Alright folks, today we will be talking about the second-best color, green! (We are obviously partial to pink) Living sustainably is something that is highly important to Norton National. Reduce, reuse, recycle, reply to my text messages BRAD! Oops, did I say that out loud?
Large scale events like trade shows, conferences, and festivals create a bigger carbon footprint than people would think. Although it is difficult to overhaul the whole event to make it zero waste, there are simple efforts that can be made to help an event be eco-friendly.
Here are the main areas where energy is wasted and ways that an event can conserve 🙂
Trash
We all want to avoid trash. Trash jobs, trash music, trash boyfriends *cough cough Brad. But most importantly we want to avoid actual trash waste, and putting on an event can create a lot of waste. Even with a good composting and recycling program at the venue, a trade show with around 5,000 attendees will still go through a mound of waste. 41% of this will still go to a landfill with as little as 3% being donated or recycled. *
Ways to cut down:
- Select a venue with good recycling and composting programs already established, that eliminates some leg work right off the bat!
- Use lighted signs or reusable signs. Signage is another expense that often gets thrown away at the end of the event. Use generic sights that say “this way” or have a chalkboard that can be erased and used again.
- Put up signs over trash cans that help attendees sort out their waste. “Ok, so my apple core can be composted, my soda can can be recycled, and the silly lanyard that they give away at every conference can go straight to the landfill”.
Swag
Everyone’s first thought when they go to an event is “ooo, free stuff!!” Then most of that swag is thrown in the trash. Except for the pens, of course, people always need pens. The intention should still be incentivizing people to come to an event and reward the ones who paid money to attend, but there are ways to give meaningful swag that won’t harm our planet.
- Reusable items. Offer reusable swag like travel containers for soap for shampoo or mugs and reusable coffee cups. Eliminate plastic water bottles from an event by giving attendees branded, reusable water bottles to carry around.
- Digital Swag. This could include discount codes to shows or museums in the city the event is in. Include e-tickets or downloadable freebies that attendees can pick for themselves then have delivered to their house. None of these things require printing which saves the trees!
- Good deeds. Give the option for the attendees to make a donation, in their name, to a local charity instead of taking home swag. People are willing to give up free things and make a contribution to the community instead. The money that would have been spent on drawstring backpacks now goes to a charity.
Feeding People
People love having free food at events but this can be very wasteful! When staff is untrained or unaware of the sustainable practices that should be implemented, the event is not going to be as green as intended. Make sure that the staff is aware of exactly how many attendees will be at the event to ensure minimal food waste.
- Use local and in-season food. This will not only lower the cost (food that is in season is much cheaper), but seasonal food creates a much smaller carbon footprint.
- Consider having more vegetarian options than non-vegetarian meals. Try picking meat that has a smaller impact on the environment like chicken, turkey, or pork.
- Don’t prefill water glasses and instead, only fill when they ask for water. This makes sure that nothing is wasted. Offer fair-trade coffee and tea options.
This may be difficult to perfectly order the amount of food needed. Be sure to donate any food that is leftover from the event to a local shelter or charity.
Travel
In America, transportation is the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions at 29%. Within the whole transportation industry, road vehicles account for 82% of those emissions and planes only account for 9%. * Obviously no one can stop people from traveling, but here are some options that an event can provide to be greener!
- Provide remote and virtual attending options. Live stream that thang! And ask Norton National how to – that’s a sweet spot for us 🙂 Music festivals and conferences, all over the world are starting to do this and it is proving to be successful.
- Select venues and hotels that already have sustainable practices in place.
- Incentivize carpooling or ride-share options for attendees. Give them coupons for Uber or Lyft in their welcome packs.
After the Event
Once an event is wrapped, there are a couple of tasks that should be done.
- Set up a donation program for after the event for attendees and exhibitors. Here they can donate all materials that would normally be thrown away, and event staff can sort through the donations and decide what is worth keeping. What is it that people say about one man’s trash?
- Post that environmental thirst trap girl! Let everyone know what green practices were put into place, how it was done, and how much of a difference was made. Showing that a brand cares about our planet builds positive feelings towards that company and people will respect that. Shout it from the rooftops!
- Help promote other local initiatives to widen the reach. Work with sponsors and partners to publicize a collaboration on any initiatives that were put in place.
Norton National has staffed and produced multiple trade shows and conferences, and we have seen firsthand the environmental impact that they can have. Let us help make your next event something that Mother Earth will be proud of!
There is no perfect way to be green but there are simple measures that can be taken to make your event a little greener. And finally, don’t be a Brad, be nice to the planet; because just like me, you’ll never find a better one.
*https://www.eventmanagerblog.com/sustainable-event-management
*https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions
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