Photo Credit: Deemerwah for Adobe Stock
Last week I had the privilege of moderating a discussion vital to the evolution of our industry as well as to the health of the planet. For our Northstar webinar, "Measuring the Impact of Sustainable Meetings," I was joined by seasoned experts in event sustainability: Anna Abdelnoor, founder of sustainability advisory board Isla and the carbon-measurement platform TRACE; and Aaron Elliott, project manager with sustainable event management agency MeetGreen. They provided fantastic tips, takeaways and ideas, as did many of the participants in the chat. All of this can now be viewed on demand.
Among their valuable takeaways:
- Comparing sustainability data to financial data can provide remarkable insight and reveal opportunities. Understanding and measuring the impact of sustainable practices reveals data that might seem dry at first glance, but can unlock powerful analytics when looked at in the overall financial context of your event or business.
- Attendee travel has an oversized impact on the event footprint. Using that estimated data to inform decisions about event location is key, and any opportunities the organizers have to influence traveler behavior can make a huge difference.
- We have to rethink swag. Giveaways more often than not end up as waste at the end of an event. Both Elliott and Abdelnoor emphasized the need for rethinking swag policies and offering compelling alternatives.
- Sustainable F&B makes a big difference. By opting for plant-based menus or serving meals that require less resource-intensive production, planners can significantly cut event emissions. The way the food is served (i.e., plated instead of buffet) also reduces waste and energy consumption.
- Look closely at freight. By streamlining the shipping of materials and choosing local vendors, planners can decrease transportation emissions, offering both cost and environmental benefits.
The key to improving event sustainability lies in consistent measurement and data analysis. By instituting a standardized approach to metric collection, planners can demonstrate progress and make a compelling case to stakeholders for maintaining support for sustainability initiatives.
For specific ideas and tips, view the program on demand. Many thanks to San Francisco Travel for sponsoring the webinar.