For many organisations, being seen as environmentally aware is of the utmost importance, both from an ethics perspective, as well in in terms of pleasing the customer. Now, fabulous galas, exotic dinner dances, and other upscale events are often known for their extravagance…and their wastefulness. You can green up your event and sell more event tickets with just a few simple changes.
The most important thing you can do is eliminate plastic products. Every year, we produce about 250 billion pounds of plastic pellets, a great deal of which ends up in landfills, or, even worse, floating in a garbage gyre in the ocean, killing fish and birds. The more sophisticated your event, the less likely you are to depend on plastic, but if you do, just swap it out. Real glasses, plates, and cutlery, or least recyclable ones (all these products, even forks and knives, can be made from paper) are you tickets to reducing waste.
Find responsible venues. Reduce your usage of fossil fuels. Some places will advertise as depending upon renewable, sustainable resources like solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, or even geothermal power. Find ways to cut your energy usage: use fewer lights, or choose LEDs, or even candles (fire code allowing).
Choose foods grown locally: it’s an excellent way to reduce your dependence on fossil fuels. Shipping food about the planet is a huge waste of resources, especially if you’ve a farm down the road a bit.
Remember that buffets increase waste: people are likely to take more than they want. Use servers for portion control. Consider donating leftovers to a local shelter. They’ll thank you for it and may provide free publicity for the event.
Take a careful accounting of your costs. Most promoters find that they can reduce costs and waste at the same time. What do you really need? What can you do without?
Be sure to document your environmental practices. Write about your quest for efficiency on the Internet, where people can find it. You can start attracting a new, environmentally conscious base, increase your ticket sales, and host a spectacular event!
{ 0 comments… add one now }