Green Initiatives at 2011 USCA

The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) remains committed to making the United States Conference on AIDS

(USCA) a "green" conference, defined by the Convention Industry Council as a meeting "that incorporates

environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment."
 
In an effort to become a "zero waste" event and work environment, NMAC has implementing several new

"greening policies" this year that will further reduce USCA's carbon footprint and enhance the meeting experience

for our sponsors, partners, exhibitors, speakers and attendees.

Printing Less, Saving Trees, and Encouraging Attendees to Be Green
 

Online Engagement:
NMAC has leveraged its online e-alert system and web-based banner ad solutions to promote USCA for over ten

years, has dramatically reducing the number of USCA mailings during that time. Annual save-the-date postcards

drive attendees to the USCA website, www.2011USCA.org, to learn more about the meeting and take advantage

of online registration forms and the downloadable Call for Abstracts and Exhibitor Prospectus materials. In 2011,

USCA attendees, sponsors and partners are being highly encouraged to register online, rather than fax or mail in

paper registrations.

USCA Program Materials Go Electronic:

NMAC stopped printing the USCA program book in 2009, effectively reducing its print production for the meeting

by more than 75%. Attendees are now given a reusable flash drive that contains the full program book, and a

printed addendum that contains a schedule of events and black and white versions of our sponsor ads. This year,

we will be providing much of the USCA program book online and electronic reader boards listing the daily

conference sessions will be stationed throughout the meeting space. Computer stations will be available in the

Cyber Cafe in the exhibit hall and name tag holders will be collected at the main registration area and at the

exhibit hall exit.

If It's Not Online, It's Like the Vine:
Green, Green, Green: Materials that cannot be reproduced electronically are produced on certified recycled

papers and vegetable-based inks. The agency also works with printers located in the host city as much as

possible in order to reduce the impact of shipping on the environment. Sponsors and partners are encouraged

to following similar printing practices.
 
Speaker Practices:
Speakers will be strongly discouraged from handing out printed materials. Instead, they will be invited to

submit their presentations and handouts ahead of time in order to be featured on the USCA program book

flash drive.

Registration Bags:
This year's USCA program bag will be produced by Siempre Unidos. The agency runs three HIV treatment

clinics in areas of Honduras heavily impacted by AIDS, and is supported in part by its fair trade workshop,

 located in San Pedro Sula. Staffed exclusively by HIV-positive people, nearly all of whom are women, the

workshop produces conference bags and other marketing collateral from recyclable, non chlorine-based

materials. Please visit www.siempreunidos.org and www.siempresol.org.

Green Has Its Benefits:
NMAC will provide attendees who adhere to the green policy with "I was caught green handed" buttons

and/or pins to help provide an incentive -- and a reminder -- for attendees to recycle and eliminate waste.

Recycling Help:
NMAC will have designated volunteers to serve as recycling advisors. Volunteers will have special badges,

shirts or ribbons to identify these advisors, who will help identify recycling areas to attendees and encourage

attendees to recycle. The Host Committee will serve as a resource on this matter. 

Exhibiting Our "Green" Ways at USCA

USCA Show Vendor Ushers in the Green:
Global Experience Specialists (GES) has served as USCA's show vendor for over five years, and is dedicated

to mitigating the environmental impact of exhibitions and events: "Over the years, our organization has set

itself apart as an environmentally responsible industry leader doing our part in making this planet a more

beautiful and resourceful place to live. From our aggressive in-house recycling programs and show site initiatives

along with our 'Green' association partnerships, GES will continue to do its part in promoting a higher level

of social responsibility."
 
This year, GES will be showing off the green by:
•Employing emerging efficient light in the exhibit hall, as well as offering carpets made with a minimum of

25% post-industrial recycled content and 100% recyclable carpet, and trash cans made from 100%

recyclable materials.
•Employing printing technologies that use recyclable papers and vegetable-based inks that do not contain

volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
•Leveraging environmentally-friendly substrates, such as BioBoard and employing direct-to-substrate methods

as much as possible to eliminate the need for environmentally hazardous adhesives.
•Delivering recyclables, such as table skirts, signs and banners, visqueen, carpet and steel and aluminum

exhibit structures from show sites and GES warehouses to proper recycling stations.
•Partnering with all our facilities and other ancillary venues to divert as much waste as possible from landfills.

Materials that are thrown away are loaded into biodegradable trash bags.

Cyber Cafe:
Virtual Only. To cut down on the amount of paper used during USCA, print services will not be provided in the

Cyber Cafe. Attendees will be encouraged to take full advantage of the meeting's virtual information resources.

Water Stations:
Attendees will have access to water stations, rather than bottled water, throughout the meeting, to limit the

 amount of plastic used during USCA.
 
Encouraging Green Exhibitions:
All exhibitors and sponsors are encouraged to distribute bag inserts and collateral made only from recyclable

paper and materials. In addition, NMAC has asked USCA exhibitors to set up a collection for any useful giveaways

that would normally be thrown away and donate them to local shelters or schools.
 
USCA has helped prepare exhibitors by providing them a copy of our green policy and informing them of the

expected number of attendees to help them bring an appropriate number of handouts and giveaways. "Green"

exhibitors will also be recognized during USCA.

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers: The Greenest of Venues
 

USCA is proud to be hosting this year's meeting at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, which meets the Green

SealTM Environmental Standard for Lodging Properties for waste minimization, water and energy efficiency,

hazardous substances, and is the recipient of the Illinois Hospitality & Lodging Association Stay Green Recognition

Award for Energy, Recycling, and Waste Minimization Program.
 
The hotel has installed energy-saving windows, lighting and equipment, and requires staff to turn off lights and

computers when not in use. Guest rooms feature low flow shower heads, faucets and toilets, and local plants and

 trees are featured in the outdoor landscaping.

The Sheraton Chicago maintains a comprehensive recycling program for the common areas, back of the house,

and administrative areas of the property for materials that are cost-effective locally, and includes: all paper products,

plastic, glass and aluminum, as well as shipping pallets, print cartridges, light bulb ballasts, light bulbs,

batteries and even kitchen grease.
 
Additional "green" guest practices include:

•Offering guests paperless check in procedures and providing amenities in minimal packaging that is made from

recycled materials and in the smallest practical size. (Used amenities are donated to a nonprofit organization

called Franciscan Outreach, a shelter and soup kitchen that has served Chicago since 1976.) Guests also are

encouraged to reuse bed linens and towels during their stay.
•Serving meals made from local foods and providing condiments in serving containers rather than individual

packets. In addition, all plenary food functions will be served without garnishes or use edible garnishes.
•Securing environmentally-friendly cleaning and pest control products from local vendors.

 NMAC Attendee and Exhibitor Evaluation

USCA evaluation forms will assess the success of its "green" practices, and may include questions such as:

- Were you aware of our "green" policy and programs?
- Please rate the ease of participating in these programs.

- What other areas can NMAC improve upon?
 
After assessing the information gathered from the evaluation forms, green initiatives at USCA will be strengthened

for each subsequent conference.