Whether you’re an employee in a big firm or somebody striking out alone, hosting a business event is a fabulous way to connect with your clients. Actually crafting a sustainable business event from the ground up can be a challenge. Let’s take a look at a few ideas, to help your business make a positive impact without having a negative impact on the planet.
Make Your Advertising Sustainable
Before your event takes place, you’ll need to implement effective ways to market and brand it in a sustainable way. Fortunately, these days, things like email teasers and hashtags on your social media accounts make this process rather easy. You no longer have to rely on physical paper or signage
You could also set up a countdown timer webpage showing the days, hours, minutes and seconds until your event starts. Be sure to provide an email sign up form that attendees can use to get the latest information about your events.
When planning, just remember to start early. Most event managers begin the event planning process at least three to ten weeks in advance of the event itself.
Book A Guest Speaker To Talk About Green Issues
When planning a sustainable event, you might also consider hiring a speaker to discuss green issues. This way, you can educate your audience with somebody inspirational who fully understands the issues your business or industry faces.
You can book an after dinner speaker here. Just remember to pick somebody who is available and can really support your brand objectives.
Offer Live Streaming
Sometimes it is more sustainable for people to attend your events online than in person. Set up live streaming facilities so you can broadcast to anyone, all over the world, without the need for environmentally-costly travel.
Ditch The Disposable Freebies
At events it’s often tempting to give out freebies like pens, t-shirts, bags and other disposable items. Think outside of the box, offer your guests sustainable alternatives. Maybe team up with a local business and offer discounts to services, choose to support a tree planting organisation and plant a tree for every guest or collaborate with a charity. Your guests will no doubt love that they are helping to make a positive impact on the planet.
Make Online Experiences Interactive
You may also be able to cut down on the number of physical attendees by setting up online experiences. Arrange for somebody to provide interactive elements for people connecting over the internet. This will help to keep them engaged and make them feel like they are really attending your events in person.
The event industry uses an estimated 380m litres of diesel every year, costing an estimated £230m. That diesel contributes 1.2bn kilograms of CO2e emissions every year, approximately the same as the country of Malta.
– Report by Hope Solutions
Choose A Sustainable Venue
Here’s another pro tip: choose a sustainable venue. The venue itself is often the biggest draw for many attendees who might not understand the value proposition of your event yet. So if you can promise them eco-friendly surroundings, they may be more likely to attend.
Work With An Agency Who Shares Your Passion For All Things Green
Events are rarely eco-friendly unless you work with an agency who understands your objectives. For instance, some branding companies are better than others for providing small digital tools.
Also, try to avoid handing out flyers. Instead, continue to promote your event via your various social media hashtags long after it ends. Be sure to share information about the event and provide recordings of highlights so that people who couldn’t make it can still get value from it.
Pulling off a sustainable business event can be tremendously valuable for your enterprise. And if you are working for yourself, it can be the catalyst that allows you to break through and attract a totally new type of clientele.
Photography by Hillary Ungson