In-person events have their own unique value, but necessarily come with environmental impacts. Here's how SBM is working to reduce the environmental impact of our in-person conferences, and how attendees can join us in this important effort.
What SBM Is Doing
- Avoiding beef and lamb in all conference food items, and providing plant-based foods as often as possible. In 2024, we began offering only plant-based foods for one entire day of the conference. Plant-based diets produce 75% less heat trapping gas, generate 75% less water pollution, and use 75% less land than meat-rich diets.
- Working with our hotel partners to have reusable dishes and other items at banquet functions, and to limit use of table linens.
- Working with our hotel partners to have unused food composted or donated.
- Evaluating future conference hotel sites based in part on the property's sustainability efforts.
- The 2026 Annual Meeting host hotel, the Hilton Chicago, has received multiple accolades for its commitment to sustainability, including having achieved StayGreen Elite status by the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. The hotel is reducing its environmental impact through recycling programs, energy efficiency, toxicity reduction and more. Other projects include the hotel's rooftop garden and apiary. Additionally, Hilton Chicago has partnered with Windy City Harvest for over 10 years, helping students learn essential business skills in addition to farming techniques to set them up for success in their future endeavors. Click here for more information on efforts underway from Hilton Worldwide.
- Utilizing a paperless mobile app for the conference program.
- Offering digital conference registration confirmations, with no print option.
- Requiring attendees to opt-in for a registration bag, using recycled bags and lanyards, and donating any leftover bags.
- Limiting travel and paper use for the Annual Meeting Planning Committee's "program planning meeting" where abstract decisions are made and the final program is built.
- Featuring prominent speakers on the topic of climate change and health.
- Offering incentives to attendees for participating in their own eco-friendly activities while at the conference (see more details below).
How You Can Help
SBM encourages 2026 Annual Meeting attendees to take part in eco-friendly activities. Participate in at least one activity from the list below and log your participation in our online form while at the annual meeting by Friday, April 24, at 6 p.m. CT for a chance to win. Three winners will be randomly selected and can each choose either a waived 2027 Annual Meeting registration or a $50 Visa gift card.
- Bring a re-usable coffee mug/water bottle and use it throughout the meeting
- Avoid single-use plastics while in Chicago
- Limit water use in your guestroom, for example by turning off the water while brushing your teeth
- Turn off lights when not in your guestroom
- Turn off heat/AC when not in your guestroom
- Book a low-carbon flight or alternative non-flight travel
- Take public transportation from the airport to the hotel. The CTA Blue Line runs every 6 minutes from O'Hare International Airport to Jackson station. From Midway International Airport, take the CTA Orange Line which runs every 9 minutes, to the Roosevelt station. These two stops are the closest to the hotel.
- Walk to lunch, dinner, or other activities outside the Annual Meeting hotel
- Order locally-sourced food and/or drinks while in Chicago
- Participate in plant-based foods day on Thursday, April 23
- Let others know you are doing your part to help the environment by tweeting and posting using the hashtag #SBM2026
For information on how SBM is working to address climate change beyond conferences, click here.