Over time, in the event industry, sustainability is becoming more and more prominent. And for good reason! There are many reservations when it comes to trying to stay sustainable when planning an event as people believe that the having the goal to stay sustainable, limits creativity. According to an article, written by Conference & Incentive Travel, ( https://www.sevenevents.co.uk/blog/essential-tips-organising-sustainable-conference/ ) " Two-thirds of corporate planners (66%) said that time and budget are barriers to them implementing sustainability, but a majority (81%) said that sustainability is not a barrier to creativity. " Below we have listed some tips in making conferencing more sustainable.
1) Hire Local: The most obvious way to reduce carbon footprint, is to hire people that are in close proximity to your event's location. If you aren't local, speak with your venue as they are likely to have a directory of local caterers, entertainers and speakers etc.
2) Minimise the use of plastic & paper: The main fault for harming the environment, within the event industry, is the amount of papers and plastic that is produced, often without reason. Minimise the amount you are using by communicating with your team via email, only. If all plans are sent through email, volunteers assisting in the running of the event can jump on to the venue's WIFI and download every correspondence. This will also contribute to the successful running of the BTS of a conference. Also, taking the marketing online as well, rather than printing and laminating flyers, to post around the area. You could use apps and beacon technology to keep guests informed and engaged.
Lastly, you should minimise the number of plastic cups and dishes that are required. Opt for bio-degradable utensils and dishes that can be easily recycled. Alternatively, depending on the style of your conference, you can use crockery.
3) Use LED lights: With the use of these, your event can use a fraction of the electricity. This would cut the costs for you and make your event much friendlier. ( https://ukenergylighting.co.uk/how-does-led-lighting-help-the-environment/ )
4) Set up group transportation: If the venue is in a more remote location, do not let this deter you. Set up carpools or a shuttle service so that you can transport more people at once.
5) And lastly, recycle at your events: This one is seemingly obvious, however, you'd be surprused. Its easy for planners and delegates to get caught up in the throws of a conference and not make that conscious decision to put your plastic bottle in a plastics bin, rather than black bins placed in every other corner.Donate unused materials, things like poster boards etc that are hard to recycle can potentially be re-purposed. Look for your local facility that will take and re-purpose these 'hard to recycle materials'. Make recycling easier, by placing recycling bins next to trash cans. Stay away from disposables. Speak to your venue about using reusable flatware and cloth napkins. Lastly, create a box, on the venue exit, asking delegates to place their plastic name badge holders, in the box, to re reused.
