Sound Initiatives had to provide a platform to highlight the environmental challenges facing global business today, and to share strategies and best practices for corporateenvironmental responsibility.
The chosen conference venue needed to showcase some green business initiatives.
ChallengesIn keeping with the green theme of the event, the hotel had to redesign its stationery and collateral to meet environmentally aware practices.This included reprinting writing pads, tent cards, the menu and menu inserts, foodtags and the welcome keycard folder on recycled paper.The organisers did not want to use cut flowers due to environmental sustainability,therefore the lobby centrepiece, table arrangements and landscaping were all potted.Guests were welcomed electronically over the in-house television channel, instead ofusing welcome cards and letters.No signage was used during the summit; ushers and staff directed guests instead.Changes to the menu – including organic foods and free-trade coffee and tea –
were twice as costly as normal products and had to be imported from Europe and Australia.
ExecutionThe summit was spread over two days and included eight discussion panels with audience question-and-answer sessions, a roundtable discussion on ‘Energyand Climate Change’, and a special interest session on ‘Solving the Southeast Asian Haze Crisis’.There were addresses from Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore’s environment and waterresources minister; Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme; and Georg Kell, the executive director of UN Global Compact.US actress Daryl Hannah and four-time Grammy Award nominee Angelique Kidjo also attended the event.The Champions of the Earth gala dinner was held on the evening of the first day.
VerdictTony Gourlay, managing director of Sound Initiatives says: “It was imperative that we made this a green event. Holding it at the Shangri-La was a big step in thatdirection. “Having been certified as a carbon-neutral event by carbonfund.org, the goal was to work with our partners to ensure environmentally friendly practiceswere used. The net effect was to lower carbon emissions and waste.“The cooperation from the Shangri-La’s staff and the botanical setting of the hotelgave the right ambiance and message,” says Gourlay.”