Ideas for Planning an Eco-Friendly Event
As more brands strive towards a more “green” culture, businesses are looking for more ways to implement eco-friendly practices in their processes – from product sourcing and development, to the way they run events.
After all, events and exhibitions have a reputation for being wasteful – with large amount of energy and materials used to put on impressive shows.
Is it possible for events to be both outstanding and eco-friendly? Top event planners certainly believe so, and recommend taking these steps to putting on a show that’s great for audiences… and Mother Nature.
Save paper, save the trees
Few efforts say “eco-friendly” quite like an effort to eliminate paper from an event. The good news is that it’s easy to do. Instead of paper handouts, you can provide everything digitally. If you have an event app, that’s even better – as your event app can be a convenient hub for event attendees to access event materials, search for event-related information, provide feedback, interact with speakers and other participants, and much more. Best of all, they’ll be doing all this digitally. The trees will thank you for this! Alternatively, you could also provide participants with materials on USB sticks (these are excellent door gifts) and by providing them with QR codes that lead them to online resources.
Save energy with LED lights
In 2019, there’s really no reason to continue using old, energy-sapping light fixtures. LED lighting is bright, affordable, long-lasting and very importantly, up to 80% more energy-efficient than traditional lighting solutions. While there’s no need to dash out and immediately replace all your lights with LEDs, keep them in mind the next time you’re purchasing a new lighting fixture or replacing a blown bulb.
Say no to plastic!
Considering the amount of plastic we use in everyday lives, this is a tough rule to follow – but it’s a must-do to demonstrate your commitment to the green cause. Some ways you can reduce plastic use include:
Doing away with bottled water, instead providing water and refreshments in glasses
Skip plastic utensils and other miscellaneous items and replace them with alternatives that are reusable/washable instead
Say yes to recycling
Include recycling bins at your event premises, or at the very least, provide separate bins for participants to toss their plastic, metal and “other” waste items into. (Later, you can bring these items to a nearby recycling centre.)
Reuse wherever possible
It may appear “cheap” to collect items such as plastic name badge holders from participants at the conclusion of the event, but if you mention that the purpose for doing so is to reuse and recycle these items, then your audiences will understand – and even appreciate you for taking the extra step to make your event an eco-friendly one.
