How can I use my event to draw attention to sustainability?

Events are one of the most effective ways to bring people together, evoke emotions and create connections. They are a powerful tool for companies, both in customer acquisition and in customer and partner retention. The goal, of course, is for guests to have as carefree and enjoyable a time as possible.

So the topic of sustainability seems more like an annoying to-do than a motivating action. And yet – times have changed. More and more people attach great importance to keeping their ecological footprint (per person an average of 11 tonnes per year) as small as possible. Three out of four Germans consider a sustainable lifestyle important or even very important.
As a private person, the first solutions are obvious: avoid wasting food, do without plastic, separate waste, …

And at work? There are ways and means here too!

In our last Instagram post, we showed a best practice example from the Meliá hotel chain. During its IMEX party, it drew attention to the pollution of the oceans.

One well-known option is voluntary CO₂ compensation. Airlines and postal companies have been offering this for a long time – so why not include it at an event? Whether you want to encourage guests to do so or pay an appropriate sum yourself as the hosting company. Offsetting is done through emission reduction credits, which are used to offset the same amount of emissions in climate protection projects. The most common types of projects include energy projects, wastewater and waste management or agricultural projects. The latter have enjoyed increasing attention in the past through websites such as Click-a-Tree, Plant-My-Tree or Treemer. Companies can finance individual trees or entire forests through a donation and thus make their contribution to climate protection. In return, the customer receives a certificate with the exact location of the tree. Participating companies include big names such as Pirelli, Michelin, HP and E.ON.

There is rarely an event without giveaways.

They are not only an attention-getter, but should also evoke lasting memories in the recipient. It is obvious that these goodies are often made of plastic – the material is much cheaper to produce than sustainable materials and especially with large order quantities the focus is on the price.
It is precisely here that a rethink is important! The variety of sustainable gifts is very convincing – it doesn’t always have to be the 100th biros. In the end, it is also important to make a statement here and to evoke an emotion in the customer. Therefore, you should not save in the wrong places.
Bracelets made from plastic waste, for example, show how upcycling concepts can tell a story. The bracelets are made from collected plastic waste or fishing nets from the sea. There are different themes, e.g. depending on the animal (dolphin, orca, turtle, …). Many even have a tracking transmitter integrated, which tells you the position of the animals. Experience has shown that giveaways with the right background have always had a stronger effect on the recipient than standard articles.

Often heard – too rarely implemented. Fast food and cheap meat can still be found in supermarkets all over the country.

Even though you might say “I won’t buy that!”, in the end the price often outweighs the good sense. But it is actually not that much more expensive…
Many regional farmers have been cooperating with catering companies for a long time. The term “green catering” refers to climate-friendly food procurement and processing, regional and seasonal ingredients and short transport routes. This also tastes good to the customer! The share of organic buyers has increased by almost 50 per cent since 2017 (source)

The sustainable transformation of the industry continues to progress.

A concrete example is Hilton: The hotel group has developed a system that calculates exactly how high the CO₂ emissions of an event are. By recording this data, active measures can be taken against climate change. Our recommendation is therefore to move with the times and adapt to change. Sustainability will have an increasing influence on companies and their corporate culture in the future, and therefore also on the implementation of events.

Over the years, we have collected a large pool of regional, environmentally conscious partners and manufacturers with whom we are happy to cooperate on events. You too can benefit from our network and use it for your next event – whether it’s an incentive, congress or roadshow!