RILA is committed to limiting the environmental impact of the conference and has made "greening" a priority in our conference planning and materials. Below are some of our efforts.

Before the Event
If everyone registered online today, our marketing would be completed and we would save a lot of paper. (By the way, our lowest rates are now available, so you'll also save your company some green if you register before August 1.)

But since not all of you will commit today, future communication efforts will include the following:

• Postcards: By gang printing a series of postcards to promote the conference, we are using less paper. The postcards will be printed on recycled (30% PCW) paper that is elemental chlorine free, acid free and FSC certified. Our printer is also wind powered.
• Conference Brochure: But postcards alone will not give you all the information you need about the great sessions and speakers we have planned. So, our third postcard will contain a QR code (similar to a barcode) that you can scan with your Smartphone to connect to a digital conference brochure complete with all the information about the event. (Don't have a Smartphone? Don't worry, we will provide a link to the brochure on our website.)
• Emails: In addition to postcards and the digital brochure, we will update you on the conference via email. Once you have registered, you will be taken off of the marketing list.

At the Event

• Share-a-Ride: Once you have registered for the event, you will be given a link to our Conference Attendee Site. One of the features of the site is a Share-a-Ride discussion board. Enter your flight information and see about sharing a ride to the hotel with other conference attendees.
• Program Book: Instead of printing a program book this year, we will be using a mobile site that will contain information on sessions, speakers, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. You will be able to select the breakout sessions you would like to attend and add them to your own calendar. You will also be able to select solution providers to obtain more information about their company and sustainability offerings. More information on the mobile site will be provided before the conference.
• The Peabody Hotel: One of the considerations in choosing The Peabody Hotel was its sustainability efforts. To the right, you will find more information the company's environmental commitment.

The Peabody Hotel's Environmental Commitment

Our commitment at The Peabody is to pursue a balance between our guests' comfort and an eco-friendly hotel operation. Our hotels analyze their operation and strive for innovative and strategic improvements at the property level via each hotels green team and green team sub-committees. We solicit feedback from our guests and associates and consider all suggestions for possible implementation. By engaging our guests, colleagues, suppliers, and contractors, our efforts to positively impact the environment will be sustainable.

Environmental and Social Initiatives
For our guests, The Peabody Orlando offers water by Brazilian Springs, an eco-friendly bottled water company. 10% of their total gross sales are donated to the Nature Conservancy for the Brazilian Rainforest Preservation Foundation.

In partnership with the Clean the World organization, luxurious Peabody soaps and shampoos are sterilized, re-processed and re-shaped. This effort results in an immediate benefit to Third World peoples, where the simple act of hand washing can greatly reduce the spread of such diseases as acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease. In The Peabody Orlando's inaugural month of partnering with this cause, over 545 pounds of amenities were donated.

Through the Orange County Adopt-a-Highway program, dedicated members of The Greener Peabody Ambassador team embark on cleaning a one mile segment of a local road. These efforts will result in the removal of an estimated 300 pounds of litter annually.

Water conservation efforts include:

• A linen and towel reuse program
• Low flow showerheads that use approximately 2.5 (versus 3.5) gallons per minute
• Public area rest rooms retrofitted with low flow and automatic shut-off faucets to reduce water usage
• Retrofitting the Lobby Duck fountain to recycle water when the ducks are not in the fountain, saving 4,800 gallons of water a day
• Using local, Florida native and drought resistant/seasonal and/or organic flowers that minimize damage to ecosystems, reduce water use and conserve biodivisity

Green Lodging
The Peabody Orlando has been recognized as a Green Lodging Facility from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. In order to receive this recognition, it was mandatory to meet minimum requirements in areas of: water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction practices, and clean air practices.

For more information on The Greener Peabody, click here.