Contact Information: Mo Shafroth First Affirmative and SRI in the Rockies 720-470-3653 mshafroth@csg-pr.com Patrick Mitchell Social Investment Forum 703-276-3266 pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com
2008 SRI in the Rockies Conference to Be a 'Green Meeting'
| Source: First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--(Marketwire - September 11, 2008) - First Affirmative Financial Network
and the Social Investment Forum, hosts of the 19th annual SRI in the
Rockies Conference, have designed their 2008 event to be a "green meeting."
This year's conference is expected to draw a record 700 sustainable and
responsible investment (SRI) industry practitioners and professionals to
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, October 26-28, 2008.
According to the Convention Industry Council's definition, a green meeting
is "a meeting or event that incorporates environmental considerations to
minimize its negative impact on the environment."
George Gay, CEO of First Affirmative, is planning for the 2008 SRI in the
Rockies Conference to be a model of social responsibility, and not only
with regard to the environment. "It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the
changes necessary to create a genuinely 'green' meeting," says Gay. "But
whatever we do now -- even simply asking questions of hotels -- contributes
to the momentum that will move green meetings to the mainstream."
As part of First Affirmative's conference planning process, hotels are
asked to complete a request for proposal (RFP) that includes the Best
Practices Survey developed by the Green Hotel Initiative (GHI). Hotels
that fail to address the RFP's sustainability questions or to complete the
GHI survey are eliminated from consideration.
The SRI in the Rockies request for proposal also includes extensive
questions regarding a hotel's sustainability efforts, such as whether or
not the property has evaluated its carbon footprint, is LEED-certified
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), uses locally grown and/or
organic food, has a recycling program, and exhibits a commitment to energy
efficiency in its operation.
"It's an evolutionary, rather than a revolutionary, process," says First
Affirmative President, Steve Schueth. "As we continue to raise the bar on
this event each year, we encourage more green events and conventions across
the spectrum."
Greening SRI in the Rockies includes working with hotel staff onsite to
create awareness as well as lowering energy usage. For example, rather
than daily room delivery of newspapers, they are distributed by request.
At meals, pitchers of water and other beverages are made available with
empty glasses rather than all glasses being pre-filled; bottled water is
not available. When attendees enter their rooms, they will find that the
television is off, as is all superfluous lighting. Rather than
housekeeping replacing bed linens and towels daily, they are instructed to
replace them only upon request. The Conference has a Recycling Sponsor,
and a Carbon Offset Sponsor. For additional information, please go to
http://www.sriintherockies.com/d/SRIR08_Sustainability.pdf.
This year's conference venue, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, has been
awarded a 4 Green Key Rating in the Green Key Eco-Rating Program. For more
information, please go to
http://www.hotelassociation.ca/site/programs/green_key.htm.
A new study, "The Green Event Imperative" by the Event Marketing Institute,
found that investment in green event marketing could double over the next
18 months. But the study also found that companies claiming to be active
in green initiatives have a significant gap between their participation and
their level of commitment.
About First Affirmative
First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC (www.FirstAffirmative.com) is an
independent fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (SEC File #801-5687).
The company, which manages about $700 million in client portfolios, offers
consulting and asset management services through a nationwide network of
investment professionals who specialize in serving socially conscious
investors. First Affirmative produces the annual SRI in the Rockies
Conference (www.SRIintheRockies.com), the premier conference for the
sustainable and responsible investment industry in North America.
About the Social Investment Forum
The Social Investment Forum (SIF) is the U.S. membership association
dedicated to advancing the concept, practice, and growth of socially and
environmentally responsible investing
(http://www.socialinvest.org/resources/sriguide/srifacts.cfm). SIF members
integrate economic, environmental, social, and governance factors into
their investment decisions. SIF membership includes more than 500 social
investment practitioners and institutions, including financial
professionals, analysts, portfolio managers, banks, mutual funds,
researchers, foundations, community development organizations, and public
educators. More information about the Forum, including the 2007 Report on
Socially Responsible Investing Trends in the United States, is available at
www.socialinvest.org.
Registration and Sponsorships
To register to attend the conference, go to
www.sriintherockies.com/register.jsp. For assistance with registration and
sponsorships, please contact Krystala Kalil at 303-442-4463 /
krystala@SRIintheRockies.com.
Media Questions
Mo Shafroth for First Affirmative and SRI in the Rockies: 720-470-3653 /
mshafroth@csg-pr.com
Patrick Mitchell for the Social Investment Forum: 703-276-3266 /
pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com