Este post foi agregado pelo meu lifelog. É possível que eu não seja o autor.
We were cleaning the house today, and I came across a giant pile of conference bags that I've collected over the years. This reminded me of my rant about how we need to kill off conference swag.
Every time I go to a conference, I receive about 5kg of stuff including a bag, glossy brochures, vendorware and a t-shirt. It's always seemed wasteful to me. People managed to carry their laptop to the conference in something. Do they really need a second laptop bag?
These laptop-style bags are relatively expensive and often require a bag sponsor. They're not very strong and usually break within a year of use. I do not feel that these bags really advertise the conference, they're not in prominent enough display. If a bag would seem to be a requirement, why not use a recyclable paper bag or a canvas bag that can be kept and used for carrying things (I keep a small canvas bag in my main bag at all times in case I buy something). Alternatively, I once received a small tote bag made entirely of recycled materials, this is an awesome bag that I've kept (in fact, Stephanie claimed it).
If you're going to cut wastage, it doesn't need to be a big bag either. To cut down on weight, those glossy brochures are the first thing to go in the bin. I've been to conferences now where instead of a pile of brochures you're given a USB key with PDFs on it. A usefully-large USB key will also be useful to the attendee after the conference (128MB is not useful). At GUADEC this year, they gave out brilliant, tiny 4GB USB keys that I carry in my wallet so that I have a key at all times.
If vendors want to provide a toy, make it something useful. Drink bottles and stubby holders might seem obvious but most people already have a cupboard full. Catalyst gave out cable winders once, which were awesome until I broke them. For an international conference, perhaps something that overseas travelers might have forgotten to bring (e.g. in Australia: sunscreen or a hat), put your logo on it and attendees will constantly be reminded about how clever, thoughtful and insightful your company is.
And as a sponsor do you need to provide showbag stuffer that is only going in the bin (or to the Salvation Army)? I'd like to attend a conference that is zero-emissions. I'd like to attend a conference with a GreenPower sponsor. Paying to make it carbon neutral.
For the most part, the people at the conferences I attend are quite progressive. I would like to see a conference that embraces sustainability as a core principle: environmental, economic and social. There is more to it than just getting rid of the cruft, but it's a good start.
Disclaimer: I am not currently involved with the organisation of a conference, though I have been in the past. This is not an attack on any one conference, but a list of things that have been done well or done poorly and what I think could be done to make it better.
Every time I go to a conference, I receive about 5kg of stuff including a bag, glossy brochures, vendorware and a t-shirt. It's always seemed wasteful to me. People managed to carry their laptop to the conference in something. Do they really need a second laptop bag?
These laptop-style bags are relatively expensive and often require a bag sponsor. They're not very strong and usually break within a year of use. I do not feel that these bags really advertise the conference, they're not in prominent enough display. If a bag would seem to be a requirement, why not use a recyclable paper bag or a canvas bag that can be kept and used for carrying things (I keep a small canvas bag in my main bag at all times in case I buy something). Alternatively, I once received a small tote bag made entirely of recycled materials, this is an awesome bag that I've kept (in fact, Stephanie claimed it).
If you're going to cut wastage, it doesn't need to be a big bag either. To cut down on weight, those glossy brochures are the first thing to go in the bin. I've been to conferences now where instead of a pile of brochures you're given a USB key with PDFs on it. A usefully-large USB key will also be useful to the attendee after the conference (128MB is not useful). At GUADEC this year, they gave out brilliant, tiny 4GB USB keys that I carry in my wallet so that I have a key at all times.
If vendors want to provide a toy, make it something useful. Drink bottles and stubby holders might seem obvious but most people already have a cupboard full. Catalyst gave out cable winders once, which were awesome until I broke them. For an international conference, perhaps something that overseas travelers might have forgotten to bring (e.g. in Australia: sunscreen or a hat), put your logo on it and attendees will constantly be reminded about how clever, thoughtful and insightful your company is.
And as a sponsor do you need to provide showbag stuffer that is only going in the bin (or to the Salvation Army)? I'd like to attend a conference that is zero-emissions. I'd like to attend a conference with a GreenPower sponsor. Paying to make it carbon neutral.
For the most part, the people at the conferences I attend are quite progressive. I would like to see a conference that embraces sustainability as a core principle: environmental, economic and social. There is more to it than just getting rid of the cruft, but it's a good start.
Disclaimer: I am not currently involved with the organisation of a conference, though I have been in the past. This is not an attack on any one conference, but a list of things that have been done well or done poorly and what I think could be done to make it better.
