Green Event Planning: A Guide to Sustainable Events

 Planning an event comes with a lot of decisions to make, but if you’re thinking about making yours more sustainable, you’re already on the right track. Green events are not just good for the planet—they can also be more affordable, easier to host, and can help you boost your brand image.

Whether it’s a corporate gala, a trade show, or a community festival, there are plenty of ways to reduce waste, minimise your carbon footprint, and create an event that leaves a positive impact.

Choosing Sustainable Venues

If you’re going to host a successful green event, you’ll need to choose a sustainable event space. Look for places that are designed to be energy efficient. One way to ensure this is to select a venue with green certifications such as LEED or ISO 20121. You should also make sure the event is easily accessible to reduce transportation time.

Focus on Energy Efficiency

The timing of your event is also important to ensuring your event is as sustainable as possible. If you hold your charity gala, team-building exercise, or wedding during the day, you can use daylight instead of relying on electricity. But this will only work if your venue comes with large windows for natural light.

If your event lasts into the night, use energy-efficient lighting, such as LED lighting. You can also use sustainable tech, like motion-sensor lighting, to ensure the lights are turned off when not in use.

For a truly green event, consider venues that use renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind power. This not only reduces the carbon footprint, but also demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability. Some event spaces now offer renewable energy options as part of their green initiatives, making it easier to align your event with eco-friendly practices.

Sustainable Transportation Options

One of the biggest culprits when it comes to events’ carbon footprint is transport. You can have the most sustainable event space in London, but if each of your guests pulls up in a limo like it’s the Oscars, you can’t legitimately call your event green.

Encourage your guests to carpool, cycle, or use public transportation to get to the event. To make the choice easier, you can offer perks for using eco-friendly transport and provide them with information on public transport routes. If possible, consider offering a shuttle service to ensure attendees cut their emissions.

Additionally, consider hosting the event near the city centre or airport to reduce transportation needs. It also doesn’t hurt to select a space that offers accommodation or is in a neighbourhood where attendees can have their pick of hotels.

Cut Waste

Reducing waste is essential for any eco-friendly event. Begin with a quick audit to see where changes can be made. One way is to avoid using plastic water bottles and other single-use plastics. Provide refillable water stations and encourage attendees to bring reusable bottles.

You can also cut down on waste by using compostable or reusable dishes, utensils, and napkins to replace single-use plastics. If you’re hosting an outdoor event, ensure there are enough recycling and composting stations throughout the venue to ensure your guests have clear options for waste disposal.

Another way to reduce waste is to eliminate paper waste. Beyond catering waste, event materials also contribute significantly to environmental impact. Signage and promotional materials create a lot of waste. You can avoid this by using digital invites like e-mail. If you must use signs, posters, and banners, avoid printing out dates so they can be reused year after year.

Catering

Food is at the heart of most events, whether a charity gala or a corporate dinner. But oftentimes, the menus are rarely sustainable, and most event planners source food out of town. This alone contributes significantly to an event’s footprint.

Try using local suppliers to obtain locally produced food. This will not only save you money but also reduce carbon emissions. Since you’ll be transporting the food over short distances, it will also reduce the spoilage of fresh produce.

You should also plan your catering carefully to avoid wasting food. If you have leftovers, consider donating them to local shelters or food banks to prevent unnecessary waste.

Sustainable Event Décor: Hire and Upcycle

Using rented or upcycled décor can take you closer to your sustainability goals. Some green event planners avoid this because they want decor that exactly matches their theme or ambience, but using upcycled decor can be a powerful part of your event messaging.

Doing this isn’t about perfection but about contributing to the collective effort of saving the planet. And on top of that, it will also help improve your brand image.