How to Make Your Event Sustainable
With the ongoing headlines about climate change, we decided to focus this week's blog on sustainability when hosting events. Sure, we love a supercharged, fossil fuel powered, fire spitting event with the biggest fireworks spectacular since the big bang, but in this day and age where climate change is a very hot topic (excuse the pun), with its effects continuing to dominate headlines worldwide, the need for sustainable and eco-friendly events has never been greater.
More than just buzzwords, ‘Eco-friendly’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘green’ events practices are becoming the norm. Event attendees expect their hosts to do everything in their power to limit the environmental impact of their meetings, workshops and conferences, and by hosting sustainable events, it reassures guests that your organisation holds the greater good in mind, but what is a sustainable event, and how can you plan one with ease and authenticity? Sustainability for events means taking action towards preserving our natural environment; promoting a healthy, inclusive society, all while supporting a thriving economy.
As the greatest events management company in the galaxy, moving forward and progressing into a much greener future, Goho feels this topic is of paramount importance to our planet's future, and you should too … so here are 5 simple practices to take into consideration when planning your events with the issue of sustainability in mind.
1.Improve your ‘Green-Cred’
Ensure your brand and your next event clearly reflect your company or client’s sustainability policy and green credentials by actioning environmentally friendly practices wherever possible. Being mindful of people and the planet can greatly influence an event’s success, and recently, venues are increasingly only selecting event planners who are committed to sustainable practices. As a result, there’s now a greater choice of environmentally conscious venues, suppliers and products available.
Adopt a green approach, environmentally friendly events not only make people feel good, they increase morale, aid creativity and help improve a company’s reputation. Being greener, and focusing on sustainability often leads to repeat bookings and increased ROI, and adopting a green approach should be an integral component of your overall objective, not just a “bolt on.”
2.Choose Eco-Friendly Venues
Choosing an eco-friendly venue that has been designed and constructed in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner helps us achieve our end goal. Choose a venue with IACC’s Green Star certification, as to achieve this accreditation, venues must clearly demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices. Such venues constantly seek innovative ways to implement green initiatives, and many now feature elements such as recycling stations in all meeting spaces, filtered water dispensers, low energy consumption LED lighting and A/V technology, smart room temperature controls, reusable linen and towel policies, eco-friendly toiletries and recycled toilet paper in washrooms, and electric car charging points to name a few.
Maybe think about hosting your event outdoors if weather permits? Venues with environmentally friendly landscaping are also a great idea, greenery and flower beds encourage biodiversity and the use of drought resistant plants and trees helps keep watering to a minimum. Many venues now feature meeting rooms furnished with sustainable upcycled and recycled materials. Eco-friendly venues also tend to use local suppliers and craftsmen, further lessening their carbon footprint, whilst supporting the local economy.
3. Leave a smaller carbon footprint
Not just another buzzword, carbon footprints are becoming an ever more important aspect of modern life as the world's governments implement carbon footprint reduction within their future plans, with trackers and individual carbon limits soon to be a part of everyday life, as the United Nations aim to reduce the collateral damage of climate change with the use of groundbreaking technology, infrastructure and new laws.
A single event produces a lot of waste and may have a long-lasting negative impact on the nature around it. The goal is to change our behaviour as event organisers and start to act in a more responsible way. By measuring the footprint of an event, using recyclable materials and switching to digital technologies, every event manager can lessen the impact on the planet and benefit in a long-term perspective. When the planet is healthy, so are the attendees of events!
Consider your transportation options, seek eco-friendly travel, such as hybrid and low emission vehicles, and encourage ride-shares and mini buses over taxis for events held in remote locations, but try to ensure access to public transportation by choosing a venue close to bus and train lines … or even offer people the option of joining the event virtually via digital platforms and the internet.
4. Minimise food and water wastage
Reduce your event's waste footprint by setting ambitious food and organic-waste reduction goals, ideally, aiming for zero waste! An effective food and organic-waste management strategy is integral to any event’s ‘zero waste’ roadmap.
Go for menu choices with minimal packaging, ideally supplied in biodegradable or recyclable wrapping. Champion plant-based or vegetarian choices to help reduce CO2 emissions derived from meat, ask for locally sourced, organic foods and sustainably sourced seafood, and if possible, always choose fair trade. Obtain guests’ special dietary requirements in advance to prevent and minimise food waste, ask for smaller sized plates to be provided to reduce portion sizes, and if there is any waste, donate surplus food, - many venues already work with local charities including social enterprises and food banks, and it will be most welcome.
5. Go paperless
With preservation of the environment and sustainability in mind, adopt a paper and plastic-free approach wherever possible. Ensure your venue is aware of your policy and communicate digitally with all parties (including guests and suppliers) from the outset, a no brainer in this digital age. Ditch disposable elements of an event, create a bespoke website or app featuring all key meeting information regarding your event and provide e-tickets for your guests.
By planning sustainable and environmentally friendly events, not only will you help to preserve the planet, you’ll inspire guests to apply the same sustainable approach to their everyday lives, which in turn can create a ripple effect in humanity, the more we can do collectively, the better the world will be.
Summary
The Events Management industry will continue to go from strength to strength, but there are many things we can take into consideration when planning our next extravaganza. Moving forward in a ‘greener’ way won’t affect your next event's success, but it will have a huge positive effect on both the people attending and indeed, the wellbeing of our future generations. Sustainable events can minimise much of their environmental impact, reducing the amount of waste generated and ensuring proper waste management, reducing water and electricity consumption as well as mitigating air, noise and light pollution, all helping to create a better future for our world.
