Resource depletion, environmental harm and carbon emissions are just a few things that come to mind when thinking of the world’s current environmental issues. While businesses are scrambling to show the world what they’re doing for the environment, green conferencing is one of the easiest ways in which to do so. In a broad sense, going green in the world of conferencing refers to the practice of considering the environment and local communities when both planning and conducting a conference.
Green conferencing initiatives include:
Choose a venue that shares your vision
If you care about the environment, your chosen venue should too. When searching for a sustainable venue, be sure to enquire about the following:
- Their energy and water usage
- Their waste management initiatives
Cater sustainably
Good food puts a smile on everyone’s face however; this isn’t always the case for the environment. When it comes to catering, be sure to make sustainable decisions, including:
- Source locally
- Engage sustainable suppliers
- Don’t over cater
- Make use of reusables (cloth napkins, bamboo cutlery, etc.)
- Provide water stations with glasses instead of providing individual plastic bottles
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Donating unused items and providing easily accessible recycling bins are 2 ways in which conferences can recycle. We strongly believe that this should be a standard venue offering however; it is unfortunately not always the case. In such instances, create your own recycling areas that are clearly marked for all stakeholders to see.
Gift green
People love the idea of freebies, and we love them even more when they are eco-friendly. Stainless steel straws, bamboo items (USB’s, pens, mugs) and cotton backpacks are just a few items that are gifted by companies who practice sustainably.
Share your vision
Conference sustainability should not be a one-sided initiative. Share your vision with sponsors, suppliers and attendees and see who’s interested in getting involved. Who knows, it might even turn into a project that revolutionizes the world’s sustainability initiatives.
When looking at how small changes have the biggest impact, it becomes evident that green conferencing initiatives are becoming increasingly important. So join us as we revolutionise the conferencing industry, not only by providing state-of-the-art equipment and services, but also by recognising the needs of our planet and changing our behaviour to work towards a shared environmental vision.
