GUIDE
Ways to Make Corporate Events Sustainable
“Going green” is in the forefront of minds across the world.
Incorporating environmental consciousness into your company picnic, holiday party or other corporate event celebrates your ecologically responsible values while making everyone feel good.
As veterans of the event industry, our agency has a long term commitment to sustainability. We’re here to help you meet your sustainability goals and provide the best eco-friendly event you can imagine.
How Can an Event be More Sustainable?
- Choose an eco friendly venue
- Ditch single-use items like plastic silverware
- Hire Mindful Caterers and Vendors
- Opt for Reusable, Sustainable Swag
- Consider Hosting Team Building Activities for Charity
- Consider Hybrid Options
The Biggest Carbon Footprint
Travel accounts for the largest impact on the environment. Air, car, and hotel stay (as well as eating out while on the go) constitutes the most carbon waste of a typical event.
To decrease the impact, limit excessive travel to important people like founders, CEOs, presidents, and other essential guests. Select local venues (which also boosts attendance) and encourage carpool or provide shuttle transportation to and from the event. These sustainable practices are a great alternative to using public transportation to and from event venues.
Micro Events Vs Destination Locations
Companies with multiple locations can choose multiple local venues. To connect distant employees and guests, use digital streaming options, hybrid events, and social media. You can broadcast live video on walls or screens at each location. You can also use custom hashtags to connect guests and create a shared experience.
You can record streaming events for future videos, too. Hashtags can help your company’s social media presence grow. Bonus!
Eating Your Way to Sustainability
Going green never tasted so good! To lower your event’s carbon footprint, switch to traditional flatware and dishes.
Serving Up Eco-Friendly
If your event is outdoors, glassware might not be the best option. Instead, you can opt for plastic-ware made of recyclable materials.
Ensure to include extra bins, specially marked, for recyclables. On average, 35% of recyclables are tossed in regular trash bins at events. Recyclables thoughtlessly thrown in the wrong bin end up in landfills, undoing your efforts. Our waste management team will handle providing recycling bins and emptying them throughout the day.
For all the benefits of a green event without burdening guests with added responsibility, there are options available. Environmentally friendly utensils like bamboo flatware, paper straws, and palm leaf plates are options that are green. These are easy to dispose of and decompose quickly.
Partnering With Like-Minded Vendors & Caterers
When planning your meal, choosing sustainable vendors and caterers is crucial. Partnering with like-minded caterers means your meal will be as green as possible from preparation to serving. No part of your menu or meal will go against your event goals.
A sustainable caterer sources ingredients locally. Every step of their process is sustainable. Using organic, locally-sourced goods from sustainable farmers takes the menu to new heights. A sustainable caterer works to reduce food waste, while making sure to donate leftovers to those in need.
Locally Sourced & Seasonal
The menu is equally important to sustainability. Our event agency plans carefully, using locally sourced ingredients and accurate guest counts to prevent leftover food. Browse our menus or call 1.800.366.0603 to talk with an event manager. We’d love to help you come up with locally sourced and sustainable options for your event.
Decorating for the Next Generation
Event decor truly sets the mood for any event. Using eco-friendly decorations makes sustainability forefront in your attendees’ minds by being everywhere they look. From living, native plants to recycled materials, there are countless ways to make sustainability even more beautiful.
Outdoor Events
Knowing you are leaving a venue better than when you came makes an event better. This is something Event Solutions prides itself on. Our excellent reputation with parks is because of the care we take of our outdoor spaces after company picnics.
Some tips for decorating with the environment in mind are to use reusable props, real tablecloths, and multipurpose centerpieces. Our company has access to thousands of props in all types of themes from safari animals to Olympic team building games, flags and more.
If you’re looking beyond static props for your event, we have ideas for you. Make your event one to remember with living statues and themed performers.
We can offer a variety of corporate event entertainment options for your function. This includes luau dancers, zoo animals, cowboys/girls, clowns, circus performers, and more. These options can help make your event more exciting.
Additionally, they are environmentally friendly. Find more corporate picnic ideas to consider.
Indoor Events
Indoor events with small spaces (or large crowds) would also benefit from strolling tables. Strolling tables are performers who serve literally. Use them to pass drinks, appetizers, and desserts in a uniquely stylish and environmentally friendly way. Other great options for upscale events like galas include living fountains, aerial dancers, fire breathers, and stilt walkers.
Tabletop decorations take any formal event to new heights. We recommend using living seasonal, native flowers and plants in your decor. This promotes good air quality (important in busy, enclosed spaces) and provides lovely decoration.
For a non-formal indoor event, consider using decor and props made of up-cycled or recycled materials. Reclaimed wood, recycled glass, or an eco-friendly material like bamboo all make beautiful decor.
At expos and conferences, consider turning paper handouts into digital ones. Use email and QR codes for the event and sustainably sourced iPads for registration booths. Reducing waste in any way makes your event even better.
Eco-Friendly Entertainment
Want to double down on your fun without limiting social responsibility? Many options for sustainable entertainment exist. Human performances are one of the most popular ways to both provide excitement while supporting the arts. Cirque performers, magicians, aerobic performers, dancers, and musicians are all great, low carbon footprint options that guests love.
Mixing digital with the human touch is another great way to wow guests. Partner with ecologically responsible production companies that make films that share your company’s story in a socially responsible way. Display them on LED screens to reduce your footprint while enhancing your guest’s experience. Our technicians maximize energy efficiency to meet your needs.
Using audience participation not only makes your entertainment more sustainable, but improves your event engagement. BEHR Paints’ employee band makes their annual events truly unforgettable, as seen in the picture below. Audience involvement, being a part of their own entertainment, takes events to new heights. At NEOM’s gala, a drumming session by attendees made the moment even more impactful.
Choose a production and planning company that shares your values to help reduce your event’s carbon footprint. Your work function is as unique as your company’s values and priorities. We’re committed to providing sustainable event planning for your specific needs. Discussing your goals with our five-star event agents provides them with the insights they need to help you achieve success throughout the entire process.
Examples of Past Sustainable Events
NEOM’s gala and conference focused on spreading the news to the California coast of their desalination technique. NEOM focuses on sustainability and turning water into a renewable resource through desalinating ocean water. Their event featured images of ocean life, a station where guests could taste sea water from around the world, and many more green activities. This conference drove their mission and message home in a personalized and engaging way.
XOS’s product launch marked the debut of their innovative line of electric trucks. This event was hybrid, reducing carbon footprint for those looking to take part. This event featured eco-friendly swag and promotional products, making their green message into a tangible memory for all.
Palo Alto City employees’ company picnic brought sustainability to staff and their loved ones in fun and memorable ways. Utilizing recycling bins to reduce waste and limiting disposable decorations made the event shine. Their menu was eco-friendly, and condiments came in bulk to limit the use of packaging. After picnic ended, the team donated leftover food to those in need, spreading the joy of their picnic to many others.
Children’s Aid’s team building staff summit utilized digital resources as entertainment. Their team used our Quickfire Olympics app on sustainably-sourced iPads to strengthen team bonds. Utilizing technology in this way means reducing potential waste at your event. We recommend thinking outside the box in regards to sustainable entertainment.
Going Green at Events
Whichever way you decide to “go green” at parties, picnics, or employee appreciation events, partnering with a production and planning company that supports your company’s values is the best way to guarantee your carbon footprint is as low as possible. Your work function is as unique as your company’s values and priorities. These functions are great events to improve company culture and encourage commitment to sustainable practices. Discussing your goals with an experienced event planner provides them with the insights they need to help you achieve success throughout the entire process.
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