waste cycle and environmental protection activities. Current practices and new innovations, technologies and approaches will be showcased. The exhibition covers the full spectrum of waste management activities, including:

Date: 29-31 May 2013

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre

Click here for more details.


Eco-Logic Awards open for entries

Entries are now open for the Eco-Logic Awards until 30 June 2013. The Eco-Logic  Awards were launched in 2011 by Enviropaedia with the idea of motivating and educating consumers to use their consumer power to drive social and environmental sustainability.  Learn more here.

 


Smart Design for Recycling Workshop

 

 

 

 

PETCO, POLYCO and PlasticsISA are joining forces to host a workshop titled Smart Design for Recycling. This is a follow up workshop in the highly successful series hosted over the last few years looking at sustainable packaging and the journey to recyclability by design.

Date: 23 May 2013
Venue: PlasticsISA, Midrand
Time: 9:30 for 10:00 till 13:00 (incl lunch)
Cost: PETCO/ POLYCO members* free, non-members R 150

Program
10:00- Welcome and PETCO update and Challenges for B2B (Cheri Scholtz-PETCO)
10:05- POLYCO Update (Sheryl Ozinsky- POLYCO)
10:10- Challenges for PET recycling (Chandru Wadhwani-Extrupet)
10:30- Challenges for Polyolefin recycling (Rudi Johannes- Polymark Recycling)
10:50- Body Break
11:00- A Labellers perspective (Mark Liptrot- Afripak)
11:20- Divergent Expectations: The Brandowner/ Converter Dialogue (Rowan le Roux- Polyoak)
11:40- Panel discussion with Q&A
12:00- Wrap up followed by lunch & networking

RSVP: Kea Nkitseng- info@petco.co.za, Tel 011 615 8875
Don’t miss out on this full and informative event!

 


SEED Initiative- UNEP : Applications open till 12 June 2013

SEED Initiative has just launched the 2013 SEED Awards to support entrepreneurs for sustainable development; seeking entries from innovative start-up entrepreneurs who aim to generate environmental, social and economic benefits at the local level in a country with a developing or emerging economy. Click here for more info.

 

 

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Green MICE is red hot

Drafted by The MICE Academy

All things green dominated the 14th May Event Greening Workshop supported by the Event Greening Forum. A good turnout proved the importance that event greening is becoming a continuously growing requirement of interest and implementation.

Venues and suppliers crowded-in to get some hard-hitting advise and tips on aspects that would make their venues and events stand-out from the rest, through simple yet assured green methods.

The workshop was an eye-opener in a number of environmentally acceptable pointers. Below are some of the highlights from an information-packed four hours:

Catering & Types of Fish

SASSI has developed a colour coding system to help you identify which fish you should be eating, based on sustainable criteria (Sourced: www.wwf.org.za/sassi/):

Examples discussed include:

Décor & Table Displays

Facilities &Visual Greening Efforts

The MICE Academy assessed the day’s session at four credit points. The credits will form the basis of authentic certificates for the 95% who completed the confidential application form which were submitted to the Academy for processing. The certificates will provide the participating individuals with proof of their knowledge update in this vital subject going forward.

 


Imvelo 2013 takes Responsible Tourism to new heights

The Imvelo Awards for Responsible Tourism this year extends its reach to ensure that both large and small organisations can benefit from these prestigious Awards.

For the  first time in twelve years’ since inception, the seven Imvelo Awards categories will each have two prize winners, allowing both large and small operations to win by not competing against each other, but rather with  like-sized businesses. There will also be an overall winner which will be chosen from the six categories’ winners.

The Imvelo Awards categories are: Best social involvement programme;  Best practice – economic impact; Best overall environmental management system;  Best single resource management programme – with sub-categories for energy efficiency, water efficiency and waste-management;  Most empowered tourism business, and the Investor in people Award. Each of the categories will recognise both large and small establishments in terms of their contribution to Responsible Tourism.

The Imvelo Awards once again will award tourism businesses for their sustained responsible practices through their operations taking into account their contributions to sustaining their natural, social and economic environments. [Read on...]


SATTIC 2013 confirmed for October

The second South African Travel and Tourism Industry Conference (SATTIC) is confirmed to take place in the month of October and will be organised by the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA).  The conference will take place in Gauteng at a venue to be announced in due course.

SATTIC is a collaboration between five tourism industry associations affiliated to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa.  They are SATSA, the National Accommodation Association of South Africa (NAA-SA), the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA), the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) and the Southern African Vehicle and Leasing Association (SAVRALA).

The main objective of SATTIC is to discuss issues of common purpose in the industry and review progress in the implementation of the National Tourism Sector Strategy.

Following the success of the inaugural conference last year, the date of the conference has been moved to October to avoid conflict with other major industry events and to allow space for all role-players to participate.  The conference is mainly targeted at tourism business executives and product owners, however, the organisers are extending an invitation to all stakeholders in the tourism private and public sectors to participate.

The theme for this year’s conference is “understanding the value of the traveller” and will focus on the value and needs of the traveller, with a specific focus on how best to serve consumers through the various products and services available.

An RFP (request for proposals) for experienced professional conference organisers to bid for the project has already been published and this will soon be followed by an RFP for suitable venues.  For more information, visit www.sattic.co.za.


What does it take to win an EXSA Green Award?

In 2012 the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) launched Green Award categories for its annual EXSA Awards. The response was positive, with a total of 11 submissions  made for the Green Stand and Green Show categories, and six awards  handed out at the awards evening.

“Recognition is one of the most important, if not the most important feedback mechanisms for any initiative,” says Nigel Walker, the Chairman of EXSA. “Without recognition in the form of awards, it is difficult to highlight those projects that have gone the ‘extra mile’. Greening is not a once-off ‘thing’ to do, it needs to be totally integrated into the project, and indeed into the business. Having done this, putting the spotlight on a number of projects that shine ensures that specific elements that contributed to a winning projects are highlighted.”

But what goes into the Green Awards? How can you win one? [Read on...]


McCann gets a high-five for its green event

McCann Public Relations was recently appointed to launch a green building. Not just any green building. But the first five-star-awarded smaller commercial building by the Green Building Council of South Africa. The property in question is the stunning eco-friendly Upper Grayston, in Linden Road, Strathavon, Johannesburg.

With Green Office Week upon us and the theme for Friday, 26 April being “Greening your events”, the McCann PR team is well versed McCann PR MD, Linda Weaver, explains, “The brief from our client, the Brydens Group, was unequivocal – everything about the event had to enhance the building’s focus on sustainability. And it started with the invitations. I believe they are among the most important facets of an event. They set the tone for the occasion and an exciting invite will attract the media’s attention.” With that in mind, McCann PR dug deep – literally – and turned to Mother Earth for inspiration. Invitations were printed on recycled paper and attached to an indigenous sapling.after a successful launch to media and guests. [Read on...]



Event Greening