Green events have been a hot topic in the events industry over the past couple of years, and their influence is not declining. More attendees than ever before are concerned about the environment. When you offer sustainable events, you demonstrate you are a forward-thinking provider and do your part to help the environment. Learn why making your event sustainable could make the difference for your business.
Problems and importance of sustainability
Environmental problems, caused by the event industry, are countless. They include CO2 emissions and air pollution that have an effect on global warming. Then, waste of paper and other materials are sent to the landfills, and food leftovers are thrown away in huge amounts. Noise and chemicals pollution, misuse of water and energy resources, soil degradation from outdoor events and a lot more…
It is the time for events to be a sustainable industry and take environmental considerations into account.
Reasons for being sustainable
Better for the environment
First of all, it is about the environment. 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 the behaviour of event organizers and start to act in a 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!
Audience Expectations
Audiences these days are concerned about the environment and have high expectations from every organization. To continue to attract young, influential attendees, event managers need to provide green events, which have proven to excite this audience. Green purchasing power is growing with each year and those in the events industry will benefit, as long as they harness their influence early.
Furthermore, sustainable events often have a positive impact on participants’ behaviour. People will become aware of how to reduce their environmental impact, and it may change their behavior at home, for the good of the planet.
Sponsorship
Businesses which sponsor the events want to be seen as at the head of the curve and pioneering new market trends to excite audiences, which is why so many are interested in sponsoring sustainable initiatives. Many sponsors want to be associated with environmentally friendly events in order to boost consumer identification with their brand. Hence, promoting environmental incentives at your event will attract more valuable sponsors and can help to achieve great Return-on-Investment.
How to achieve Sustainability?
Sustainable event planning involves considering the footprint of every component of your event and attempting to reduce it as much as possible. Find ways you can lessen the energy output and paper waste, improve attendees awareness and their behavior.
Below are some specific examples of how you can make your sustainable event a success:
Reduce paper waste
One of the best methods of waste reduction is making an event paper-free. Most of the brochures and leaflets from an event end up in trash by the end of the day. It creates a huge amount of waste, therefore a digital solution is a great alternative for that. Event technologies or mobile apps are used to spread the information digitally, where every brochure and content piece will reach the participant.
For example, by using Fanomena Events organizers can create personalized digital Event Kits for every participant and include various sections: E-tickets, vouchers, coupons, general information about the event etc. This solution allows organizers to save on printing costs and switch to complete paper-free event planning.
Offer Recycling
Develop a recycling system and place branded recycling stations throughout the event. It can help in the creation of positive consumer identification with your event and sponsors, as sustainable providers. Moreover, provide reusable cups, plates and cutlery whenever possible or look for biodegradable alternatives.
Guest management
Try to incentivize event participants to take public transport or carpool to reach the event in order to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions. Use digital platforms for your ticketing services, the registration process and even seat arrangement. Minimize the amount of environmentally unfriendly options available in the event itself, such as only offering reusable water bottles and water taps, reusable plates and catering from local providers.
