The ultimate guide to hosting more sustainable events

There’s no getting away from how events have traditionally come with hefty negative environmental impacts. Behind the scenes at conferences, trade shows and other corporate events, carbon footprints and levels of waste quickly pile up. 

But creating an exceptional event doesn’t have to mean compromising on your sustainable values – quite the opposite. As we reveal here, weaving more mindful choices and greener practices into your event planning can enhance the overall experience for your attendees, all while doing your bit for the planet. 

What is a sustainable event, anyway?

The obvious answer to this question is that a sustainable event has the most minimal environmental impact possible. Green choices are the go-to throughout the organisation and execution, taking into account everything from catering and venue to decor and transport. 

But there are considerations beyond the environment too. Sustainable events also have broader social responsibility at the heart. Is everyone working at the event and in supply chains being paid and treated fairly, for instance? Is the event accessible and does it give back to a related cause or the local community? 

It’s worth noting that more and more event goers of today expect this level of care towards people and planet. Championing sustainable practices and increasing all-round positive impact will earn you a reputation as a responsible brand in their minds. 

First steps to planning a sustainable event

Setting sustainability goals

Goal setting is crucial for picking vendors that meet your standards and to properly measure the success of your efforts. With all the elements of what makes a sustainable event in mind, map out what you want to achieve, in keeping with your broader business ESG goals too. 

Depending on your goals, the metrics you track might include things like energy consumption, waste generation and water usage, as well as accessibility and diversity improvements, charity donations and number of local partnerships. Any results and feedback from your past events are always great for benchmarking. 

Choosing an eco-friendly venue

Your venue needs to match your ambition and dedication to doing things sustainably. There’s a lot to consider when weighing up options, like energy usage and waste management. Look out for certifications and accreditation from credible assessors, such as B Corp and Green Tourism, which offer reassurance that claims are backed up by action and save you getting bogged down in too many nitty-gritty details. 

Location and access via public transport is a big factor, with 78% of an event’s overall carbon footprint coming from travel. So a venue that makes low-impact transport the most convenient option for your attendees is a must, whether that’s by foot, bus, train or bike. Provide as much information as possible on the green travel options to your guestlist ahead of the event. 

You might even want to consider going digital or a hybrid IRL-digital event to lower your footprint and create something truly unique, while still incorporating branded merchandise with impact. You could share a link for participants to select their own goodie bag pre- or post-event using our Gifting Platform technology to cut down on waste and gift something more meaningful.

Sustainable event merch

Partnering with ethical merch vendors

Nowadays, cheap throwaway merch is definitely out and ethical, useful alternatives are in. This is an easy swap to make and one that has a big impact, both environmentally and in making a good impression on event attendees. (We explain more on the power of sustainable branded merch over here.) 

To select ethical merch vendors, you’ll want to think about what’s happening in their supply chain, in terms of the materials and methods used as well as the people working in it. We take the legwork out of this step – all our branded merchandise for events comes from social enterprises, which are assessed by us and through third parties like Good Market before landing in our marketplace. Where we can’t source a social enterprise product, we find the next best thing, ensuring each product meets our minimum standards (around materials used, fair working conditions and so on), as well as adding our own charity donation on top. So you can select products knowing they meet the highest ethical standards. 

Ideas for sustainable giveaways

Beyond how it’s made, social enterprise merch is often backed up by broader environmental and social missions too, helping you hit your sustainability goals and engage attendees in other ways. 

Take this natural cotton tote bag. It’s a giveaway classic but with a special purpose attached, funding an active travel initiative for school kids. 

Lanyards are an event must-haves for those with hundreds of attendees and these are made from recycled PET polyester. The “PET” means they repurpose single-use plastic bottles. We’ll also donate to rePurpose Global with every purchase, meaning you’ll also stop 18.36kg of plastic waste in its tracks.

These ever-useful eco-friendly branded pens are made from natural meadow grass, recycled BPA-free plastics and soy ink. And they also help tackle the global water crisis through a partnership with charity: water. Similarly, these notebooks are crafted using recycled materials while also supporting education projects for children across the globe. 

Sustainable event catering

Eco-friendly catering practices and suppliers

Your catering can also easily be given a sustainable upgrade that inspires attendees. This is a chance to celebrate local and seasonal food, reduce non recyclable packaging and showcase plant-based options with lower environmental impact. As with merch, social enterprise suppliers can bring more impact into catering, ensuring it’s memorable for more than just taste. 

Take RAISE Snacks as an example. Their plant-based superfood snacks give attendees an energy boost in between networking, while also funding nutritious breakfasts for kids at risk of hunger. Even your teas and coffees can help change the world, thanks to the likes of NEMI Teas and Change Please, both of which create employment opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalised people. 

One way we help event organisers get the positive stories behind their food and drink across is with impact cards. These sum up the purpose behind each foodie brand, kicking off meaningful conversations with attendees about what’s on offer. 

Reducing food waste at events

One of the biggest challenges for event organisers when it comes to sustainable catering is food waste, with an estimated 15 to 20% of food left uneaten at each event. Working together with your venue, there are many actions you can take to reduce this figure. Think plating in smaller batches, using smaller serving trays and jugs and making it clear where attendees should dispose of waste food.

How about shining a spotlight on the issue by designing a zero-waste menu? There are many social enterprise suppliers tackling food waste that can make this possible – even down to the drinks, with brands like Flawsome! Drinks creating delicious juices from surplus fruit. 

And you could prepare for leftovers with a plan to donate to charities that collect surplus food and redistribute it to organisations tackling food poverty, such as FareShare. 

Reporting and sharing your sustainable event outcomes 

Once your sustainable event is over, it’s time to reflect on the goals you set and see how the end results measure up. Take pride in the impact you’ve created and gather inspiration for improving next time. 

Our tailored impact report comes in handy here, breaking down what your event has achieved for our brand partners. It’s also great for following up with attendees and letting them know how they played a part in creating positive impact. 

Take the next step to planning a sustainable event

Feeling inspired to squeeze more positive impact into your events? Let’s work out how together – send us your next event brief and we’ll share tailored options for bringing it to life in a sustainable way.