EVENT GREENING FORUM

Your green venue checklist

Selecting a ‘green venue’ is one of the simplest and most effective steps you can take to make your events more sustainable. To help you do this, the Event Greening Forum (EGF) has developed this green venue checklist of questions to ask before you decide on where to host your next event.

GENERAL

Does the venue have a sustainability Vision Statement/ Policy Statement? Is it accessible or visible to everyone? If yes, ask for a copy. Can the staff answer your questions about the sustainability vision statement? Is there general awareness among everyone? Ask to see what they are doing on a site visit. For example, ask to see how they separate waste into recyclables and non-recyclables. Ask to see the results of their efforts. Ideally they should be measuring this.

PROCUREMENT

Do you have an eco-procurement* policy? If yes, ask for a copy. * Eco-procurement means giving preference to products and services that have a positive impact on the environment (think energy, water, waste and carbon footprint) and the local community. Can the person responsible for procurement answer your questions about the venue’s procurement policy? Again, once you receive the document, ask lots of questions. Examples of eco-procurement could include: Prioritising working with hyper-local companies and companies that have a strong social investment policy.

SOCIAL

Is the venue taking steps to work with, and uplift, the local community? If yes, ask questions to better understand this. Examples could include: Offering training and employment opportunities to disadvantaged youth; working with an NGO that is helping entrepreneurs to establish a small business; sourcing products and services from local businesses; or ongoing support of a nearby school.

ENERGY

Are steps being taken to reduce energy consumption at the venue? If yes, can the staff explain what is being done and what the results are? Examples could include: The venue is using energy-efficient technology such as LED light bulbs and energy-efficient computers; there is a system to ensure unneeded lights, aircon and heating are switched off; the building is insulated; supplementary renewable energy is produced onsite.

WATER

Are steps being taken to conserve water at the venue? If yes, can the staff explain what is being done and what the results are? Examples could include: The venue has water-efficient technology such as low-flow taps and showers, dual-flush toilets, and water-saving dishwashers and washing machines; there is a water-wise garden and rainwater is collected; grey water is collected and recycled.

WASTE

Are steps being taken to reduce the venue’s waste-to-landfill? If yes, can the staff explain what is being done and what the results are? Examples could include: The venue has a procurement policy that limits single-use and non-recyclable packaging; there is an effective multi-bin system for the different types of waste; the food waste is diverted into a composting system; the different types of waste are weighed so that the waste management systems can be improved in an ongoing manner.

TRANSPORT

Is the venue accessible to public transport and or eco-mobility? An example could be having good access to and from major transport hubs where public transports modes are available such as buses, taxis, trains, etc.

FOOD

Does the venue have a sustainable approach in its food and beverage? If yes, can the staff explain what is being done in this regard? Examples could include: Prioritising the use of in-season local produce on their menus; using only sustainable sourced seafood; serving sustainably certified wines; or developing menus using locally sourced and seasonal food products with an emphasis on reducing any food waste.

Yes No

Morwesi Ramonyai, chairperson of the Event Greening Forum, said: “It is critical that a venue can adequately answer all your questions and prove their greening claims. If not, they could be guilty of greenwashing. With many venues going the extra mile to improve their sustainable credentials, you really can afford to be picky.”

If you’re looking for a green venue – or are a green venue – visit the EGF’s greendatabase.co.za. It’s a one-stopshop for green solutions for events, and it doesn’t cost anything to be listed.

The Save the date: Green Venue Workshop

Please save the date for our upcoming hybrid event where we will unpack what a ‘green’ venue is, how to identify one, and the value of using them for your events. The format will be a panel discussion with ample opportunity for questions and answers. Grace Stead, a sustainability consultant and founder of Steadfast Greening, as well as the co-founder of the Event Greening Forum, will facilitate the discussion. Date: Thursday, 10 November Time: 09:00 to 11:00 Venue: CTICC, Cape Town and online More details coming soon.

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 www.eventgreening.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