Business conferences can be a huge eco problem. They are often located in cities that require most attendees to travel, leaving a massive carbon footprint. Luckily, once at a conference, attendees generally stay in the same hotel as all of the conference events, thus limiting more carbon emissions. But, there are many more ways to keep the environment out of harms way during your conference. Of course, the best way is through the company-wide video conference, which is gaining a lot of popularity. But if your company isn’t ready for web cams and prefers to fly you to the corporate headquarters, insist on other ways to stay eco during the weekend.

First, ditch the info folders. The folders are bursting with note paper, schedules, charts…all printed on paper, and all probably tossed in a nearby garbage can when the conference ends. Instead of wasting paper, give each conference attendee a USB port with the conference files loaded up on to them. Employees bring their laptops with them everywhere anyway, so the ports will provide a great convenience. Not to mention they are usable beyond the conference and employees will be happy to have a place to store their files.

Secondly, ditch the company monogrammed pens, notebooks, and coffee mugs. Employees already have a stock of them and often the pens and notebooks find their way into the trash. Instead, spend a little more and get employees something eco, cool, and useful. Try the Solio Universal Hybrid Charger- a multi-functional charger powered by the sun. Employees can use them to power up their cell phones, blackberry’s, ipod’s, and laptops. Even better, such a great bonus will keep them excited and alert for the conference- if the gift is that good, the speakers can only be better.