EVENT GREENING FORUM

Easy and effective event greening tips

After two years in lockdown, we’re all a little rusty on how to create more-sustainable events. Here are some practices that can have a substantial impact on your event’s carbon footprint, making them a good place to focus your attention as you plan for your next live event.

1.Go Hybrid

Sure, we are all tired of engaging with people on screens. But don’t throw away what we learned over the past two years now. If your event could benefit from going hybrid – and removing attendance obstacles like travel, time and cost constraints – then do it.

2. Use a ‘green’ venue

The venue (and accommodation) you choose for your event can make or break your sustainability status. When choosing a venue, ask questions such as do they have:

• an environmental policy,

• onsite renewable energy,

• energy efficient fittings,

• water-saving fittings,

• a robust waste management system,

• any other sustainability practices?

If you have already chosen a venue, it is still worth asking these questions.

3. Commit to eco procurement

Get lazy and make your suppliers do the greening for you! Your event and business can reap the benefits of your suppliers’ sustainability efforts. By simply committing to use local suppliers and service providers who demonstrate a clear commitment to uplifting people and protecting the environment, you are supporting and benefiting from these efforts.

4. Serve carbon-lite food

Yes, we are talking about plant-based food! Controversial much? Possibly. But we’re not saying go all out vegan (unless that is what your audience wants). Work with your catering team to deliver more plant-based options and reduce the amount of meat and dairy on the menu. Also, opt for local, seasonal and organic ingredients wherever you can (in that order of priority).

5. Separate waste at source

This basically means setting up a bin system that diverts waste into its separate streams from the get-go. For example, getting food waste into bins specifically headed for the compost heap, while recyclables can be collected all together or separately by material type (such as paper, plastic, glass, etc.). Lastly, you’ll need your landfill waste bins. With clever procurement planning, you should be able to keep these bins almost empty.

6. Hire a professional

We are all cost conscious right now but hiring a sustainability consultant will go a long way to helping you create solid sustainability objectives, stick to them, measure their effectiveness, and gain invaluable insights into what you can do better next time.

An independent consultant will also be able to measure your event’s carbon footprint and, if you’re going that route, help you find the right project to offset it through. And if you really want to put your money where your mouth is, you could get your event certified.

Save the date!

The Event Greening Forum will be holding a ‘Back to Basics of Event Greening’ training webinar on 21 July. It will serve as both an introduction to event greening as well as a refresher for those who are feeling rusty. Sign up to our newsletter for more details about this and other events we are hosting. Simply go to eventgreening.co.za, click on ‘Contact us’ and follow the link to subscribe.

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 founding members. The founding associations who are recognised as members are key industry associations working together to promote South members are key industry associations Africa as a destination for various types 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