How do I organize a Green Meeting?

The Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings and Events can be awarded to all types of meetings and conferences that are defined in the Austrian congress statistics, such as congresses, symposia or scientific conferences, as well as various types of events. Further details can be found in the guidelines of the Austrian Ministry of the Environment.
7 criteria for a Green Meeting
The special feature of this flexible tool is that the focus is not on one area, such as the location, but on the entire event. This allows organizers to integrate their sustainable measures directly into the planning and implementation. The green idea is a common thread running through all areas of an event (see table).
If an organizer is considering holding a green meeting, they should first go through the clearly structured list of criteria in Guideline UZ 62. This contains both “must” and “should” criteria. Mandatory criteria are basic conditions that must be fulfilled in any case. In order to achieve the required total number of points, additional points must be generated from the target criteria. These are criteria that apply to the respective event and are freely selectable.
Overview of the areas, each with an example of a “must” and “should” criterion
Area | Must-Criterion | Should-Criterion |
---|---|---|
Mobility & Climate Protection | Arrival possibility without car | Incentives for environmentally friendly arrival and departure |
Accommodation | Communicating about the Green Meeting to accommodation providers | Assessment of the environmental standards of the accommodation providers |
Venues | Waste containers in the toilets | Barrier-free access at the venue |
Procurement, Material & Waste Management | Re-use of name badges | Data collection of waste figures |
Exhibitors and Stand Builders | Communication to exhibitors/stand builders with recommendations on environmental criteria | Reduction of printed materials and give-aways in the exhibition area |
Catering & Gastronomy | Reusable kitchenware | Organic quality food |
Communication | Survey of participants on their opinion of the Green Meeting measures (e.g. using a questionnaire) | Communication of the accommodation’s environmental standards to participants |
Social Aspects | Security concept (for more than 1,000 participants) | Support for social or cultural initiatives |
Event Technology | The use of pyrotechnics is prohibited | Energy-efficient technology concept |
Certification by licensees
In the next step, Austrian licensees will be consulted for support. Information on suitable partners is provided by the Association for Consumer Information (VKI). In the Austrian Convention Bureau, over a third of all member companies are already licensees. These meeting professionals have many years of expertise in the field and help event organizers to professionally implement their first green meeting. The licensee is commissioned with the licensing and is therefore responsible for the correct execution and storage of the required documentation.
Finally, all necessary data and documents (e.g. proof of implementation, partner agreements) are entered into the online certification software of the Austrian Ministry of the Environment by the licensee. After a check by the VKI, the process is completed and the congress/conference/seminar/workshop is “certified as a Green Meeting according to the criteria of UZ62”.
Are Green Meetings expensive?
In general, organizers of Green Meetings do not incur any costs for certification. These are paid by the licensee as part of their annual fee. Any consulting costs incurred are agreed upon individually between the organizer and the licensee. Sustainable event organization does not have to be expensive, it just requires a little creativity and a return to the basics. On the contrary: event organizers report that resources can be conserved and costs saved by switching to a more conscious approach (e.g. no congress bags, fewer printed materials, etc.).
The Ecolabel guidelines have been tested for their practicability at several events and offer you a solid basis for a green meeting – but find out for yourself and make your contribution to economic, ecological and social sustainability.
Contact Person

Mag. Barbara Dusek
Professional support and organizational handling – VKI (Association for Consumer Information)
Linke Wienzeile 18
1060 Vienna
tel: +43 (0) 1 588 77-235
mail: umweltzeichen@vki.at