As the world becomes increasingly conscious of sustainability, winter events present a unique opportunity to reduce environmental impact without sacrificing the experience. From travel considerations to energy usage, planning an eco-friendly event is not a trend – it’s a significant requirement for many that impacts us all.
Here are five practical strategies to help you reduce your winter event’s environmental footprint:
1. Rethink Travel for Your Event
Travel is often one of the biggest contributors to an event’s carbon footprint, but there are ways to make it more sustainable. Encouraging attendees to use public transport can be a great start – offering perks like discounted tickets or providing shuttle buses makes it easier for them to leave their cars at home. Another option is to support carpooling or ride-sharing by using event apps or social media platforms to help attendees connect before the event and share rides, reducing the number of vehicles on the road.
BlaBlaCar is widely used in the UK for long-distance carpooling. It’s a popular option for trips between cities and is well-suited for events where attendees may be traveling from different parts of the country.
Additionally, you might want to partner with a carbon offset programme to balance out the emissions from flights and long-distance travel, helping minimise the overall environmental impact of your event. For example, ClimatePartner, which works globally to calculate, reduce, and offset emissions.
2. Energy Efficiency at Venues
Winter events often demand more energy, especially for heating and lighting, but you can take steps to make your event more energy-efficient; start by choosing a venue that prioritises sustainability – many venues now carry green certifications which indicate that they follow eco-friendly practices. It’s also worth checking if the venue uses renewable energy sources which could offset your energy usage. Additionally, LED lighting and using smart thermostats can significantly reduce energy consumption while keeping attendees comfortable. Sustainability and winter events can fit together with careful planning!
Take a look at our post about our 7 favourite sustainable venues in London.
3. Sustainable Catering Choices
The sourcing and waste associated with catering can have a significant environmental impact, but there are ways to reduce the carbon footprint. One effective approach is to prioritise local and seasonal menus. Sourcing ingredients from nearby not only supports local farmers but also reduces the emissions caused by long-distance food transportation.
Additionally, offering plant-based meal options can dramatically lower your event’s environmental footprint, as plant-based foods generally have a much smaller carbon impact compared to meat-based dishes.
To address food waste, you can partner with local charities to donate any surplus food, or work with caterers that specialise in reducing waste through thoughtful planning and resource management.
And avoid single use cutlery and crockery – either opt for the real deal that gets washed up and re-used, or things like wooden / bamboo bowls and utensils.
4. Eco-Friendly Event Materials
Event materials, ranging from décor to tickets or lanyards, can contribute to unnecessary waste, but there are greener alternatives. Start by going digital wherever possible – using digital tickets, agendas, and other materials not only cuts down on paper waste but also enhances the attendee experience with event apps and QR codes. Just make sure your venue has good wifi – test it in advance and understand how it will cope with the number of users you plan to have in attendance.
Can your event badges clip on to your delegate’s existing work lanyard? If you need to provide lanyards, opt for recycled PET or biodegradable bamboo products, and collect them in at the end for using again.
When it comes to décor, opt for reusable or recyclable elements, steering clear of single-use plastics. Biodegradable options for signage, banners, and displays are also worth exploring. As for goodie bags, choose items that are eco-conscious, such as reusable water bottles, bamboo utensils, or products made from recycled materials, helping to minimise waste and promote sustainability. For print, always opt for recycled or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) sustainably sourced paper and vegetable based inks. Banners and similar can be made from PVC free materials and utilise suppliers who use carbon neutral couriers for delivery.
5. Leverage Technology
Staying ahead of the curve by tapping into the latest sustainable technologies can help reduce the environmental impact of your event. Virtual event platforms and hybrid event setups can significantly cut down the need for travel and venue energy use.
Find out why we recently become a certified RingCentral Events Partner agency and the benefits of using a reliable, interactive, virtual and hybrid events platform like it.
Meanwhile, technologies like real-time energy monitoring systems can help venues optimise energy consumption during the event.
Committing to sustainability with your winter events
By building these strategies into your event planning, you can reduce your event’s carbon footprint while still creating a memorable experience for attendees. From the moment they receive your invite, to when they wrap up, your commitment to sustainability will leave a lasting impression.
For a more in detail look at sustainability within the events industry check out our article “What is the event industry doing about sustainability?”
At Autumn Live, we’re dedicated to helping our clients create impactful events that are kind to the planet and, through our training on the Complete Sustainable Events Course delivered by The Meetings Show and ISLA, we are using sustainable practices to make our client’s events more eco-friendly.
