It ’ s not just the virtual world that will be impacted by this . Scurville highlighted that in-person events are now intrinsically linked to the digital world , with mobile devices in constant use at events .
He said : “ You ’ re not going to get that carbon footprint information from Vodafone or the like , so you can only guess . Organisers have to extrapolate that kind of usage based on data they ’ re providing so you ’ re never going to know fully .”
People pleasing It ’ s not all about the planet when it comes to sustainability , however . We in events have the unique power to impact local communities and the people in our industry , all of which feeds into the longevity and sustainability of the events sector as a whole .
Narmeen Kamran , managing director , Desert Island Events , said : “ When we talk about sustainability , we ’ re always focusing on the planet . But sustainability is more than just carbon impact . It ’ s about people as well . I think even if you look into becoming a B Corp , it ’ s not just your sustainability towards the planet they look at , it ’ s also about your profits and your people .
“ It ’ s all well and good that you might be working towards more sustainable practices in terms of recycling , reusable materials and all along that side for the planet . However , if that is coupled with your team working 12 – 16-hour shifts , bad mental health , lack of sleep , all of that is not sustainable .”
This is the advantage live events have over virtual counterparts , that ability to impact the surrounding areas , to bring in business tertiary to the venue and the companies involved in delivering the actual event .
Kamran continued : “ A recent client of mine did carbon offsetting for an event . They had people travel across the world . So , we ’ re talking 40-50 flights , long haul across the world , to London . Think about that for London – that is business for all the hotels and the supply chain that goes alongside them .”
There are no easy answers , there are questions around the sustainability of virtual events from multiple angles . Until we can effectively measure and track the footprint , both on the carbon level and the community level , of virtual events , there will always be a question mark over their impact . CN www . conference-news . co . uk