Businesses and individuals are increasingly considering the environmental impact of their offsite meetings and bringing them in line with their company policies. There are various things to think about and a lot of it is common sense.
Choosing your destination
When choosing the country for your event, select one with a good environmental track record. It is possible to check how different countries rank according to sustainability on websites such as the World Economic Forum. Scandinavian countries usually come out ahead of the rest of Europe with their environmental policies. But also consider where attendees are and pick the country where most of them located to avoid unnecessary travel. Consider offsetting carbon emissions when flying to the destination.
Then find out how green the city is. The Convention Bureau should be able to provide you with information about the policies and how they aim to become carbon neutral. Choose a venue that is connected to the airport by good public transport or if you need more that one are they within walking distance of each other?
Choosing your venue
Ask for the venue's environmental strategy. It is possible for venues to calculate the carbon emissions per person for a day meeting or overnight stay, so ask what they are and also what the venue's policies are on:
Energy: do they use low energy lights, is heating and air conditioning turned off when the rooms are not in use and do they encourage guests to reuse linen? Does the venue have solar panels, use renewable energy or harvest rainwater? Waste: do they use crockery, cutlery and glasses that is washed rather than disposable? Is general rubbish separated and recycled? What is done with food waste? Food: is it locally sourced and seasonal wherever possible, do they avoid individually wrapped portions, how much is free-range or organic and is water provided in jugs rather than bottles? If it is a new venue, have they used sustainable materials in the building and when purchasing the fittings and equipment?
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Content provided by the Event Organisers' Guide by Trinity Conferences Ltd
