Going paperless is a great way to be green and save money at the same time. But not all attendees or exhibitors may be ready to take the plunge. At its Convergence event in 2009, Microsoft ramped up its sustainability efforts while still catering to attendees not quite ready to leave all paper collateral behind. These tips from Microsoft may help you make the transition, too.

Keep it simple. At the Convergence event,Microsoft surveyed its attendees on the value of its printed conference guide and a mini guide stuffed into attendees’ lanyards. The attendees — customers, partners and industry experts — responded in favor of the printed guides so Microsoft kept them. It did, however, print only attendeerelevant information; speaker bios and deeper dives into other subject areas were posted online before and after the event. The expo guide reduced its page count from 47 to three. Overall, the company reduced printing by 35 percent.

Provide computer stations.Microsoft also peppered computers throughout the event where folks could obtain information digitally. In 2009, the company saw a 28 percent reduction in printing at the stations. It could be attributed to attendees accessing info via their compatible smartphones. “We don’t want to just eliminate print materials altogether, but it’s thinking through how we can reduce paper logically and potentially deliver in a better and alternative way,” says Gina Broel, Senior Event Marketing Manager at Microsoft. “I think there are some great mobile and Web apps that we’re starting to see that make it really easy for attendees to access information and resources at their fingertips, so that’s an area we are trying to focus on more.”

Arm exhibitors and attendees. The company also provides its sponsors with USB sticks to encourage them to hand out materials electronically. Currently it’s working on a virtual version of the event, not to replace it, but so its content can be accessed online at any time.

Sonia Andresson-Nolasco is a Senior Writer for Event Marketer magazine.