As a part of our Sustain – Ability theme and in the spirit of Portland, we have gone “green” with this year’s conference. From conference materials, local meals to composting, CASE VIII has incorporated sustainability principles into many aspects of our planning. We utilized the Green Meeting Industry Council’s website as guidance in our efforts. 10 Easy Tips for Making your Event More Sustainable (PDF).

We look forward to seeing you at the Welcoming Opening and Keynote on Wednesday, February 13 at 4pm PST, and every morning at the Breakfast Roundtables where we will share updates on conference sustainability, including our carbon footprint and simple sustainable choices you can make while at the conference and back at home.

Conference Materials

We will minimize the use of print materials throughout the conference, including session takeaways, signage, and the literature exchange table. We have also been thoughtful about the conference giveaways and prizes for attendees, and are sourcing products that are sustainable and useful, e.g. reusable water bottles.

All Conference Presentations Made Available Online

All conference materials will be made available on our website prior to the start of the conference or after the final session each day (dependent on presenters preference) Our speakers will be encouraged not to print materials and to utilize this online feature. Mindful that some attendees will still want a paper copy, we will provide a printing station that will allow users to print out copies of presentations as desired.

Conference Giveaways

We have encouraged all exhibitors to limit the amount of giveaways or “swag” available, and encouraging the items they do distribute to be sustainable (recycled, etc.). With full conference registration attendees will receive a reusable conference bag (sponsored by Portland Community College) and a collapsible water bottle (sponsored by University of British Columbia). We will have stations available to refill these water bottles throughout the conference, and you can use your conference bag for things like trips to the grocery store.

Lodging

The Portland Hilton has a strong focus on environmental sustainability. It is Green Seal Certified and is the first hotel in Oregon to receive a Green Key designation. For example, guest bathrooms use low-flow toilets and shower heads; the hotel recycles 90 percent of its waste and has reduced natural gas usage by 30 percent; they offer a linen reuse program and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps. For more information on the Hilton’s sustainability efforts.

Central Location with Limited Travel Needs

We are hosting conference-sponsored activities and events on-site at the Hilton to avoid the use of shuttle transportation; this will cut down on distances traveled while at the conference. There are a great number of excellent restaurants and night life around the Hilton, all within walking distance. Also consider taking public transportation from the Airport as Portland boasts a light rail line, shuttle buses, and “green” taxis. We also encourage attendees arriving via airplane to coordinate shared taxis to the Hilton using Twitter @CASE8conf.

Meals

CASE VIII is taking advantage of the Hilton’s local and organic meal options, to bring you the most sustainable meals we can using locally grown vegetables and meats. All food waste will be composted and recycling stations will be available. We will not provide bottled water at the conference, and instead will offer water stations where conference attendees may refill their collapsible water bottles or glasses. We will also provide condiments (sugar, salt, pepper and cream) in bulk to avoid the use of individual packaging.