Sustainability has become a bit of a buzzword over the last few years. Governments around the world are ramping up efforts to hit sustainability targets and many industries are following suit. In addition to these global targets, modern consumers are more eco-conscious than ever before, making them more likely to research a product or company’s sustainability initiatives before committing.
While events may not be an everyday marketing activity for businesses, their carbon footprint can stack up surprisingly quickly. Audiences are calling for organisers and hosts to cut down on their impact, or risk low attendance. In this blog, we explore why some events are getting a bad rep when it comes to eco-friendliness, as well as how technology and sustainability can go hand in hand to make a difference to the future of our planet.
The impact of events on the environment
Unfortunately, the environmental impact of events all comes down to their high dependence on natural resources and the significant waste they can produce. If you’ve ever been to a festival, you’ll know just how littered they can get after people pack up and leave!
But the problem is much bigger than the odd discarded can of beer. In the UK alone, the music and camping events industry looks a little like this:
- 25,800 tonnes of waste produced
- 24,261 tonnes of CO2e emissions produced
- 7 million litres of fuel consumed
- 184.5 million litres of water consumed
The harsh reality is that these statistics just show the waste generated per year; over a decade, a whole lot more damage is done. And if that wasn’t bad enough, more than a quarter of a million plastic tents get left behind. This equates to 875 tonnes of plastic waste in landfill sites on an annual basis. While organisers are trying their best to encourage people to take their tents and rubbish home with them, or arrange to repurpose or give them to charity, the sad truth is that 90% of tents end up being burned or sent to the tip.
Of course, festivals aren’t the only guilty party. Corporate events have a high share of the blame too. The average three-day conference can yield around 5,670 kilograms of waste, and more than 170 kilograms of CO2 emissions a day per attendee. These figures skyrocket when it comes to international events. The need for travel translates to over 2,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases—the equivalent to the emissions of 270 UK citizens for an entire year!
So, what can be done about it?
Events are an integral part of business and wider society, so they’re certainly not going anywhere. The key to driving positive change lies in effectively reducing their carbon footprint. And that’s where the link between technology and sustainability comes in…
The collaboration between technology and sustainability
There are many ways technology can increase event sustainability. The most obvious are virtual and hybrid events, but let’s zone in on some of the aspects that can help to make a difference at your event…
Reduce print impact by using QR codes
QR codes are a fantastic way to reduce the use of paper. Think about it: no more printed brochures, no more business cards, no more event programmes. Instead, you can simply include a code on a banner or stand to send your audience to a dedicated page that hosts the required information. Helping to reduce excess print waste and enabling your audience to get a better user experience, and you to capture better data!
Increase engagement and streamline information with mobile apps
Apps are twofold: they can boost engagement and sustainability in events. Essentially giving your attendees a place to read through everything they need to know about your event—from the agenda to the floor plan. Apps are a place to learn, store their ticket and order food and drink and more—all in one convenient place. Plus if you utilise technology to the max, you can increase user engagement and enjoyment through them too. Providing games, surprise alerts and live polls to drive audience engagement throughout your event.
Minimise travel and elevate experiences using virtual reality
Minimising travel for an event can have a significant impact on carbon emissions, which is a big part of the appeal of going virtual. In a virtual setting, you can easily show off product prototypes without the overheads of getting physical samples made and you can customise your settings and surroundings in a way that you cannot quite achieve with a physical space—creating something as simple as a conference via Zoom or as complex as a fully bespoke Metaverse venue.
In addition to minimising the need to travel to an event, going virtual also negates the necessity for hiring a physical venue or constructing temporary event spaces. This means not only less carbon emissions, but less labour, less energy consumption, and less waste! Thereby reducing your overheads as well as your carbon footprint.
Encourage low-emission transportation options
While still a relatively new aspect to consider, you can increase electric vehicle usage surrounding your event. For example, why not arrange for electric buses to shuttle your audience to the venue? Or opt for a partnership with a low-emission transportation provider? What’s more, you could even encourage your attendees to generate their own energy for certain aspects of the event. How? Think bicycle pedal-powered blended smoothies, or energy-generating pedestrian walkways (yep, they’re actually a thing!). Now, that is a sustainable event!
Of course, before you put any of these event sustainability measures in place, you need to evaluate and analyse how you’re doing. Thankfully, there are various tools and technologies available to track electricity and water usage, as well as waste and carbon emissions. Once you collate that data—you’ll have a benchmark from which you can improve.
By drawing on event technology to make purposeful, data-driven decisions, you’ll create a better strategy that ultimately aligns with your goals and sustainable event needs. Helping to do good for your events and the planet.