Your checklist to exhibiting sustainably The Event Greening

YOUR CHECKLIST TO EXHIBITING SUSTAINABLY

4REDUCE YOUR TRANSPORT The Event Greening Forum’s training sessions held in late January – in conjunction with the Meetings Africa exhibitor briefings and sponsored by the South Africa National Convention Bureau – provided an education on how to be a ‘green’ exhibitor. Pippa Naudé explores this further.

Morwesi Ramonyai, managing director of Borena Energy, shares insights and tips into how to win a Green Stand Award at Meetings Africa. While her advice was specific to these awards, the guidelines apply to all exhibitors who are aiming to minimise their carbon footprint and have a positive legacy.

CHOOSE A GREEN DESIGN

Quite simply, request a ‘green’ stand. The simplest way to do this is to purchase a stand you reuse each time you exhibit. Look for options that are:  robust  modular (can be reconfigured for different spaces)  easy to assemble and transport. Remember – a reusable stand that is not reused is not very green, so plan your purchase carefully.

6CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Opt for sustainable materials, which means things that are:  locally produced  from a renewable resource (e.g. wood)  free of harmful chemicals (e.g. eco-friendly paints)  easily repurposed (e.g. raw wood), recycled (e.g. Xanita board) or upcycled (e.g. fabric graphics can be made into pencil cases) when the stand is no longer needed.

CREATE A SOCIAL LEGACY 3 GREEN YOUR OPERATIONS

Minimise how much energy your stand needs by:  using energy-efficient lighting and appliances (e.g. LED light bulbs)  skipping appliances that use a lot of energy, like coffee machines. Reduce the amount of waste your stand will produce by avoiding:  handing out gifts to your visitors  anything with single-use plastic – including bottled water  printing brochures – rather share your information electronically. If you really must print, choose smaller pamphlets with recyclable paper and vegetablebased inks.

Build a positive social impact outcome into your exhibition process. For example, you can:  only buy local  identify a local charity that you can partner with and help, perhaps with donations or through your carbon offset project. Have a plan in place for efficient logistics and:  choose a compact, lightweight stand that is easy to transport  arrange for your team to liftshare or use public transport  with travel causing most of your greenhouse gas emissions, consider working out your carbon footprint as an exhibitor and offsetting it.

5TELL EVERYONE ABOUT HOW GREEN YOU ARE

Communicate all your green actions by:  ensuring your staff know about it, and are therefore able to understand and support these actions, and can tell other people about them  display information on your expo stand that outlines why sustainability is important to your brand, and what you are therefore doing about it.

BONUS TIP: Think outside the box Look for creative solutions to sustainability problems. At Meetings Africa, for example, purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates and planting trees are encouraged to address challenges such as our dirty energy supply and the necessary travel involved in attending the event.

ARE VIRTUAL EVENTS TRULY SUSTAINABLE?

Gary van der Watt, director of Resource Design, was asked if he would recommend virtual reality events to avoid the massive environmental cost of flights and travel. In short, the answer for business-to-business events is no. This is why.

Virtual reality (VR) applications have been used globally with mixed results. In the gaming environment, it works, but that’s because no interpersonal interaction is needed. As a conferencing tool, it has not been that successful. This is because conferencing is only partially based on the speakers and content.

The overwhelming majority of conference attendees list their reason for attending as the opportunity to network with like-minded people from their industry at a focused event. The exhibition aspect is also missed with a VR offering. VR expos have never taken off as it’s critical that exhibitions include human interaction. This is also apparent in retail. People shop online, and this form of retail is growing exponentially, but they will often first go to a store to look at the product, try it on and so on. Hence the success of the ‘flagship’ store concept that holds only the newest, but very little, stock for people to experience first-hand.

HYBRID EVENTS Professional Conference Organisers have tried hybrid events to overcome these challenges, while keeping their environmental impact down (and often the financial costs, too). Typically, the approach is to set up several venues and livestream the speakers, content and other parts of the programme.

Design Indaba did this and implemented satellite venues around South Africa and Africa. This works better than people meeting online from their home or office space, as you retain the face-to-face benefit of events. But this approach still means that there is an environmental cost for the venues, transport of people to those venues, and so on – although admittedly it cuts out the longdistance travel.

However, I would argue that this isn’t necessarily more sustainable than hosting large B2B events. There is a misperception about flights and travel. Any given flight won’t stop because 15 delegates did not get on it. With 10 people or 200 on a plane – there is the same CO 2 footprint. What is important is how these CO 2 ‘costs’ are used. If 2 000 delegates each spend time, money and flights to see another 20 delegates or exhibitors at their place of work, the overall financial cost and CO 2 expense would be far greater than if everyone attends a single conference. By bringing a group of 2 000 people together at a focused space and time, the event can be extremely successful in terms of educating, networking and learning. A delegate will spend a fraction of their sales and marketing budget compared to visiting 20 clients, suppliers or peers individually.

ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY I believe that the real secret of sustainability is making an event successful – while also making efforts to make it as sustainable as possible. This includes event greening planning, implementation, assessment and perhaps even audits. An event could be paperless. An exhibition can use locally manufactured and sustainable materials. All goods could be reusable, resulting in a zerowaste conference.

The end result is that a delegate may actually use fewer resources at a conference than at home, or even learn to be more ecoaware. This – combined with the business efficiency of a collective event rather than numerous individual ones – is what, in my opinion, makes an event truly sustainable.

Gary van der Watt, director, Resource Design

A WINNING HAND

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EVENTING AND ACCOMMODATION Emerald Resort & Casino is the largest venue in the Vaal area, providing both the facilities and expertise to host conferences of up to 3 000 attendees. The venue is also well suited for meetings and seminars, product launches and more intimate private functions such as gala dinners. Emerald Resort & Casino banqueting experts are also conveniently on hand to help plan a bespoke menu specifically for your event’s needs.

The riverside estate offers a variety of accommodation options that include bush lodges, riverside chalets at the resort and suites at its hotel, meaning your guests won’t have far to travel to get to your event.

Through Emerald Resort & Casino’s range of activities and on-site facilities, you can develop a team-building programme that is perfectly suited to your delegates. And the resort’s lively entertainment will ensure your next conference or event is a most exceptional and memorable experience.

ACTIVITIES From rejuvenating spa treatments to exciting outdoor adventures, there are a host of experiences and exciting activities to delight your delegates.

Choose from one of six heated pools at the climate-controlled Aquadome or enjoy the natural surrounds and wildlife on a game drive.

If you’re in need of some R&R, Emerald Resort & Casino offers a truly restorative experience at the tranquil Emerald Spa. Unwind with a treatment from one of the spa’s highly trained therapists – ranging from facials and manicures to hot stone and aromatherapy massages, all in a natural setting.

WINING AND DINING Emerald Resort & Casino has no shortage of culinary experiences and, with a range of restaurants that vary in style and dining options, all appetites will be satisfied.

If you are catering for discerning palates, the High Stakes restaurant just off the casino floor provides elegant atmosphere and service with a smile that will turn your meal into an extra-special occasion.

For bush views and meals that start with hearty breakfast buffets and end with room service, guests at the Emerald Hotel restaurant can enjoy a full assortment of dishes.

And if it’s music and a good vibe in a relaxing setting that your guests are after, they can head down to Capello where they can enjoy succulent food, cocktails and premium brands.

Whatever tickles your fancy and whether you're with family, friends or colleagues, we've got an adventure you'll love. Take your pick and prepare to have a truly great time at Emerald Resort & Casino.

RATHER MEET IN MAURITIUS

Planning an incentive trip to reward your top performers, an international conference for a few thousand delegates, an exclusive high-level meeting for a government delegation or a product launch event? Look no further than the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

The island paradise of Mauritius is fast becoming one of Africa’s tourism and meetings jewels with its scenic beauty, hidden treasures to explore and an exotic melting pot of cuisines and cultures. It is a short flight from South Africa’s three major cities, and visa-free for South African passport holders.

Here you will find the perfect venue, staffed by a professional and dedicated support team, to deliver a unique, worldclass event, with a touch of island-style elegance and flair. MICE MARKET Mauritius offers the MICE buyer the infrastructure to cater for a variety of groups and sizes, all year round. As a MICEfriendly destination, the island has the key ingredients to host successful meetings, incentive groups, conferences and events. The quality and variety of accommodation, the attention to detail in service delivery, state-of-the-art conferencing venues, professional and friendly staff, and the additional activities on offer all guarantee a unique experience. CONFERENCE FACILITIES Boasting the largest and most modern convention centre in the Indian Ocean Islands region, Mauritius’ Swami Vivekananda Conference Centre provides all the facilities needed for large, international conferences, accommodating up to 5 000 people. Other venues include the Freeport Exhibition in Mer Rouge (up to 1 000 delegates), and the Trianon Convention Centre (up to 3 000 delegates). Many Mauritian hotels also offer conferencing facilities and can cater for

Enjoy everything that Mauritius has to offer as your ideal MICE destination, combining quality, elegance and style, in a paradise island setting! #RatherMeetinMauritius – the idyllic Indian Ocean destination for all your MICE needs

up to 800 people at a time, with spectacular marquees and set-ups on the hotel properties.

ACTIVITIES The island also boasts a variety of activities specifically geared for MICE groups, ranging from golf to adventure sports such as quad biking, trekking, mountain biking, trail running, zip-lining, fishing, kite surfing, parasailing, canoeing and sky diving, together with a host of water sports.

The island also offers stunning outdoor locations for interactive and adrenalinfuelled activities and adventures perfect for team-building exercises. There are also many cultural festivities and spiritual festivals that take place on the island that can be enjoyed.

WHEN TO VISIT Mauritius has a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round. The best months to visit are from May to December, when the weather is cooler, dry and sunny.

INCENTIVE SCHEME

The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority has an attractive incentive scheme in place for the MICE segment.

This applies to bookings for large groups of 100 people or more to the island – and includes a 15% VAT rebate, on-the-ground assistance and cash incentives – if three nights or more at a hotel are booked for the group. More details are available through the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority office.

For more information: www.tourism-mauritius.mu www.ratherbeinmauritius.co.za

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority – SA representatives: Janet de Kretser / Philippa Piguet – Meropa Communications Tel: +27 (0)11 506 7300 Email: mauritius@meropa.co.za