It’s difficult to imagine, in 2017, a company or event agency not being aware of its environmental impact. And yet, events of all kind are leaving an enormous footprint. You might tell me: “Enormous? Come on Marielle! We do not have any tools to actually measure the environmental impact of an event!” Fair enough. But, surely the tons of garbage, left after an event, is not making any good.
Actually, if I put a little water in my wine, it is undeniable that some event organizers have a real desire to be more “eco-friendly” while answering to their clients needs and values. Others, which sadly seems to represent a higher proportion, are following the few laws in place in their countries because of their cost leadership management. However, sustainable events can really lead to profitability and higher recognition. Are you wondering how?
Well, one of the first step to limit the footprint and show its interest for sustainable events is by using new technologies. Do you want to know, which one are either affordable and sustainable options for you to attract new clients and increase your brand awareness? Yes? Well, you’re very lucky, here there are:
- Video conferencing (VC) or how to be in two places at the same time ?
With delegates coming from all over the world, and companies limited budget, video conferencing have been rising for the past few years. Firm are now able to gather and connect employees from different headquarters in one single place very easily.
The benefits of VC is, first of all, the decrease of the carbon footprint. Employees can be as productive as if they were at the meeting, on condition that the technology is well managed. Actually, Bluejeans is one of those companies delivering video conferencing all over the world and connecting from 1 to 100 employees. In case of a mega-event, its technology permits to create interaction between the delegates and broadcasts the conference. And there you go, employees defying spatiotemporality and you, minimizing transport expenses and enabling the company to better allocate its budget.
- The “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) phenomenon and the cost savings
Digital technologies can often offer a sustainable alternative requiring very limited effort by the company. For instance, during any type of meetings, event organizers can be making an effort on removing as much papers as possible and encouraging participants to be more eco-friendly. One major example is the initiative taken in all Starwood hotels. For instance, attendees have the choice between having or not notebooks, or even paperboard (that enhances creativity). They also have the choice between daylight or artificial lighting, and finally, a report of their energy consumption is sent after the event.
By asking participants to have their own wearables, the “Bring your own device” phenomenon is also helping reducing the event costs. For instance, if we think of audience engagement platform (like SocialPoint), event organizers do not have to pay for any handheld wireless microphones and in-room assistance to pass the microphones from one participant to another. However, event organizers should figure out the broadband requirement as one delegate can have multiple wearables (mobile phones, laptop, tablet, watch…).
- The digital inclusion and elderly people
As a result of making savings on printings; brochures, booklets and flyers are giving way to apps. Of course, as it contributes to limit the gas emission and preserve our forests, it is definitely a practice we want to keep in mind. However, this knack might not be practicable if your attendees are elderly people since they might not feel at ease with electronic devices. Until now, event organizers have been printing some communication material and taking some non “eco-friendly” actions. However, we have to keep in mind that there are continuous improvements to make wearables more accessible (bigger font size, bigger screens and more intuitive). Touchable technologies (such as touchscreen kiosks) are, indeed, a good solution as it makes older generation feel more comfortable.
What about you? Have you already took some actions to make your event greener? Are you familiar with any of these knacks? Please, feel free to share your experience on the comments section below, we will be glad to read you!
Marielle Bernard, Aurélia Campagna
Sources :
- https://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/06/10/starwood-launches-green-meeting-guidelines-all-hotels
- Stephen Henderson, (2011) "The development of competitive advantage through sustainable event management", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 3 Iss: 3, pp.245 - 257
- http://www.stagerightinc.com/2017-year-touchable-technology/
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