The last in-person event I attended was 15 months ago. As the plane from Costa Rica landed in London, little did I know events were also going to be grounded. But while the global pandemic understandably pressed ‘pause’ on live conferences, we found ourselves pressing ‘play’ – thinking creatively, exploring new platforms for events delivery and rapidly transforming the conference experience to fit this new, unchartered territory. And central to this was sustainability.
Though the daily commute shrank to the few steps it took to get from bedroom to kitchen table and airports turned from buzzing to barren, the pandemic had an unexpected effect. It opened up the world. Zoom meetings meant we could connect swiftly and sociably to colleagues around the globe. Meanwhile many of the cities we had visited as conference organisers began to experience a ‘re-wilding’, as news broke of dolphins replacing gondolas in the Venetian canals.
This last story turned out not to be true. But the Italian water usually choked by polluting water traffic was clear for the first time in years. In fact, the Global Carbon Project (GCP) reported that the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic had driven the biggest annual fall in CO2 (7%) since World War Two. Now, the challenge is to sustain that decline and harness opportunities for change. On 2nd December 2020 the UN Secretary-General delivered a landmark speech telling us that “making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere.” As long-haul travel resumes, our industry has a major role to play.
So, instead of getting ‘back to normal’, perhaps it’s time to look forward to a new model of conference delivery.
Events and the environment
Conferences can produce over 170 kilograms of CO2 emissions per day according to MeetGreen. And a global audience, travelling across the world, only adds to this. So what steps can we take to manage our carbon footprint?
Assessing each event’s carbon impact using footprint calculators is a good starting point. You can find carbon audit guidance from ISO (International), PAS (UK) and The National Carbon Offset Standard (Australia). And there are countless opportunities to partner with organisations financing carbon offsetting projects: Carbonfund.org offers a variety of projects from reforestation projects to renewable energy, not to mention a carbon footprint calculator dedicated specifically to events.
We also need to do what we can to reduce the carbon emissions of attendees, speakers and staff. This is where hybrid events can step up to the plate, offering speakers the opportunity to present remotely and inviting delegates the choice of in-person and virtual attendance.
Small steps. Giant leaps
Beyond travel, now is also the time to think again about printed materials, plastic giveaways and food waste. My experience of post-exhibition clean-ups isn’t dissimilar to the aftermath of Glastonbury festival. It’s vast and it’s alarming.
When we ditched the plastic water bottles at conferences, we all did a collective pat on the back. Now’s the time to continue that momentum – and shift perceptions. Yes it’s hard to say goodbye to those good old printed conference brochures. But contactless conference check-in and a ‘one stop shop’ events app can open up a brave new digital world. We just need our attendees – and sponsors – to embrace it. With remote working, screen sharing and Zoom meetings the norm, now could be the perfect time.
Innovative sponsorship. Inspiring exhibitions
When a client actively encouraged me to look into alternative recyclable packaging options for a branded health drink last week, it was refreshing in more ways than one. In fact, one of our most successful physical giveaways was the eco-coffee cup – a social media smash that invested in sustainability as much as it did the sponsor’s brand.
Creativity is key here. Attendees appreciate event experiences so much more than a plastic pen: think digital, charitable or experiential gifts, and exclusive events or resources that last longer in the memory than they do in landfill.
It was nice meating you
FORO (fear of running out) has to blame for the huge amounts of food waste at conferences. Just under a third of event professionals admit to disposing of at least 15% of the food they commission according to research conducted by Lime Venue Portfolio. Clearly, we need a new recipe for sustainability success.
Advance communication with attendees is the key ingredient. Asking for dietary requirements in advance, confirming places and cancellations with enough notice, mean I can now confidently under cater for seated dinners at awards ceremonies. It’s hard to get this spot on and there will always be a lone prawn cocktail, but getting attendees’ buy-in helps.
I’m also going to put it out there: it’s time to ban the buffet, the biggest contributor to food waste. Instead, let’s look at pre-packed lunches with tempting menus of nicely presented food items in sustainable packaging. Use a conference app to ask attendees for their menu choices. And put plant-based food on the table. A report by the Center for Biological Diversity revealed that replacing conventional menu choices with earth-friendly options can cut ten tonnes of greenhouse gas from an event’s carbon footprint, with 500 attendees.
Transforming the world of conferencing
The opportunity for change, and creativity, has never been bigger. Instead of getting back to normal, now is the time to look ahead to a post-pandemic world of conferences – and set out on the path to a sustainable future. It’s our collective responsibility to adopt and maintain a new way of thinking. After all, we’re all in this together.