Elevating Sustainability in Event Planning

April is Earth Month, and it feels like the perfect reason to talk about sustainability.

When many people hear the word, their mind goes to ideas like picking up trash and

getting rid of plastic water bottles. While environmental practices are a piece of the

puzzle, sustainability is so much more.

The United Nations defines sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this sense

“needs” reflects the complex interconnectedness of social, environmental, financial and

organizational indicators.

But what about events specifically? When it comes to weaving sustainability into

creative incentive programs, it’s easy to get caught in the mindset that things have to be

all or nothing. Have you ever heard something along the lines of “We’re emitting CO2 to

fly in 75% of our participants, so what good does removing plastic water bottles do?”

The reality is that it is important not to sacrifice progress for perfection. In honor of Earth

Day, we’d like to share a few recommendations from the SITE Midwest Team.

1. Plan Ahead

a. If you don’t factor sustainability into your planning, trying to implement

things on site will likely feel like an insurmountable task.

i. Real time tip: Planning can be as simple as a Client and Venue

discussing during a site visit what is done with leftover food after

the event. It could be learning about a DMC’s local connections for

donating leftover items that would otherwise be thrown away.

2. Focus on what you can control

a. We all play an important role in the success of an incentive program; just

like we all play a part in making things more sustainable. Rather than

lamenting the things that aren’t in your control, optimize the things that

are.

i. Real time tip: Is your role to manage shipping? Identify the most

efficient way to get supplies on site. Fewer shipments mean a lower

carbon footprint. Are you heading up everything F&B? Perform a

“photo audit” after meals, before food is cleared away. When doing

a post program review, use the photos to identify things like popular

vs. unpopular food options and your accuracy with portioning.

Did people leave behind the pre-plated dessert plates having

only eaten half their brownie? Consider smaller portions at a

communal dessert station.

3. You can’t manage what you don’t measure

a. Even if you haven’t implemented actions to reduce or improve your

impact, it is incredibly valuable to measure your event’s current state.

Otherwise, if you do implement changes down the road, it will be difficult to

tell if the changes you’re making are having the effect what you want. Without

that information, you won’t be able to make the case for the

change with your teams, suppliers and importantly, your leadership.

i. Real time tip: Be sure to capture key base line indicators in your

measurements and not just “sustainability” items. Be sure to include

number of participants, event type, location specifics and other

factors you can use as your “denominator” for future calculations.

That way, even if your events look very different from year to year

or from event type to event type, you’ll be able to better compare

and evaluate your performance.

4. Get creative and have fun!

a. As you can tell, sustainability is a huge topic that can feel overwhelming.

That said, change often feels easier when it’s something you are

passionate about. What are you passionate about? What about your

clients? Find ways to weave that into where you focus your sustainability

efforts.

i. Real time tip: Dig in where you’re at! Are you an avid golfer? Test

out different types of biodegradable golf balls. Share your

recommendations when your team mates are responsible for

planning a gold excursion. If you’re a planner or DMC that’s being

asked to include a CSR activity in an incentive, see if you can find

the Client’s annual report (usually available via a quick internet

search). Review that report and consider what CSR activities might

align to your client’s mission and goals.

The possibilities are endless to do better. While that can feel overwhelming, channel

those possibilities and let it serve as inspiration.

If you’re interested to learn more about the international sustainability landscape, the

United Nations has worked hard to create structure, support and guidance around

sustainability with their 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Though not event

specific, they are a valuable resource for creating cross industry and cross-country

collaboration on key sustainability topics.