Networkers is Cisco’s annual industry conference, an event where networking professionals access updates on trends and innovative developments in technology. The objective is to increase the competitive edge for users through a format of knowledge-based training sessions.
For the 2007 conference, held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in September, 1700 delegates from Australia and New Zealand attended the four-day event, the program for which included “techtorials”, workshops, keynote sessions and a significant trade exhibition component.
While the conference theme, “ignite innovation” related directly to the business and technology components of the conference, there was a parallel theme of sustainability, which provoked substantial interest and participation from delegates.
Cisco adopted a strategy to reduce its environmental impact, and reducing the carbon footprint of the Networkers event was a key component of that strategy.
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre management collaborated with Cisco in developing sustainable event management processes and implementing initiatives to make Networkers 2007 a greener event - establishing a new benchmark for the industry.
This involved the centre’s management team working with the Cisco team, professional conference organisers Veritas and PDK Corporate Events, and the centre’s suppliers to ensure that the desire for a greener event was achieved.
Delegates were engaged from the very start of the conference during the welcome address of Cisco managing director, Les Williamson, and reinforced via signage, placement of recycle bins and “green tips” for delegates issued with pre-conference material.
The overriding challenge was not to overstate the expectations of the outcomes and to manage the desirability for definitive measurement. The main agenda was to set benchmarks for measurement when the event returns to the centre in 2008.
Other challenges experienced by the team were related to cost, labour and time. Most of these challenges were effectively met by research, pre-planning and preparation.
The partnership between Cisco and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre proved extremely successful, and will be repeated when the event returns to the Centre in 2008.
Initiatives introduced for the event included:
• Making the change to renewable energy by investing in 100 per cent Australian green power for the duration of the event
• Use of low energy lighting in exhibition halls
• Use of reusable material for exhibition stands
• Reduced use of air conditioning at non-peak periods
• Changes to menu selection with all menus centred around fresh, seasonal, local produce
• Choice of service styles to ensure portion control and reduction of waste
• Unused food distributed to local charities via the Foodbank organisation
• Effective and sustainable measures to dispose of food waste
• Establishment of full waste streaming for the conference and exhibition components of the event
• Choice for delegates to receive written conference materials or conference papers via memory stick
• Bus transportation arranged for delegates to and from the airport and from the convention centre to their hotels.
• 52 per cent of conference delegates opted for electronic information resulting in a 45 per cent reduction in paper usage for the event
• Reduction of 4185 KWH energy savings equivalent to 4.31 tonnes of Co2 emissions
• Saving of 207.7 tonnes of Co2 emissions as a direct result of using green power
• 70 per cent of waste recycled
The partnership with Cisco provided the centre with the opportunity to build on its already significant sustainability track record which includes:
• Being a member of the Greenhouse Challenge since June 2003.
• Introducing water saving initiatives, which have reduced water consumption by 17.35 per cent over the last year.
• Developing additional significant energy saving initiatives
Cisco organisers were extremely happy with the overall event as were the delegates. The event scored 4.24 out of five which organisers were very pleased with and said reflected the collaboration and relationship between Cisco and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Cisco’s aspirational goal for the 2007 event was to work with partners to decrease the environmental impact of the event.
Cisco Australia and New Zealand managing director, Les Williamson, said that it was imperative for businesses like Cisco to take the environmental impact of events into account when they held events.
“The work we are doing with the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on this Australian leading environmental activity reflects Cisco’s wider drive to embrace business and the environment,” he said.
“We believe networking technologies can play a critical role in reducing the impact of business on the environment.”
General manager of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Robert O’Keeffe, said the BCEC has always aimed at putting sustainability at the core of the way the centre does business, and “we welcomed the opportunity to work more closely with Cisco on developing initiatives and implementing systems to make Networkers 2007 a greener conference.”
EC3 Global’s CEO, Stewart Moore says there is significant marketing benefits for companies to “go green”, but this should be an added bonus rather than the motivation for a business becoming environmentally-friendly.
He says every company has the ability to take action to improve its environmental and social management, especially those working in the business tourism sector.
Turn to page 66 to read what else he has to say on the subject.
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