EVENT GREENING FORUM

Are you ready for the return of sustainable in-person events?

Will organisers prioritise sustainability or will the desire to be sustainable be replaced by other priorities, when we are able to host in-person events once again?

By Lynn McLeod, secretariat of Event Greening Forum.

In an article titled How to Make Sustainability a Priority Again, published on www.tsnn.com on 14 April 2021, Julia Spangler, green events consultant and owner of Ecosystem Events, shared her thoughts on this matter.

She stated that many people around the world are increasingly concerned about the environment and climate change, and in some cases, this has strengthened during the pandemic, so organisers need to be prepared to meet expectations in the future.

Getting buy-in for sustainability in events has always been an issue and it looks like this will continue to be the case as organisers – and clients – try to get through the coming years with the least possible costs. However, this should not stop professionals in the sector from continuing to focus on sustainability in their respective fields – even if this means focusing on those practices that result in cost savings in the meantime.

Julia believes that it is a common misconception that health and safety guidelines somehow impede sustainability efforts, and at the EGF we tend to agree. While Health and Safety and sustainability often seem at odds, they incorporate much the same elements when it comes to health issues, and safety has been shown to improve when sustainability measures and practices are applied. In South Africa, the SA Events Council, together with Event Safety Council, have published reopening guidelines1 and organisers may still implement best practices for reducing food waste, recycling, reusing event supplies and many other sustainable practices, while adhering to these guidelines.

Another misconception that has arisen since the pandemic hit last year, has been the move away from bulk services and amenities to wrapped, single-serve items. While this has been driven by health considerations, in fact the opposite has been shown to be as effective. Meegan Jones of the Sustainable Event Alliance (SEA), a network partner of the Event Greening Forum, explained at our Master Class in November 2020 that reusable dishes and glassware may be just as safe, or even safer, than disposable options. The SEA released a comprehensive guide2 in October 2020 to help planners confidently and safely use reusable food and beverage cutlery and crockery, both now and post-pandemic.

The issue of travel, especially by air, is not big on the South African agenda, but will become more so when the events are allowed to open again. Air travel is one of the largest carbon footprint components of an event, and South Africa remains a long-haul destination with a large domestic demand for air travel due to the lack of adequate and reliable public transport systems. Another important factor that has been severely affected by the pandemic has been reliance on organised transport for delegates. With existing fears of contamination – and regulations that reduce the number of persons that may be accommodated on coaches (for example), there will be less demand for delegate transport, but the savings here will be countered by an increase in single-occupant car use unless organisers think out-the-box with regards this aspect. So, transport in general will remain an issue, but organisers may use the hybrid and virtual events which they have become used to, to make events available to those who are less able to travel, while at the same time reducing the overall carbon footprint.

There are a few other tips such as your event design, while improving your food and beverage systems and procedures will change for health reasons in the coming years. While buffet-style operations were banned in the earlier days of the lockdown here and abroad, there is growing acceptance of these facilities once again but with marked service changes. In themselves, the changes and regulations aid in reducing food waste and may contribute largely to local economies with greater awareness of local sourcing, seasonality and portion control. Improved planning by organisers and hosts could also help by getting delegates and attendees to indicate their desire for meals rather than simply assuming that meals were expected.

In short, while the last year has been particularly hard for the event and meetings sector – and we are not out of the woods yet – sustainability will remain an important consideration into the future. In fact, we believe that the demand for greater levels of sustainability and ‘even greener’ events will grow because of increased awareness by clients and the public in general.

Gone are the days when delegates will simply stand in crowded spaces or sit shoulder-to-shoulder in packed meeting rooms and venues. Organisers and professionals will need to incorporate greener practices and sustainable actions into future events even more than before in order to remain relevant and competitive.

1. https://www.eventgreening.co.za/wp-content/ uploads/2020/07/Event-Safety-Council-Re- Opening-Guidelines-version-1.pdf

2. https://www.eventgreening.co.za/resources/ downloads/

About the EGF

The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability within the business events sector. It does this by hosting educational sessions for industry and lobbying government in an effort to implement sustainability principles into the daily operations of the events industry. The EGF was established through dedication and support of eight industry associations who are recognised as founding members. The founding members are key industry associations working together to promote South Africa as a destination for various types of events.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about event greening, visit wwweventgreening.co.za where you can browse the free resources, sign up to the monthly newsletter, or contact them directly with any queries.

Contact: Lynn Mcleod

T: 082 891 5883 E: lynn@eventgreening.co.za