How to get a Good Green Report Card on your Event
Sustainability and environmentally friendly policies are more important than ever when it comes to maintaining a successful corporate social responsibility initiative. As well as our mutual moral obligation, clients and consumers are increasingly apt to prioritise companies who put eco-friendly objectives at the forefront of what they do. But how to resolve the conflict between essential communication tools like events and their traditional reputation as problematic for our collective carbon footprints? Luckily with a range of technological developments and on-trend audience expectational shifts, there is no need to compromise on your marketing objectives or your sustainability objectives. Here are our top tips on how to host a ‘greener’ event so you end up with the right grade on your Event green report card.
Venue Tinder
Make sure you are connecting with the right type of venue for your event. Many venues have a corporate charter that details their environmental practices, and you can look for venues or organisations with an internationally recognised accreditation like the ISO 20121 which rewards venues that have sustainability goals at the heart of their economic, environmental, and social policies. You should be swiping left on any venue without a policy that includes sustainably sourced products, recycling, and energy efficiency. Other industry-recognised accreditations to look out for include LEED, ASTM, APEX, Green Keys and Green Leaders.
Ditch the Plastic
At every step say no to single-use plastics across your event. Swap water bottles for filtered water carafes and glassware and make sure to choose reusable cutlery or biodegradable options like bamboo.
Uber Influence
Inefficient single passenger journeys are all too common in the Middle East, especially when used as a way to pamper or impress. By implementing an educational pre-event comms campaign via app or email, you can garner support for your environmental goals and facilitate greener transport solutions like shuttles or car pooling that your attendees will be excited to utilise. This option is also useful for valuable data gathering and could enhance unique networking opportunities pre and post event.
Gifts They Actually Want
Ditch the cumbersome desk calendars, water bottles, totes or power banks when it comes to gifting. They aren’t original and more often than not are thrown into a drawer (and then landfill) and forgotten. Opt for digital vouchers or eco-friendly gifts like plants, tree planting or upcycled bespoke items that will actually make an impression.
Digital is the New Black
Not planning a paperless event? How very 2015 of you. In 2022, events should be as paperless as possible. There is so much affordable entry level technology available that you can provide all registration, ticketing and delegate information in a digital capacity. You don’t need to print mounds of event collateral, especially when most events are hybrid and both in-person and virtual attendees can appreciate digital branding and online interactivity far more. Instead of PVC backdrops and banners choose canvass which can be more readily upcycled into items of value. There are number of companies like UAE based D-grade, that will collect your old banners and turn them into unique once off laptop bags.
Design, Design, Design
Ultimately how sustainable your event is will depend on how it was designed. By ensuring that positive environmental outcomes are introduced from the beginning, any event framework will have a greater chance of sustainability success. Smart, sustainable choices will make all the difference from the time of day you host an event (potentially reduces lighting and AC needs) to what you serve (Choosing not to have the wasteful buffets is a good first step).
If you work to develop your own post-event green report card you can provide valuable information for all of your stakeholders and enjoy excellent talking points for your social media and internal communications.
Your green report card can cover a wide range of KPIs from air miles to single-use plastic goals, depending on the relevant areas to your business. The initial template can then be used for all future events and included from the pre-planning stages in order to achieve objectives. If you would like help with your green report card or further tips on how to host greener events, get in touch with our team on john@serindipityevents.com or 050 5944226 today.
