How to host more sustainable events

Whether they are elaborate affairs such as conferences or weddings, or simple house parties, dinners or community sports days, events can leave a significant carbon footprint through their logistics, inputs and outputs.

Even if we party or convene on a small scale, by deconstructing our events and making some simple and innovative decisions, we can deliver maximum impact for our guests, with minimal impact on our planet.

Here are some useful tips for hosting more sustainable events:

Venue

• Determine whether your event can be hosted virtually or facilitate hybrid attendance. Conferences, for example, can attract attendees from distant locations, including other countries. Offering virtual participation options will reduce the emissions associated with travel to the event.

• When choosing a venue, consider the geographical spread of your guest/attendee list. Where possible, choose a central or easily accessible location that will minimise the average commute time for those attending.

• Depending on the occasion and time of year, consider hosting your event in an outdoor space. This can reduce emissions associated with lighting and air conditioning, and can also reduce the need for artificial decor.

For indoor events, try to select venues outfitted with LED lighting. Adjust air conditioning if possible to optimise comfort rather than cooling.

Communication

• Where feasible, send digital invitations.

• If printed invitations must be issued, print on recycled paper or consider seed paper which can be planted.

• Keep prints to a minimum. For example, instead of multipage wedding invitations with event details,venue directions, registry information and RSVP cards, save some paper and set up a website with all the important details.

• Instead of printed programmes and brochures, create digital ones and let guests use QR codes to access.

Decor

• For potted plants or reusable decor items instead of fresh floral arrangements which must be discarded after use.

• If fresh flowers are being used, try to integrate local varieties instead of imported blooms to reduce emissions associated with the supply chain.

• Encourage recycling by installing appropriately labelled bins around the venue.

Food

• Minimise food miles – use community food suppliers or prepare meals using locally sourced ingredients.

• Offer plated food instead of buffets –this will help reduce food waste. Ask for RSVPs where possible to guide catering.

• Have eco-friendly takeaway containers on hand to allow guests to carry home their unfinished meals or any extra available.

• Reduce plastic waste by providing water coolers instead of bottled water.

• Consider integrating more vegetarian dishes into the menu.A serving of meat compared to a serving of vegetables is linked to 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions.

Gifts and giveaways

• For branded swag, look for eco-friendly and sustainably sourced items.

• Weigh the usefulness of the product against the cost – a cheap token that would get tossed within a day is essentially more costly than a more expensive item that people would use routinely.

• For weddings and parties, consider seeds and plants as favours.

Purchasing local handicrafts and goodies to give as tokens helps support cottage industries and small businesses. Work with suppliers if possible to use eco-friendly or minimal packaging.

Suppliers

• Why not hire a DJ, musician or audiovisual supplier from within your community? Giving young talent an opportunity can help generate more potential job offers and support creative livelihoods.

Do some research into potential suppliers and try to choose businesses that operate by sustainability principles or offer sustainable products or services.

The next time you plan an event, give it some thought. There are many ways to deliver unique and memorable experiences for your guests, while keeping sustainability at the center.

The TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce thanks platinum sponsor the National Gas Company of TT Ltd for contributing this article.