How to make your next event greener

More than ever, companies are being called on to adopt sustainable measures in a global effort to combat climate change. Decisions – large or small – can drastically impact one’s carbon footprint and help turn the earth into a greener, safer place.

In event production, we know firsthand how large-scale products can accumulate a large environmental footprint but as a leader in the field, we’re committed to remaining and improving our sustainability measures. Below are ways we’re making changes to our events, and how we’re already pulling them off.

Our Top Sustainable Event Solutions

1. Working with sustainable clients

Choosing the right partners to go green can help make for a winning green team. In a recent event, we worked with a sustainable-conscious client to produce biodegradable and recyclable products printed lanyards for 300 attendees.

2. Digitize your event

Using digital solutions such as QR codes and virtual tickets helps to minimize physical waste and paper usage. At a recent conference, we implemented QR code check-ins, which reduced paper waste by 70% compared to traditional methods.

3. Limiting Plastic and Single-Use Waste

Waste can easily accumulate for an event, so finding key areas to eliminate the usage of single-use plastics or paper is important. In one event, we worked with our partners to ensure our catering products for our crew and audience did not include single-use plastics and opted to use washable plates, cups, and cutlery where possible.

Another way to limit waste is choosing practical, sustainable, or biodegradable giveaways for the audience. In one of our previous large-scale events, we gifted branded refillable metal water bottles to people to use long past the event.

4. Go Local

Transporting resources can quickly add up and contribute to our carbon footprint. In a global event activation, we utilized local production companies, almost eliminating the need to transfer goods from one location to the next.

5. Rent where possible

Instead of buying new items, we first look to see if renting or using in-house materials can be an option for our team.

6. Choosing Green Methods of Traveling

Promote green travel choices to your team, your client, your suppliers, and your attendees. Where possible, we actively encourage our teams and participants to use greener methods of transportation like commuting via trains or buses over short flights.

7. CO2 Compensation

We've partnered with CO2 Positiv to analyze and offset emissions from all aspects of our business. This includes our facilities, travel, and purchases.

8. Upcycling and Recycling Event Materials

Work with organizations to upcycle materials post-event. For a recent workshop with 300+ attendees, we decided to donate unused items to local schools or non-profits. We also made the choice to change from individual packages for our guests to "creative material islands" that were shared among attendees, reducing waste significantly.

In another event, we also donated excess food to local shelters or food banks to further reduce waste.

9. Talk about it!

Share your sustainable practices with clients, teams, and suppliers. Our clients are firm partners in our events and key supporters, so we report on key sustainability points from their events.

What sustainable tips do you recommend that make your events more sustainable? Let’s share some ideas and cross-pollinate!