Sustainability isn’t a trend, it’s a responsibility.
As meeting and event planners, we owe it to host destinations and venues to reduce waste and give back to the community.
But being conscious about the environment doesn’t mean you need to make sacrifices with your events. You owe it to clients to deliver the best experience possible.
At VIBE, we make it a point to stay true to our beliefs like sustainability, while also producing events for some of the world’s top companies.
You can have it both ways with eco-friendly ideas and unforgettable events. Here are six ways you can deliver on both fronts with the VIBE approach. .
1. Be Transparent With Your Client
As VIBE Founder Valerie Bihet says, sustainability is a way of life. It’s not something you set aside.
You need to be upfront with your client, whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or a growing corporation, about your values.
Chances are the company has a core mission to be as sustainable as possible.
You, the planner, and your client can work together about what’s most important to them.
Is it the venue? The food and drinks served? Recycling programs?
Once you are on the same page, you can create an agenda and work with local partners to reduce waste and improve the lives of people in the communities you are visiting.
2. Mix Up the Food
When creating a menu for your event, you have to be mindful of attendees’ allergies and diet restrictions. But don’t do it at the expense of others.
While a strictly vegan or vegetarian meal is going to be the most eco-friendly option, it may not be very popular with meat-eaters.
Have options for everyone. A healthy mix can satisfy health concerns while ensuring your guests enjoy the food and drinks served.
One effective tactic VIBE uses is to let attendees build their own salads, sandwiches, burgers etc.
You deconstruct the ingredients and let your guests choose what they want in their meals. Not only is this a safe approach, it also empowers attendees to stay in control of their event experience, which is a top priority.
3. Use Local Vendors
Working with community organizations makes sense on several levels for event planners.
First, you save on cost because there’s no shipping. The easy transport also cuts down on emissions.
You are also able to spotlight worthy organizations that are assisting individuals or groups in need.
The CVB or a DMC can help find partners who can contribute items like jewelry, soap, chocolate, and more for gift bags or room drops that your attendees can’t get elsewhere.
4. Work With Your Venues and Partners
Communication is important to running sustainable events. Just as planners need to talk to clients, they also should understand what venues are already doing to protect the environment.
Are they donating excess food to soup kitchens? What is their recycling policy?
Ask the same questions of local vendors, too.
You want to work with groups whose values align with yours.
5. Include CSR Projects In Your Event
One of the most fulfilling and enjoyable activities for your attendees can be a CSR project.
There are many ways your event can assist the destination.
At VIBE, we’ve prepared boxes filled with goods for shelters and cleaned schools. We’ve also offered some makeovers to people who are sick, reminding them that they will always be beautiful.
As weather becomes more extreme, you can also partner with local organizations rebuilding from a natural disaster, such as Asheville, North Carolina, following last year’s floods.
No matter which worthwhile activity you choose, you are building a connection between your event and host destination that won’t be forgotten.
6. Use Digital Tools to Help
Event apps and tracking software are valuable tools to stay sustainable and make your event feel personal.
Have attendees include dietary restrictions and other preferences during registration so you know what to serve or what gifts to provide while cutting down on waste.
Digital signage and QR codes are also eco-friendly tools that are easy to implement.
As part of VIBE 360+1, our curated approach to adding emotion footprints to events, we track carbon offsets and help clients visualize their event’s environmental footprint in real time.
That way, the client can see the good they are doing while enjoying the fantastic event we are producing. It’s always a team effort!
More than ever, companies are expected to showcase their values through action, not just messaging. Events, such as high-visibility, high-impact moments, are prime opportunities to align experience with ethics. Let’s inspire and commit to this alignment.
