In the 1890′s many business people thought the telephone was a passing fancy… until everybody got one. Same with the fax in the 1980′s and email in the 1990′s. Its all about meeting the customer’s expectations. Unfortunately, you cannot change the expectation of an entire society, especially if you are trying to cling to the past.

Part of running a business is doing what works. The other part, the leadership part, is anticipating what will work in the future and preparing for those opportunities.

If anyone out there thinks putting your head in the sand is a good option, I’ve got a long line of your competitors waiting to kick your butt while your head is buried.

Things are changing, whether you like it or not. Conspicuous consumption is tacky. If clients notice you aren’t recycling, or making any attempt to be more efficient, they tend to wonder if you are up-to-date in any of your business affairs. They may even question themselves “Why am I still doing business with this troglodyte?”

The article below talks about ways some of the bigger, slower companies are finally getting around to “greening” their meetings. However, you will note, they are still throwing food away while people in town go hungry.

“This is becoming a standard,” said Allyson Wagner, project manager for event management firm Meeting Consultants Inc., which worked closely with IBM, the host property and other suppliers to incorporate environmentally friendly practices at the 5,000-attendee Information on Demand event. “It’s something that clients expect now. They’re starting to look for this in their RFPs. If it’s not already there, they’re adding it in. They’re expecting not only venues but their other vendor partners to bring something to the table.”

via Research: More Meetings Cutting Paper, Energy, Wasted F&B.