Now Trending: Sustainable Events

Going green isn't just a trend, it’s a new way of life that the events industry has a responsibility to embrace.

One of the hottest trends, quite literally, is climate change. For the past decade, this has been a key topic, but as concerns are rising, the event industry has been put in the spotlight as a key contributor. As a result, sustainable events will be a main focus in 2022.

The public as a whole expects the events industry to minimize its impact, so we have put together some ways to reduce your carbon footprint and run a spectacular eco-friendly event

Go Virtual or Hybrid

Virtual & Hybrid events are the best options for organizers seeking greener alternatives to in-person events. Both event designs decrease carbon emissions from air & ground transportation, hotel & accommodations, food production, venue energy, and material waste- making them excellent choices for sustainability. Compared to live-events, hybrid event solutions slash your carbon footprint and energy use by two-thirds, while fully virtual events reduce your carbon footprint by 94% and energy use by 90%.

Key Takeaway: Let your attendees know how your change in event design has made a positive impact by comparing each event’s sustainability achievements year over year. It's a great way to highlight and celebrate your event’s lower impacts for participants to see.

Select Green Venues

Where you hold your event is a major decision, and has an impact on the sustainability of your event. We encourage organizers to choose a LEED-certified venue, or a venue that’s making strides to reduce waste and improve their impact.

Key Takeaway: Have a list of sustainable requirements you’d like for your venue to have, such as renewable energy sources, and the use of LED lights or better yet, natural lighting.

Minimize Single Use Products

This is one of the simplest ways to decrease the carbon footprint of your event. Single-use products include: disposable dishes, cutlery, bags, food packaging, plastic beverage bottles, etc. Their impact on the environment is substantial given that they never break down completely, and wreak havoc on wildlife and the environment.

Key Takeaway: Have reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable products rather than plastic or styrofoam.

Eco-Friendly Swag

Swag bags serve the dual purpose of generating excitement for an event while elevating brand awareness. However, many of these items can find their way into the landfill if they’re not deemed to be useful for attendees. With that in mind, consider eco-friendly swag items that your attendees are sure to use (and re-use!)

Key Takeaway: Eco-friendly swag can include branded items like: reusable bags, travel mugs and plant kits.

Add a Carbon Offset Fee

to Your Registration

Include an optional fee during the registration process to encourage participants to offset their carbon emissions and buy their carbon offsets. Better yet, incorporate this fee into the price of registration to avoid guest confusion.

Key Takeaway: Partner with a trustworthy initiative like terrapass, to ensure these fees are used to fund projects like reforestation.

Now It's Up To You!

Be as detailed as possible about your initiatives, the role your event design will play in your commitment, why you’re trying to encourage sustainability, and how you’ve followed through on your promises. By being honest and transparent about your reasoning, you can avoid “greenwashing” and take the first steps to running a successful environmentally conscious event.

By starting early and making an active commitment to running a cleaner and greener event, you can start to make systematic changes that will help you make more environmentally conscious decisions.

Ready to go green? Request an Event Quote or send us your email, and we'll reach out to you!