SAVE THE GREEN, MONEY THAT IS

If you are in the event planning industry, chances are you have been pondering the concept of Green, the environmentally - cautious movement that is sweeping through our country. You might be wondering, how much should I invest in "greening" my product? Or maybe you're thinking, should I even bother with being "eco-friendly" - odds are people will give up this ideology in a few years. Or maybe you fall into the category that "Going Green" is a must. You have hired your consultant and are on your way to being the environment's biggest fan.
The Convention Industry Council will release their very first Green Meetings and Event Standards this month. The anticipated release drummed up several discussions on LinkedIn this week. Here are a few: Will these new guidelines change the way the event planning industry operates? Will they change what our customers demand? Do I need to transform my company into a Green Machine?
We asked the question in our ongoing Paragon Events' Fall Formula Survey  "Do you feel it's important to offer green solutions to your clients, why or why not?"
The Results: While a majority of people claim to love our earth and love the concept of eco-friendliness, they care more about the green in their pockets. Companies and consumers alike agree, if the price is right they will go green; but saving the monetary green is more important.
Three things to keep in mind when plotting your green initiatives:
1) Clients will not pay more for eco-friendliness.
2) Be creative and you will find that you can actually save clients money if you choose to go the green route.
3) Last but not least, I think companies will start to see more and more benefits from going green, such as tax credits and niche markets. As the economy improves, more people will demand green services.
 I believe the green phenomenon is not a trend, but here to stay. The new guidelines will make this more evident. Start devising your green concepts now. To see how Paragon Events is plunging into this market, check out our new Eco-Vents division.