How do you assess the environmental impact of your event venue and catering choices?

While these certifications are great, what’s next level at a venue is if they can actually REPORT to you the impacts of your meeting. How many lb’s or kg’s of food was diverted from landfill to either food banks or compost? What % of your waste was able to be diverted from landfill to recycling. What % of water was saved from not pre pouring water and what not. It’s all great to have met standards, but documenting the follow through matters.

Doing a hybrid event can be considered the ultimate green venue for several reasons, here are my top 3: 1. Smaller Venues: Hybrid events often require smaller physical venues, reducing the environmental impact of building and maintaining large event spaces. This also means less energy is required to host including lighting, heating, or cooling a venue 2. Reduced Carbon Footprint: By allowing some of the participants to participate virtually, hybrid events drastically cut down on travel-related and on location carbon emissions. 3. Less Waste: Physical events generate a significant amount of waste from food, printed materials, and other resources. Hybrid events reduce this by having a portion of attendees attend virtually.

Sustainable event planning is paramount in our eco-conscious era. Relying on established certifications ensures that planners aren't basing decisions on mere claims. Certifications like LEED or ISO 20121 provide clear benchmarks for energy, water, and waste management. By urging planners to probe venues about their green initiatives, it fosters a proactive stance, pushing venues to uphold genuine eco-friendly standards. It's pivotal to delve further into sustainable catering choices in the future, considering the environmental implications of food wastage and sourcing. By amalgamating sustainable venues and catering, the events industry can substantially reduce its environmental impact.

I do not consider that a factor at all. The end client almost always chooses the venue and it is not my place to introduce and argue unrelated issues. The global emphasis on green is way out of proportion and I will not bring politics to my otherwise high quality relationship. ESG is a manufactured plague on all business and finance and I will not be a part of it.

When it comes to food, encourage your venue’s caterers to use compostable or reusable plates, cups, and utensils. (Or bring in vendors who will.) Try to use a food vendor who can be flexible about numbers of servings, to reduce food waste. Especially if it’s a large event, where it can be difficult to accurately estimate how many people you will be feeding.

Most venues will offer seasonal menus but is usually difficult to use local catering as sticking with the in house F&B is all too often required. However some of the aforementioned accreditations do require that the in house culinary team only sources items within certain distances.

It's not just about being environmentally responsible; it's about cherishing and supporting our local communities. When we think about the broader picture of greenhouse gas emissions, the association with food production and transportation becomes crystal clear. I'm struck by the ripple effect our choices make: opting for local ingredients isn’t just eco-friendly, it bolsters local economies. The call for organic, fair trade, or vegetarian choices resonates deeply with me. It's about ethical choices that thread into the larger tapestry of global sustainability. As event planners, we're not just creating moments but laying down a precedent for the world we want to inhabit.

Pineapples! I've got a story. We did a gig on the island of Kaui in the Hawaiian Islands. The venue served Hawaiian Chicken. Authentic Hawaiian chicken. The kind made in Kaui. I asked the chef, if the pineapples were from the plantation by the beach, he said "its difficult to know" "We get our Pineapples from Costco. Our local Costco gets them shipped in from the mainland. The mainland gets them from here."

even the most diligent efforts in selecting green venues and catering can't entirely erase an event's carbon footprint. The reality is, elements like travel and electricity inevitably contribute to greenhouse emissions. It's enlightening to realize tools exist, like the event carbon footprint calculator, that measure these effects so tangibly. Entering specifics about an event and understanding its environmental repercussions makes the abstract idea of carbon footprint palpably real. But what truly resonates is the notion of offsetting.nvesting in projects like forest restoration or renewable energy after knowing your impact gives hope. It suggests a cycle of responsibility and reparation.

A simple trick here is if this is a recurring event, avoid signage that has city names or years listed on it so it’s always reusable. This also can apply to branded giveaways if you choose to do so such as shirts, jackets etc as those can then be used year over year. The other thing you should ask your venue is if they partner with any local charities as often un used poster boards and or even used ones that aren’t double sided can be donated for art projects.

You’re probably already doing a lot of this already. Instead of printing and mailing paper invitations or promo materials, use digital communication like email and social media. In addition, look for ways to take traditionally printed materials—like programs and posters—and replace them with digital alternatives. For example, refer attendees to your website with a QR code, or go for a mobile event app. You can also check out using screens for advertisements at your venue instead of flyers, posters, and banners. (In fact, your venue might already have them available.)

If the venue can provide appropriate reporting this can really help with you be able pass these accomplishments on to your stakeholders and showcase why you selected the venue and how you met your goals.

Independientemente de la cultura o el target de los interesados participantes del evento, se deben establecer lineamientos, políticas y procedimientos claros sobre el manejo medioambiental del evento. La comunicación oral, directa y visual es fundamental para poder atender este aspecto. Si bien es cierto, puede que el propósito del evento no esté relacionado netamente a temas ambientales, es necesario cuidar de este aspecto estableciéndolo como factor crítico de éxito para darle la prioridad que requiere. Contar con una adecuada disposición de los residuos al finalizar el evento es también importante y mandatorio.

Two small things that I find make a big impact- 1. Reduce handouts/paperwork by using QR Codes and event Apps with schedule and map information 2. Create beverage stations and give attendees reusable ( branded by sponsor) cups. This reduces cans and water bottles.