Greening Your Event
The question:
How can you use the power of your
planning decisions to reduce the
environmental impact of your event?
Focus Areas: Site/Venue Selection
Hotels/Lodging
Design & Décor
Production
Transportation
Waste Management
Caterers & Restaurants
Communications/Marketing
Site/Venue Selection: Site close to attendees’ residences, to reduce
travel
Choose venue that is a certified green facility
(such as LEED)
Highlight in your RFPs and choose venues
that employ green practices:
- energy efficiency
- water conservation
- air quality
- waste minimization
Choose a site that requires little additional
decoration: farm, botanical garden, etc.
Hotels/Lodging:Choose lodging that employs green practices
in-room recycling programs
towel & sheet reuse
Donate leftover bathroom amenities
guest education materials
Design, Décor & Production: Design to include reusable decorations and
centerpieces
Use potted plants instead of cut flowers
Donate leftover flowers & decorations to
nearby nursing home, hospital, school or
homeless shelter
Collect and recycle nametags and lanyards
at conclusion of event
Encourage re-use and provide donation bins
for “goodie bags”; donate to a local charity
Provide optional print stations instead of handouts
For printed materials:use recycled paper with vegetable-based inks
Move information to website
Provide a mobile app
More Production... Use materials such as:
- bamboo
- recycled plastic
- seaweed
- organic cotton
- hemp
Choose vendors who accommodate green
practices
Train event staff in environmentally-friendly
practices
Transportation: Arrange for and encourage mass-transit options
Partner with airlines to offer purchase of carbon
offset credits for impact of flights
Organize a Carpooling site for event participants
Choose lodging location within walking distance
of other activities
Employ biodiesel shuttle buses, hybrid vehicles
Catering & Restaurants: Source local, organic and/or fair trade food and
beverage products
Water conservation: - provide refillable bottles & water stations, instead of bottled water- don’t pre-fill water glasses
Use reusable or compostable serviceware; recyleable packaging
Condiments presented in bulk instead of individual packages
Donate leftover food to food shelves or shelters, or compost it!
Communications & Marketing: Use evites and Web-based promotion
Online registration
Use digital signage wherever possible
Use email attachments instead of printed
mailings
Communicate green practices to engage
audiences and gain positive PR
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