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Conference
Use teleconferencing services
AIM.com 6.8
AIM.com is available free to Mac, Linux, and Windows users alike, and allows participants to talk, instant message, share pictures, and video conference.Cisco TelePresence
This intelligent system allows you to set up interactive meetings easily and reliably. No IT support required.Conference Solutions
This company has teleconferencing and video conferencing services with flat rate and pay-as-you go plans.FreeConference
FreeConference has some free and low cost conferencing services. Optional features include scheduled or reservation-less calls, toll-free dial-in numbers, and more.FreedomVoice Systems
FreedomVoice provides toll-free teleconferencing services for a small price. Reservations not required.InstantConference
Features include toll-free numbers that never expire, Outlook scheduling, call recording, and web conferencing. Basic services are free.Skype video and phone
Skype offers low international rates, unlimited calls to any phone in the US and Canada for less than $3 per month, in addition to a free service for talking over the Internet.VESTA Networks
Teleconference and web conference services are free with features like corporate branding, lecture mode, and moreWebex WebOffice
This company has an innovative online office system that includes document management, databases, calendars, conferencing tools, task managers, and more.
Choose green hotels to host your conference
Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)
Besides using a solar water-heating system and natural bedding, this Costa Rican eco-resort allows only quiet electric cars on the grounds, which just happens to be 70 percent protected rainforest.Asheville Green Cottage (Asheville, NC)
The Asheville Green Cottage offers locally grown organic fruit, Fair Trade coffees and teas, natural latex mattresses, organic cotton sheets and towels, and nontoxic cleaning products.Aurum Lodge (Alberta, Canada)
This lodge near Alberta's Banff and Jasper National Parks offers passive solar design, recessed low-E windows, composting toilets, and a graywater treatment system.Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel & Conference Centre (Alberta, Canada)
Set in Banff National Park amid snow-covered peaks, it's the first hotel in Canada to receive the EcoLogo certification, one of the oldest eco-labeling initiatives in North America.Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center (Portland, OR)
This Green Seal-certified Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon, uses energy- and water-saving equipment, provides in-room recycling containers, donates uneaten food to a local shelter and composts the rest.El Monte Sagrado (Taos, NM)
This luxury hotel in Taos collects rainwater, reuses all wastewater, and is constructed from “gunash” (recycled power plant ash that looks like adobe).Habitat Suites (Austin, TX)
Austin's Habitat Suites uses ladybugs for natural pest control and relies on shade trees to cool the building. Landscape plants are indigenous, requiring little water.Hotel Basico (Playa del Carmen, Mexico)

Planning to flee south of the border? Check in and chill out at Playa Del Carmen's Hotel Basico. The property takes eco-chic to a sexy, sustainable new level with rooftop pools made of old oil tanks and cabanas crafted from old trucks.Hotel Triton (San Francisco, CA)
All paper products—from toilet paper to room bills—at San Francisco's Hotel Triton are made with recycled content. Rooms also come equipped with water-saving devices and air purifiers.Inn By The Sea (Cape Elizabeth, ME)
The grounds of this Maine retreat are planted with native varieties that require less water and fewer pesticides. Rooms use CLF bulbs and some proceeds are donated to the Rainforest Action Network.Journey Inn (Maiden Rock, WI)
This Wisconsin B&B for weary green feet features floors heated via a solar-powered water system, organic wool and cotton bedding, low-toxicity furniture, and native-plant landscaping.Kandalama Hotel (Dambulla, Sri Lanka)
Besides using a passive solar energy system, native plants to landscape, and locally grown foods, this Sri Lankan hotel has also built an Eco-Park, an environmental education area for employees, guests, and school children.Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort (Australia)
Not only does this luxury outfit employ a number of measures to protect the surrounding Great Barrier Reef, but it also uses low-emission clean burning diesel generators to power its facilities.Los Manos Bed & Breakfast (Buena Vista, CO)
Surrounded by pinon forest and mountain views, this Colorado B&B offers strawbale construction for super insulation, passive solar heating, solar- and wind-generated electricity, and line-fresh towels and sheets.Orchard Garden Hotel (San Francisco, CA)
The Orchard Garden Hotel sports low-emission wallpaper and carpet, plus wood from sustainably harvested forests. Room lights and appliances only work when a keycard is in a wall slot—so they don’t stay on when guests step out.Proximity Hotel (Greensboro, NC)
The Proximity is aiming for LEED Gold certification. It consumes nearly 40 percent less energy and 30 percent less water and sports solar roof panels, low-flush toilets, recycled-content building materials, and plans to install a green roof.Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge (Homer, AK)
This lux outpost in Homer, Alaska, generates 100 percent of its own electricity via wind and hydro power. Lodges are hand-built from scavenged driftwood.The Fairmont (Washington, DC)
Washington's Fairmont hotel offers free parking for hybrid cars, contributes part of it’s electric bill to wind power, and has installed a hydrocarbon-powered dry cleaning machine.The Orchid (Mumbai, India)
This hotel in exotic Mumbai relies on drip irrigation to cut water use, provides room stationery made of jute (a rapidly renewable substitute for tree-made paper), and plans to become a “zero garbage” facility.
Select green giveaways
Bamboo lanyard
Choose these lanyards made of bamboo (a rapidly-renewable fiber) for your guests' name tags. Make them even more eco-friendly by collecting them to be reused at the next conference instead of throwing them away!Better Energy Systems Solio Universal Hybrid Charger
This eye-catching and innovative solar charger is available in black, white, silver, and pink. The Solio can power up virtually any handheld electronic device, from digital cameras to cell phones.Corn plastic baggage tag
Give your guests some eco-travel gear with these baggage tags made of 100 percent biodegradable corn plastic. They come in a variety of colors and can be imprinted with custom logos.Eclipse Solar Gear The Reactor Solar Backpack
This backpack has an integrated solar charger, providing a quality pack with an integrated solar charging module for high-tech gear. This patented line of solar backpacks is designed to charge common hand-held electronics, like cell phones, rechargeable batteries, and GPS devices.Envirosax vegan bags
Envirosax "chic, in-expensive, and compact" reusable bags come in a variety of stylish designs, including an exclusively organic line and one just for the kids.Repocket Presentation Folder
Think press kits or presentations done in these two-pocket folders made from all recycled fibers (56 percent post-consumer recycled and 44 percent post-industrial recycled). Rigid brown kraft chipboard gives these recycled folders a natural look.Stainless steel mug
Imprint your conference or company logo on one of these sturdy mugs made of acrylic and lined with stainless steel. They're fitted with spill-resistant slider lids and come with a comfort grip handle.Stainless steel water bottle
These durable bottles will safely store water (they're BPA-free) and last for a long time after the conference. They come with a wide mouth twist top spout and can be imprinted with color or laser engraved.The Cloth Bag Company cotton bags
The aptly named Cloth Bag Company carries reusable cloth tote bags made from ecospun or unbleached cotton canvas.Yamm & Hart Clipboards
These fun 9-inch x 12-inch clipboards are made from 100 percent post-consumer plastic. They come in marble white, warm orange, and confetti splash.Zazzle Customizable organic cotton T-shirts
Imprint your conference or company logo on your custom-designed organic cotton tee, available for men, women, and children. They've also got plenty of pre-designed options from which to choose.


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