With in-person events back in full swing we are starting to see how the industry has adapted and running events in a post covid world with a mix of virtual, in person and hybrid events. There has also been a growth in specialised areas such as retreats and incentives not only to reward staff for reaching targets but also rewarding high performing staff to ensure staff retention.
An area of change and improvement evident in recent years and on the rise is in the environmental space by way of more sustainable and eco-friendly events. Venues and suppliers as well as event planners are changing systems and processes towards becoming more sustainable businesses. These changes are making us accountable and responsible for our footprint in the environment and can be executed without compromising the delivery of the event.
In this blog I hope to share with you some tips and thoughts when planning your next event and what changes you can make to start moving in this direction and to develop best practices. I would like to present some food for thought to get you thinking what changes your business can make.
Sustainable events simply are events organised in a manner that considers the environment to ensure minimum negative impact and in an eco-friendly way. This ranges from elements from the start of the planning stage right through to the delivery of the event. Aspects for consideration include but not limited to location, venue choice, suppliers and their processes, marketing, and alternate communications options.
As we move forward in this ever-changing world and the varying needs of organisations, I believe the way we plan and deliver events will be an ever-changing landscape. I believe there will be more emphasis and accountability for businesses to varying levels to do their part and be environmentally responsible in their operations. No matter how big or small these changes are they are a step in the right direction as we all do our bit.
Venue choice
We all know humans crave interaction and in-person events are necessary and continue to happen. When embarking on the start of planning an event consider if it is suited to an in-person format or can it be run virtually. For example, monthly board meetings can go virtual and possibly meet for every 2nd or 3rd meeting in person if needed. On the other hand, annual conferences, congresses, trade exhibitions and many others are a given that they need to be delivered in person. By no means am I encouraging to go back to a virtual world but rather to give thought in the early planning stages.
Specifically in this blog I wish to hone in on the in-person events which opens a broad area of topics for discussion. Venue choice and location are high on the priority list when talking sustainability. We consider factors including location, accessibility, costs, capabilities among others. Each event brief is different, but I have outlined some areas below as a general starting point.
Let’s consider venue location central versus suburbia, regional compared to overseas. Is public transport an option and is it located walking distance to the venue. Let’s face it many will opt to drive, and this is where we can encourage and prompt delegates to car-pool. If the event ends up being a regional one, consider offering a coach transfer that attendees can pick up from a central departure point.
For events going international consider which geographical regions are most attending from and consider picking a destination that getting there is more direct to lessen the impact. In these instances, hybrid may be a consideration and should be something to discuss with the client.
Once the big picture has been established as far as location, you commence the exercise of venue sourcing in the area. We start to drill down into specifics and ask the questions of the venues to establish a short list of preferred options.
Conference venues can do many things from the simple and affordable as a starting point through to changes requiring more thought, cost and execution that will lead to an overall positive and favourable change.
Starting from some simple changes in the conference room including the removal of individual bottles of water on the tables to replacing these with either a water station in the room or jugs with glasses on the tables. Bowls of individually wrapped mints that are commonly part of a conference booking can be swapped out with a bowl in the middle of the table with a spoon that attendees can use.
We regularly see in most major conference venues notepads and pens per place setting. As the organiser encourage your attendees to bring their own and keep a small stack in the back of the room for those that may have forgotten to bring one with them. As we progress with technology and gadgets, I see more and more people taking notes straight onto their digital devices.
And the big one “Food Wastage”. I agree sometimes it can be a challenge to cater correctly particularly when final numbers are due a week or two out, and bookings are still coming through. It’s twofold, money spent wastefully especially when we are working with tight budgets but mostly the wasted food when we consider there are people out there going without. As the organisers we need to try and guesstimate as best as possible by factoring in things such as the demographic, is this an annual event and if so, what has history shown us. This can hopefully help us to work towards a minimal wastage volume as much as possible.
On the flip side discuss with the venue what measures they factor in to keep wastage to a minimum and how they manage unused food and ingredients. Do they have a charity in place they work closely with or do they have composting options onsite or with a supplier.
Not only discuss the management of the wastage with the venue but also where they purchase from. Do they support local suppliers so ‘farm to table’ thus minimising the impact that transportation would alternately have. Are their suppliers producing and growing also using sustainable means?
Does the venue have multiple outlets therefore leftover ingredients, over purchased or client numbers drastically changed for whatever reason can be repurposed in their restaurant or for room services.
Aside from the conference room suggestions above there are those venues with attached accommodation onsite and so we can certainly look at changes here. Anywhere from bamboo key card for room access or keyless pin access. Bathrooms can be replaced with smart water saving options. Offer the option to the guests if they need bath towels replaced so we can adjust the frequency of replacing and laundering towels. If the hotel wishes to provide toiletries such as shampoos offer an eco-friendlier option and keep these at front desk or call through to housekeeping so supply on an as need basis.
Event planning stage
We have spoken of several things above which has probably only scratched the surface but it’s a starting point to get us thinking green.
As venues are doing their part us as planners can also start moving towards better practice. Speak to your client and ensure they are on the same page as you and offer alternate options. If they see the benefits and the cost is not any more or not even a concern, then this is as good a time to start changing our ways. Once we understand the benefits and the importance to change, the easier it will become to start adopting changes.
One of the small things we can do to move towards sustainable events in our planning includes name badges by way of paper used and types. Lanyards that are either unprinted or generic printing means they can be re used the following year or another event for that company as opposed to lanyard that have event names and years printed on them. Consider whether these types of name tags are necessary or whether a simple pin and clip format would suffice where the plastics can be recycled, and an eco-friendlier paper insert is used.
Paper collateral is an area that changes can easily be made with the availability of digital platforms at our disposal. From the initial “Save the Date” notification to all the marketing material along the way as well as confirmation letters, invoices and the like. Not only is it saving so much unnecessary paper but also the associated costs such as printing and postage. We have a wide range of options to choose from allowing us the ability to run a paperless event. Between web-based sites and apps there is the ability to take online bookings, payments, email marketing and abstract submissions. Events can be accessed via an app where attendees can easily check from anywhere with ease. Start thinking more digital and paperless to free up your time from doing paper mailouts to better use of your time to selling seats and securing sponsors.
When dealing with suppliers of any nature, as you would with the venue, also have the conversation with each one of them and ask what measures they have in place and what they do as part of their environmental responsibility.
Giveaways and promotional products
This is a big area that needs to be addressed. Granted sponsors need branding and coverage but it’s about finding the right balance. Avoid disposable and unwanted items with a short shelf life.
What first comes to mind are delegate bags. Many make it home for a short life and then end up either in the back of the cupboard, the bin, or the local op shop. Others don’t even make it home only to be seen left behind at the venue. My thought is either pick a more practical item with subtle brandling e.g., laptop sleeves. A practical and better-quality item and branded tastefully increases their life span beyond the event dates. If the event is on a tight budget and a bag is needed look at other options such as a plastic wallet with a zip lock from your stationery supplier. It will serve the same purpose and be a more cost-effective alternative.
It’s not only delegate bags but numerous times especially when there are exhibitions attached to an event companies will have branded merchandise to giveaway. This is a given but maybe in the lead up to the event chat to your sponsors and partners to see what they are planning so they also get the most out of an event by providing branded items that will be more valued and retained. I have seen over the years the items are better options and quality whereby recipients are much more likely to use them and hold onto them for a while.
In conclusion
So with just a basic introduction above and a few small areas to start thinking about we can all start to make a difference towards being more responsible and having a sustainable mindset as we organise events. The above was really to share some thought with you and I believe this is an area that will start to gain more momentum and importance in the coming years.
So, whether you work in an organisation and part of a team or you are the owner of your own business we can all take small steps to contribute to a larger overall change. I hope this has inspired you and I look forward to seeing the changes that venues are adopting as they continue on their journeys.
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