How to organise a sustainable and environmentally friendly event
The time has finally come: sustainability is no longer just a ‘nice-to-have’, but a ‘must-have’. That’s why it’s not enough simply to make certain areas more environmentally friendly as a token gesture and to publicise this everywhere; instead, we need to think through every aspect of event planning with this in mind. And that’s not nearly as difficult as one might fear, especially if you make the right decisions right from the planning stage. Here’s a short checklist.
1 | Bear in mind the journey
You cannot dictate to event participants and visitors how they should travel. But you can make it easier for them to choose environmentally friendly transport options. Even when choosing a venue, you can consider its accessibility by public transport and organise shuttle services as an alternative to avoid individual journeys. For smaller events such as conferences, seminars or in-house company workshops, there are far more organisational options, such as travelling together by bike or train. In such cases, the route to the venue can be planned in short stages, and even a brief, friendly reminder that not everyone should travel individually by car can have a significant impact.
2 | Avoid unnecessary waste
Whilst it is tempting and saves time, disposable materials are not only unnecessary but also avoidable. You don’t have to wash plastic cups, but seeing the mountains of rubbish at the end of the event should, at the very least, give you a guilty conscience. Are there alternatives, such as recyclable paper cups? A caterer who offers reusable glasses? Dealing with expected food leftovers can also be planned in advance, for example by finding recipients at homeless shelters or food banks.
3 | High quality, delicious and sustainable
Most catering companies offer environmentally friendly catering options. Regional rather than exotic, with short supply chains rather than air-freighted produce. There should be no compromise on quality, and guests will also appreciate sustainable concepts.
4 | Everyone should be able to take part
Large event venues usually have policies in place to ensure accessibility and diversity. If you’re organising a small, self-organised event, it’s worth giving this some thought in advance. Anyone who wishes to attend or has been invited should be able to enjoy the entire programme without any barriers.
5 | Using energy wisely
You don’t have to sit in the cold, dark, heat or wet, but when it comes to energy consumption in particular, there are measures that are simply unnecessary. Heater cannons in the VIP outdoor marquee, an armada of patio heaters or a hall cooled down to 17 degrees in the middle of summer are not essential and can be managed just as comfortably with alternatives. Perhaps you could even have custom-branded blankets produced, which double as take-home goodies? Or fans? Perhaps a parasol or a fire pit to gather round would do the trick in the outdoor area?
6 | Why not just stay outside?
Of course, depending on the weather and the time of year, various events could just as easily take place outdoors. Does the team-building activity have to be held at the go-kart track or the bowling alley, or wouldn’t a group walk in the woods with a stop at a mountain hut be much more appealing anyway? In Austria in particular, the ‘natural event space’ is vast.
7 | Communication
The aim should not be to present oneself in a favourable light, but rather to shed light on the issue of sustainability. No one needs to congratulate you on your sustainability efforts; rather, everyone should think about how greener alternatives can be made more noticeable and utilised for future events. Once you’ve given this some thought and realised that there’s no compromise on quality or comfort, you’ll be able to suggest improvements with a trained eye at future events. An idea such as “Hey, how about a visit to the high ropes course followed by a bike ride?!” could provide the decisive impetus during the brainstorming session for the next team event.
