The long-awaited APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting standards have been published. A joint effort of the Convention Industry Council (CIC) and ASTM International, these voluntary industry-agreed upon standards grew out of discussions between the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Broad-Based, Inclusive And Attainable

The objective of these standards was to develop broad-based agreement on sustainability with input from stakeholders across the industry. With input from over 300 industry professionals, the standards were created. Ultimately, these new standards will help meeting planners develop environmentally sustainable events and continually improve the sustainability of their events.

The standards are focused with clear-cut objectives and measures of achievement; yet allow enough flexibility to be attainable by all types of organizations. There are four levels of attainment for each standard, allowing participation at different commitment levels depending on an organization’s resources. The standards are designed to be stand-alone, which allows planners to choose, and apply, only the standards that pertain to their specific event.

The Nine Areas of Study

Areas studied include:
• Accommodation
• Audio Visual
• Communications
• Destinations
• Exhibits
• Food & Beverage
• Meeting Venue
• On-Site Office
• Transportation

Standards have been published for seven of the nine areas studied. Accommodations and Meeting Venue are not yet published.

For each of the nine components, eight impact areas were also evaluated. They are:
• Staff Management and Environmental Policy
• Communications
• Waste
• Energy
• Air Quality
• Water
• Procurement
• Community Partners

The APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting standards are available as stand alone documents, available for purchase through ATSM International. Prices range from $40 to $46. Once all nine standards have been published, a single comprehensive volume will be made available for purchase.

About the author:

Jonathan Edelman provides helpful advice about trade show strategies. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, follow up techniques, and using trade show marketing strategies to boost revenue.