10 Sustainable Steps
4 . WASTE NOT 5 . ENGAGE ATTENDEES 6 . CALCULATE EMISSIONS
Food is one of the key contributors to event waste , planners who take the time to understand proper food management , including disposal and donation options for surpluses , will be able to mitigate this roadblock .
This will also likely provide opportunities to partner with local food banks and charities , furthering the socia-cultural component of a cohesive sustainability approach .
With the right education , influencing how your attendees act is as easy as impacting the people you work with . This is why it is critical to engage with your attendees to get them invested in being sustainable .
This can be something as small as using an app instead of paper copies of programmes , utilising gamification , and providing attendee travel statistics through tech partners . No matter the level of investment , holding your attendees to account will change the impact of your event .
When paired with attendee behaviours , calculating carbon emissions allows planners to have a better scope on the wider impact of their events . It ’ s important to partner up with a carbon tracking organisation rather than going it alone , as Scope 3 emissions ( indirect emissions caused by third party sources ) can be tricky to trace .
With this information , the next step is to enact change based on the data – this might mean reconsidering how attendees travel to the venue , or changing how your team gets onsite to an event .
7 . AUDIT SUPPLIERS
Getting buy-in from the supply chain can be a challenge , especially if you are not aligned on your sustainable goals . One step is to seek out suppliers who have similar priorities to your business . Additionally , lookout for those signed up to sustainable charters or who invest in their own green initiatives .
8 . SUSTAINABLE CONTRACTS
Making sustainability a non-negotiable is a cornerstone to effective implementation . So , once planners have set their goals , it is imperative that measurable goals are woven into the contract between organisers and suppliers . Furthermore , once your goals are in the contract , it is vital that they are measured and analysed post event .
9 . MEASUREMENTS 10 . SMALL STEPS
As mentioned , measuring the success of your sustainable initiatives is necessary for growth and continual sustainable success . The metrics you look for should be aligned with your goals . Are you concerned about the carbon emissions generated per attendee ? Perhaps the impact on local economies is more important to you ? Are you tracking your Scope 3 emissions ?
No matter what you track , it ’ s important that you have metrics by which to develop and improve on learnings for the future .
The key thing to be aware of when embarking upon your sustainable journey is that Rome was not built in a day , small steps are going to be more conducive to consistent growth . These more manageable goals will eventually snowball into actual change , while also not seeming insurmountable .
Overall , the key message is to start somewhere . Investing in sustainability is a long road , but taking just one step is better than doing nothing at all .
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