A Complete Guide to Sustainable Events

If you are an event planner looking for ideas to host sustainable events in the year 2023, then this guide is for you.
Sustainable Events

With technology and digital equipment being readily available, the world is more inclined towards online human interaction. Like, we easily connect with people from across the globe through laptop or phone screens. Virtual events being the lifesaver over the period of the recent pandemic, has changed the course of event hosting for us. Instead of gathering at a physical venue and contributing to carbon emissions, people now easily host virtual gatherings over the internet. Whether it is an urgent client meeting, a grand annual conference or a concert, virtual events have helped us reinvent interactions; Sustainable events are now considered the most wise choice when it comes to minimizing the impact of global warming and leaving a greener environment for future generations. 

In this particular guide, we wish to shed light on the importance of virtual events and how sustainable choice continues to benefit the event industry. However, before immersing you in the discussion, let us explore what is event sustainability and why it is important. 

What is Event Sustainability? 

Event sustainability is the process of opting for sustainable solutions considering the environment. Instead of gathering in-person and contributing to the carbon footprint, event sustainability is ensured by going virtual. With virtual events, organizers aim to replicate the in-person human interaction to save the world from negative impacts on the environment. These events mainly range from live meetings, webinars, workshops, conferences, exhibitions, office parties, concerts or other networking events. Overall, sustainable events help ensure environmental protection, economic progress and social growth. Therefore, a platform rich in features, tech and tools helps event organizers pull off a sustainable virtual event with maximum revenue growth.

Basically, event sustainability is ensured through:

  • Accommodating global audience in a life-like virtual environment
  • Facilitating live 1:1 or group interactions through chat tools 
  • Helping large gatherings connect in a super safe virtual space
  • Supports hosting an event of any type from anywhere in the world
  • Helps save largely on money, resources and precious time

Why Choose Sustainable Events?

Throughout 2022, we have witnessed virtual gatherings gaining popularity across the globe. But, mainly, the zoom integration facilitated live communications for the corporate and educational sectors. Basically, with a sustainable choice as virtual events, you easily connect with a global audience and indulge in face-to-face human interaction. There’s nothing you miss out on when hosting events online. Instead, you save big bucks that otherwise go into paper waste, venue rentals, electricity, equipment, food and travelling expenses. Furthermore, anyone from anywhere in the world can easily join the event without the need to travel down to a location. As a result, we save the planet from harmful carbon emissions. 

So, if you wish to keep your environment clean and green, virtual events are the most convenient, flexible and sustainable solution.

How to Make Events More Sustainable?

Most organizations today are stressing over how to make events more sustainable. Whether hosting large gatherings or small events, people now prefer hosting online events that offer tons of benefits. Environmental analysts today clearly state how CO2 emissions from hosting on-site events impact the environment. Likewise, recent studies on carbon footprint have revealed that transportation is recorded as the major in the year 2022. Take, for instance, for attending an annual company conference, people either fly down or travel by road. From the moment they reach the event, energy consumption, emissions and other wastes also add to the carbon footprint. So, saving the day comes virtual platforms that help ensure sustainability in events. 

The question here arises, how to create a sustainable event? It is about time we bury traditional practices of hosting physical events to minimize travel, time, weather, and carbon footprint issues. 2023 calls event organizers, recruiters, hosts and event planners to host sustainable events. Here’s a quick guide to hosting green events. 

Gathering Global Audience at an Eco-friendly Platform 

If your event is being held at the expo centre, how do you think your attendees, hosts, exhibitors and speakers would reach the location? Some would travel by bus or car, others by train or air. And the more people travel to the event location, the more the carbon footprint. Therefore, eliminating the environmental impact, virtual platforms allow you to gather a large number of people online. Let us take the example of the Dubai expo 2022, over 24 million attendees blessed the occasion from over 192 countries. As per UAE carbon emissions per person over 20 metric tons of carbon footprint is produced, which is highest compared to world CO2 emissions. 

Initially, the audience is welcomed at an eco-friendly platform minimizing the need to travel down to a physical location. Later, the platform becomes their virtual venue to engage with industry professionals from around the world. Basically, the platform is built to accommodate a global audience who easily connects via the internet. Not only does this promises an increased reach, but it also helps secure higher ROI. For instance, your attendees do not need to travel overseas, show up at a physical venue, or spend on transportation, food or accommodation rentals. In fact, you are saving the carbon footprint of hundreds of attendees that could otherwise contribute to global warming.  

Here, we have devised a list of sustainable events you can host with a virtual events platform 

Ensuring Sustainability with Virtual Events

How can the event industry host sustainable events? The most important issue being addressed today is how organizations can reduce environmental impacts by the event industry. Thanks to the advancements in digital technology that transformed human interactive experience through virtual events. People can now flexibly organize any type of event and invite a global audience to participate online. For all these good reasons, businesses are now inclined towards hosting B2B and B2C events. This encourages people to host green meetings, which helps save emissions from travel, food waste, and more, directly contributing to the carbon footprint. 

Basically, with virtual events, you can gather people in a safe environment, network with peers, share ideas, discuss options and more. In fact, all your physical dealings are being moved online. This is surely a safe choice for your future. Going virtual, we benefit greatly from technology and software while saving ourselves from harmful physical impacts. So from live face-to-face interaction to engaging networking activities, virtual events have proved to be the most sustainable choice as compared to in-person events. You can either engage attendees in roundtable discussions or clear the air with gamification. 

Wondering how virtual events are considered sustainable events today? Here’s how partnering with a virtual platform helps event organizers by hosting sustainable events 

  • Eliminates geographical location limitations when gathering a global audience 
  • Saving on energy consumption by moving everything over the cloud 
  • Eliminating carbon footprint caused by travelling and transportation
  • Attendees participating in online activities from a safe distance 
  • Paper waste replaced with digitally sharable content
  • Online registration and joining process for a global audience
  • No materials or goods wasted on a large-scale event 

Promote Your Green Event Agenda

Once you have decided on hosting sustainable events, it is time to work on your green event agenda. Now, you can start discussing your ideas for choosing this event type. You should communicate your virtual event agenda with all the stakeholders involved. In fact, it is time you share your ideas with the world on the importance of hosting green events. For instance, inform your attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and partners to keep them on the same page. Like, you can use your website, social media and newsletters to inform the market about your green events policy. Be vocal about the benefits of hosting sustainable virtual events to save the future of planet earth. 

Overall, green events uplift the environment by:

  • Saves you money
  • It helps protect the surrounding environment
  • Reduces the amount of waste produced
  • Minimizes impact on climate change
  • Promotes efficient use of resources
  • Promotes a sustainable corporate culture

Stick to Sustainability Goals 

By eliminating the need for a virtual venue, we create a sustainable solution for the environment. An organization gets to save the resources that come into play when hosting the event at a physical venue. For instance, you get to save on electricity, fuel, paper waste, instruments and technology usage. However, it is important to stick to the sustainability goals that are an example for world organizations. 

Fortunately, the event industry today is taking responsible steps to save the environment from climate change threats. However, with the pandemic upon us, virtual gatherings of people have led us to believe that online human interaction is a way more sustainable and productive choice. In fact, business professionals can easily take time out of their busy schedules and appear online before a screen. This saves them large sums of money and time that is invested in travelling, accommodation and attending an in-person conference. Thus, the event industry is sure to stick with sustainability goals when hosting events in the year 2023. 

Final Thoughts

By hosting sustainable events, we give back to the world. We have already done a lot of damage to our environment; it is the need of the hour to make sustainable choices for the future. Now, we must take any necessary steps that put us on the right path in our efforts to keep our environment clean and green. For that matter, our virtual events platform welcomes global organizations to come and host sustainable events.
Join Virtual Days today and take a quick demo of our platform facilities, features, tech and tools.

Author | Mubashrah Rahim

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