Sustainability is not just a buzzword anymore. It is a global movement that aims to preserve the environment, promote social justice, and ensure economic viability for present and future generations. Sustainability is also becoming a key focus in the events industry, as more and more event planners, organizers, and attendees are aware of the environmental and social impacts of their events.
According to a recent report by Events Industry Council, the global events industry generates about 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of Russia. The events industry also consumes large amounts of water, energy, food, and materials, and produces significant amounts of waste and pollution. These negative impacts affect not only the natural environment, but also the health, well-being, and livelihoods of the local communities where the events take place.
However, the events industry also has the potential to create positive impacts, such as raising awareness, inspiring action, fostering innovation, and supporting local economies. That is why sustainable events are becoming more popular and important, as they aim to minimize the negative impacts and maximize the positive impacts of events on the environment, society, and economy.
Sustainable events, also known as green meetings, are events that are planned, organized, and executed in a way that reduces the environmental footprint, enhances the social benefits, and ensures the financial viability of the event and its stakeholders. Sustainable events follow the principles of the triple bottom line, which considers the environmental, social, and economic aspects of an event’s performance.
How to Plan and Organize Sustainable Events
Planning and organizing sustainable events is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a holistic and strategic vision, as well as a collaborative and creative mindset. It also involves setting clear and measurable goals, implementing best practices, and monitoring and reporting the results. Here are some general steps and tips for planning and organizing sustainable events:
Define the purpose and scope of the event.
What are the objectives and expected outcomes of the event? Who are the target audience and stakeholders of the event? What are the main topics and themes of the event? How big and how long will the event be? Where and when will the event take place? These questions will help you to determine the overall direction and scale of the event, as well as the potential impacts and opportunities for sustainability.
Conduct a sustainability assessment.
Based on the purpose and scope of the event, identify the key environmental, social, and economic issues and risks that the event may face or cause. For example, what are the sources and levels of greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, energy use, waste generation, and material consumption of the event? What are the impacts of the event on the local community, culture, and economy? What are the legal and ethical standards and expectations of the event? This will help you to prioritize the most relevant and significant aspects of sustainability for your event.
Set sustainability goals and indicators.
Based on the sustainability assessment, define the specific and measurable goals and indicators that you want to achieve for your event. For example, how much do you want to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, energy use, waste generation, and material consumption of the event? How much do you want to increase the social benefits, such as awareness, education, engagement, and empowerment of the event? How much do you want to ensure the economic viability, such as cost-effectiveness, revenue generation, and value creation of the event? These will help you to establish the benchmarks and targets for your event’s sustainability performance.
Implement sustainability strategies and actions.
Based on the sustainability goals and indicators, develop and execute the specific strategies and actions that will help you to achieve them. For example, what are the best practices and standards that you can follow for your event’s venue, transportation, catering, accommodation, communication, procurement, and waste management? What are the innovative and creative solutions that you can apply for your event’s design, content, delivery, and evaluation? What are the tools and resources that you can use for your event’s sustainability management and reporting? These will help you to put your sustainability vision into practice.
Monitor and evaluate the sustainability results.
Based on the sustainability strategies and actions, collect and analyze the data and feedback that will help you to measure and evaluate your event’s sustainability performance. For example, how much did you reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, energy use, waste generation, and material consumption of the event? How much did you increase the social benefits, such as awareness, education, engagement, and empowerment of the event? How much did you ensure the economic viability, such as cost-effectiveness, revenue generation, and value creation of the event? These will help you to assess the outcomes and impacts of your event’s sustainability efforts.
Report and communicate the sustainability achievements.
Based on the sustainability results, prepare and share the reports and stories that will help you to communicate and celebrate your event’s sustainability achievements. For example, what are the key facts and figures that demonstrate your event’s sustainability performance? What are the success stories and testimonials that showcase your event’s sustainability benefits? What are the lessons learned and recommendations that can improve your event’s sustainability practices? These will help you to increase the transparency, credibility, and recognition of your event’s sustainability initiatives.
Why Choose Synergy Global Events for Your Sustainable Events
Synergy Global Events is an event planning and management company based in Montenegro, with solid experience in delivering high-quality and high-impact events for various clients and sectors. Synergy Global Events is committed to sustainability and has a proven track record of creating and executing sustainable events that meet and exceed the expectations and needs of the clients and stakeholders. Synergy Global Events offers a wide range of services and solutions for sustainable events, such as:
- Sustainable venue selection and management
- Sustainable transportation and travel management
- Sustainable catering and food management
- Sustainable accommodation and hospitality management
- Sustainable communication and marketing management
- Sustainable procurement and supply chain management
- Sustainable waste and resource management
Synergy Global Events follows the international standards and best practices for sustainable events, such as the ISO 20121 and the Global Reporting Initiative. Synergy Global Events also uses and promotes the local, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products and services, and communicates and highlights the sustainability features and benefits of the events.
If you want to work with a professional and trustworthy partner to plan and organize your sustainable events, Synergy Global Events is the right choice for you. Get in touch with us today and let us help you to design and deliver your green meetings.
