Responsible Meetings

Going Green in the Corporate World may seem a bit intimidating but it is quite simple to do. The Green initiative has hit the event industry worldwide but has not become a standard practice in Fort Worth. City Club is trying to create a standard for green meetings and events for its clients.

Substantial or responsible meetings would follow these simple standards:

Sustainable seafood: Make sure the fish you choose has not been over-fished and comes from a sustainable source. A great way to make sure you make the right choice is to use the Seafood Guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ ).

Vegetarian options: At a minimum, allow guests to make vegetarian requests. Additionally, you may want to choose one or two meals to be completely vegetarian. We work with the chef to develop good, high-protein menu options; they are usually more creative and less expensive.

Reusable service ware, linens and decorations: Simply put, no disposables. But isn’t that really what first-class service is? Who wants to drink from a foam cup and eat on a plastic plate with a plastic fork when one could be dining on fine china and using silver cutlery? Decorations should also be either edible or reusable. Stir Sticks are not used – only silverware. Paper Doilies will not be used.

Bulk food and beverage: Whenever possible, serve in bulk. Serving water in large containers instead of individual bottles saved one conference over $50,000—not to mention the amount of plastic. Serve condiments such as cream, mustard, etc., in bulk as well. Juices and waters in pitchers/carafes – not canned or bottled.

Local and Seasonal Food: Food should preferably meet these criteria, but sometimes this is not possible when feeding large numbers of guests. We try to purchase food that is within 100 to 500 miles of City Club.

Energy Reduction: Conference area lighting is scheduled off at nighttime, unless otherwise noted. Individual meeting spaces have their own thermostat air control and window blinds. City Club is located in Sundance Square which uses 10% clean, renewable energy.

Fitness Centers: Dispensing systems used for showers including shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Bottled waters are not available, we use water coolers. Towels, workout uniforms and robes are cleaned and reused. Reusable water bottles and bags are available for purchase through the fitness centers.

Audio/Visual Equipment: Wipe Boards are available in lieu of flipcharts. LCD projectors and overhead projectors are available to reduce the amount of handouts, make presentations available online.

Water Conservation: We offer refillable pitchers instead of bottled water. Water coolers are available when requested. Limiting the use of dishes can also cut down on water usage - no coffee cup saucers, not filling water glasses automatically, etc.

Recycling: Toner Cartridges are recycled throughout the company. Recycling Cartons are available upon request for individual meeting rooms. Recyclable plastic will be purchased when available. Post consumer recycled paper and paper products are used in daily office procedures.

Paper Conservation: Double sided copies are used when applicable. Shift written communication to email when possible; Contracts and event orders will be emailed when possible. Minimize the use of new packing supplies by reusing boxes and packing materials.

Transportation: City Club is within walking distance to major hotels and venues within Sundance Square. Train Station is also within walking distance.

Food Waste: Events are encouraged to guarantee the accurate number of guests attending each function to lower the amount of food waste. We also partner with the Tarrant County Food Bank in some cases.

Responsible meetings and events are easy to coordinate and City Club can help anyone accomplish this goal.

Weddings are also considering "green" initiatives by including the practices above but can take it a step further with favors, wardrobe and bridal gifts. Green Wedding information to come soon!