Category: Events

A recent survey conducted by Promoleaf and CensusWide revealed that a majority of conference attendees want event organizers to incorporate sustainable practices into their planning. This is especially true of the younger generation (under 34), which means that event planners and venues are likely to feel more pressure to adopt sustainable practices in the future.

We addressed what event planners can do to make their events greener in two previous articles on this blog (How to reduce the environmental impact of your events, Part 1—travel and transportation, and Part 2—energy and F&B). We also showcased five convention centers in the USA that have taken steps to ensure their operations become more environmentally friendly.

With totm exposition being based in Montréal, it’s time to look at what convention centers in Canada have been up to when it comes to sustainability. In this article, we will focus on five of them and highlight their efforts in terms of durability.

Edmonton Convention Centre

Photo courtesy of the Edmonton Convention Centre

A few facts about the Center

The Edmonton Convention Centre provides 150,000 sq. ft. of space on three levels for events and meetings. The Pedway Level features Hall D (23,600 sq. ft. of space) and the 4,000 sq. ft. Riverview Room. The Assembly Level (80,000 sq. ft. of space) includes three main banquet halls and exhibit rooms, which can be expanded into one open space for more significant functions. Finally, the Meeting Level features 20 flexible meeting spaces.

Sustainable initiatives

The Edmonton Convention Centre has been committed to reducing its own environmental impact. To take hosting sustainable events one step further, the Centre launched its Responsible Events Program in 2019. The Centre provides event organizers with a toolkit to help them plan greener events.

The Centre itself focuses on the following improvement areas.

Becoming more energy-efficient

By sourcing a large part of its energy from Canadian renewable sources, the Centre is committed to reducing its energy consumption in the long term. Ongoing LED retrofit upgrades are made to reduce energy consumption. Organizers are also encouraged to do their part, for example, by turning projectors off when not in use.

Reducing waste

The Centre’s waste management program includes compost, recycling, paper, and waste bins located in all areas. In addition, they provide free waste audits to event planners interested in minimizing the waste generated at their events.

In 2019, 270,245 pounds of waste were composted. This compost is used as fertilizer to farm Alberta fields. Overall, 67% of the Centre’s waste (i.e., 390,474 pounds, the equivalent of 124 compact cars) is diverted from landfills. 

The Centre has selected reusable flatware, dinnerware, napkins, and compostable cups. In addition, bulk coffee and water stations are available, and they promote the use of reusable and recyclable exhibit materials.

Developing a sustainable permaculture

To contribute to Edmonton’s urban biodiversity, the Centre has installed an indigenous medicine wheel garden on the rooftop of the Riverview Room, an herb and vegetable garden, and a monarch butterfly preservation garden. 

In 2016, a hive of 8,000 urban bees was set up on the southeast corner of the Centre. The beehive produced over 20 pounds of honey in 2019, used for the Centre’s kitchen needs.

Inside the venue, hundreds of plants absorb 4,120 pounds of CO2 each year, and a sustainable living wall is located on the Pedway level.

Reducing greenhouse gas

Through its 2020–2035 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, the Edmonton Convention Centre has committed to implementing operational and behavioral changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2035 (from 2018 levels). 

During events, a no-idling policy is in place. In addition, to offset a specific event’s carbon footprint, the Centre is committed to matching the event organizer’s carbon offsetting contribution up to 20 tonnes of C02.

Being part of the community

Leftover food is donated through a partnership with Edmonton’s Food Bank’s Second Helping Program. In 2019, this donation represented 5,084 pounds (4,243 meals). The Centre also participates in the River Valley annual clean-up.

Promoting local food

The Centre works with local producers and growers within 100 miles of Edmonton, and 45% of their culinary purchases are made through local partnerships. 

The Centre estimates that, by sourcing from local growers, they reinvest more than $750,000 into Edmonton’s economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from food production and transportation.

Promoting mass and/or green transportation

The Centre is close to several bus stops and a light rail traffic station. Guests are encouraged to walk, as the Centre is close to downtown Edmonton and attached to Edmonton Pedway. 

Awards & certifications

The Centre is one of only five Canadian venues certified to ASTM standards and was the first conference venue in Canada to receive Green Key level five certification. The facility is also a certified Climate Smart business.

Palais des congrès de Montréal

Photo courtesy of Palais des congrès de Montréal.

A few facts about the Center

The Palais houses 508,756 sq. ft. of floor space, spread over seven floors and 113 multipurpose rental spaces (meeting rooms, ballrooms, reception halls, gala rooms, VIP lounges, exhibition halls—including one of the largest column-free exhibition halls in Canada—, and outdoor terraces).

Sustainable initiatives

The Palais has put a lot of effort into becoming a sustainable venue, and they also offer tools to help event planners, exhibitors, and visitors be part of that effort.

The Palais focuses on three main areas.

Reducing waste

The Palais has made recycling a priority and provides facilities for collecting recyclable waste at all times, including during conferences and special events. In addition, organic waste collection is included when event planners choose the Palais’ partner, Capital Traiteur, for their catering needs.

Reducing greenhouse gas

The Palais is among the first convention centers to operate a carbon-neutral building in the Americas. GHG emissions from the building’s energy use are offset by contributing to tree planting efforts at Université Laval’s Montmorency Forest, the world’s largest university teaching and research forest.

In collaboration with Planetair, a leader in climate change awareness and GHG offsets, the Palais has developed an innovative carbon offset program for event organizers and participants called Palais Boréal. This initiative aims to help event planners organize carbon-neutral events by minimizing GHG emissions throughout the event life cycle and offsetting GHG emissions whenever these emissions can’t be reduced.

The Palais is also dedicated to offsetting GHG emissions from their business development activities (mainly travel) through the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi’s Carbone boréal program, a tree-planting offset program.

Promoting urban agriculture

The Palais is also the site of the Urban Agriculture Lab, an initiative led by AU/LAB, a laboratory for research, innovation, and intervention in urban agriculture associated with the Institut des sciences de l’environnement of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). This makes the Palais the main showcase for experimentation and promotion of urban agriculture technologies and techniques in Québec.

The Urban Agriculture Lab has four main components:

• Culti-VERT, which experiments on extensive green roofs and container gardening
• Two pollinating beehives that can house up to 50,000 bees 
• VERTical: an urban vertical scaffold farming project
• Urban vines: an urban rooftop vineyard

Awards & certifications

Over the years, the Palais has collected many accolades for its green efforts. These include a Silver certification awarded by Boma Best national green building certification program, a Gold-level certification for quality and management performance granted by the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), and a certification awarded by iCompli Sustainability that recognizes Montréal and the Palais as leading destinations for environmentally responsible events.

Niagara Falls Convention Centre

Photo courtesy of Niagara Falls Convention Centre.

A few facts about the Center

The Centre offers 300,000 sq. ft. of configurable space. This includes three exhibit halls for a total of 82,000 sq. ft. with retractable walls, two ballrooms (the 17,000 sq. ft. Peller Estates Ballroom can be configured in eight different ways), and 13 meeting rooms, as well as a 4,974 sq. ft. lounge and pre-function areas (20,000 sq. ft. of usable space).

Sustainable initiatives

The Centre was built with sustainability in mind, using locally sourced and recycled construction materials. This contributed to the local economy while reducing air pollution associated with transportation. But the Centre is continuously working on improving its global impact on the environment and focuses its green efforts on six different areas.

Becoming more energy-efficient

The Centre aims for 40% energy savings by using advanced technical systems that allow for high energy use performance. Energy-saving targets have been set, and consumption is regularly monitored.

The general layout maximizes natural light by favoring floor-to-ceiling windows whenever possible. In addition, overall energy performance has been achieved by installing efficient exterior wall and roof insulation, heat recovery units, and a high-efficiency HVAC system. 

All mechanical equipment is CFCs and HCFCs free. 

Reducing waste

All materials leftover from events organized on-site or generated internally are separated into three streams, recycling, organics, and landfill waste.

Surplus food is either repurposed or donated to a local soup kitchen.

The Centre also encourages paperless practices.

Saving water 

A 42% reduction in water consumption has been achieved by installing water-conserving plumbing fixtures. In addition, a stormwater management system has been installed and controls discharge, making sure run-off is minimized and water quality is protected.

Improving air quality

Green cleaning practices include the use of ozonated and deionized water. This helps maintain good air quality. In addition, whenever possible, low-emitting materials have been selected for paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants.

The entire building has also been fitted with demand control ventilation and carbon dioxide sensors.

Promoting local food

The kitchen sources local and seasonal ingredients as much as possible, therefore reducing the emissions generated by long-distance transportation. 

Promoting mass and/or green transportation

The Centre encourages greener transportation means, such as walking, cycling, or public transit.

Awards & certifications

The Centre has achieved a Silver Level LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Photo courtesy of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Agency, Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

A few facts about the Center

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is Canada’s largest convention facility covering over 2 million square feet. It includes seven exhibition halls (442,000 sq. ft.), 77 meeting rooms (129,900 sq. ft.), two ballrooms (78,000 sq. ft.), and a 1,232-seat theater.

Sustainable initiatives

Event planners are strongly encouraged to take part in the Centre’s sustainability efforts by reducing the carbon footprint of their events. Possible strategies include recycling, using nontoxic green cleaning products, donating leftover items/food, using green electricity, and choosing local food offerings.

The Centre itself focuses on the following strategies.

Becoming more energy-efficient

The South Building has been fitted with a seven-acre green roof, which reduces energy consumption and cooling costs. In addition, LED lighting has been incorporated in most parts of the North Building, which helps save 565,852.20 kW-hr of electricity per year.

The MTCC offers clean power to its clients with Bullfrog Power and provides planners with the ability to offset all greenhouse gas emissions created by their event by purchasing renewable energy. Bullfrog ensures that for every kWh of electricity used, a kWh of pollution-free, renewable source is put back into the grid.

The facility is also on Enwave Energy’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system, which uses cold water extracted from Lake Ontario to cool the South Building allowing for reductions in GHG emissions & electrical consumption.

Reducing waste

Each year, 90% of the waste produced on-site is diverted from landfills. In 2018, the Centre diverted or recycled 4.4 million pounds of waste (equivalent in weight to 1,000 cars). 

Improving air quality

The facility has a no-idling policy for all vehicles in parking lots and those carrying exhibitor materials. Instead of waiting at the marshaling yard, exhibitors schedule a time to deliver materials. This is done in partnership with Voyage Control and helps reduce traffic and carbon monoxide emissions in the local area.

Being part of the community

Since 2014, the Centre has donated over 340,000 meals to food rescue organizations in Toronto. Leftover items are also donated to various local charities.

Promoting local food

The roof of the South Building is home to six beehives (50,000 bees each). This produces honey for the Centre’s kitchen needs and supports the preservation of essential pollinators.

The Centre purchases approximately 80% of wine and 65% of all food and beverage items through local farms and businesses. They also encourage their clients to choose local food offerings. 

Awards & certifications

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre has been awarded multiple awards and certifications over the years. Among these, and starting in 2006, they received a BOMA GO Green designation, awarded for being a commercial building showing environmental leadership and best practices. They also received a Sustainable Tourism Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) in 2012. In 2014, the South Building was certified LEED® Gold Facility for Existing Buildings by the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC). 

Vancouver Convention Centre

Photo courtesy of Vancouver Convention Centre.

A few facts about the Center

With 466,500 sq. ft. of pre-function, meeting, exhibition, and ballroom space, the facility can host multiple simultaneous events and large single events with upwards of 16,000 delegates.

Sustainable initiatives

The Vancouver Convention Centre is committed to sustainability, from the facility’s design to everyday green practices.

The Centre also encourages event planners to do their part and publishes toolkits and checklists to help them organize and hold sustainable meetings and events.

The efforts of the Centre are focused on six different areas.

Becoming more energy-efficient

Reducing overall energy consumption is one of the main targets of the Centre’s sustainability plan. To ensure consumption is kept under control, it’s measured and monitored throughout the facility, with carbon emissions calculated quarterly.

A seawater heating and cooling system has been implemented to take advantage of the adjacent seawater by producing cooling for the building during warmer months and heating in cooler months.

The West Building hosts a six-acre living roof (the largest in Canada and the largest non-industrial living roof in North America) that features more than 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses. This roof is designed to act as an insulator.

Natural light and ventilation are maximized throughout the facility. General building lighting is controlled by daylight and occupancy sensors. The HVAC system is also programmed to match activity levels in the buildings. Finally, low-flow fixtures are used in both buildings as well as Green Seal™ and EcoLogo™ certified paper products, soaps, and cleaners.

Reducing waste

The Centre diverts around 75% of the total volume of waste generated, which represents over 2.2 million pounds of materials annually. On average, 97,000 pounds of organic waste are recycled each month.

They avoid buying prepackaged canned goods, utilize cutlery, china, glass, and cloth napkins, and serve nearly all condiments in bulk or reusable containers.

Saving water

The Centre operates a blackwater treatment plant that recycles all water consumed by the facility, reusing it for toilet flushing and rooftop irrigation during warmer weather.

Staff and attendees are also encouraged to adhere to water conservation best practices.

Improving air quality

The measures include an anti-idling policy, smoking policies (no smoking allowed within 25 feet of any door or window), promotion of alternative transportation, and managing volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants.

Promoting local food

The Centre’s “scratch” kitchen uses primarily fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Four beehives have been installed on the living roof, and the bees supply honey for the Centre’s kitchen while helping pollinate the plants and grasses.

Promoting and using locally grown products means less energy consumption for transportation.

Committing to sustainable purchasing

Whenever possible, the Centre prioritizes purchasing regional, organic, and sustainable materials and chooses suppliers who consider their environmental impact.

Awards & certifications

The Vancouver Convention Centre has earned numerous awards and certifications over the years, starting with the PCMA Environmental Leadership Award in 2010.

Most notably, the Centre was awarded LEED® Platinum certification for New Construction in 2010, and in 2017 the West Building was awarded LEED® Platinum certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. This makes the Centre the first double LEED® Platinum convention center in the world.

In conclusion

Canada is often viewed as a prime destination for nature tourism due to its large territory and comparatively small population (11 people per mi2). Indeed, the expanse of Canada’s natural beauty, from mountains and glaciers to secluded lakes and forests, is almost unparalleled.

But as we know, this diversity and beauty are at risk from environmental threats. A substantial majority of Canadians are highly concerned about environmental issues and aware that they must do their part.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that this translates into the events industry and the efforts that venues now put in lowering their impact on the environment mainly through the reduction of waste and increased energy efficiency.

At totm exposition, we want to do our part, and we can help you make your tradeshow booths greener. Contact us if you have a project you would like to discuss!

Technology has been an integral part of events for decades in various forms. Event apps, digital kiosks, even holograms are now commonly used by event planners to enrich the attendees’ experience. Still, some tools can also provide quantitative and qualitative data of unprecedented depth. 

And there is one piece of event technology, in particular, that can give event professionals more insight into attendees’ behavior than any other; we are talking about wearables.

In this article, we will take a deeper dive into the world of wearable technology, how it can help event planners get more actionable data on their attendees’ behavior, and how it can also help exhibitors achieve better results during tradeshows.

What are wearables? 

To put it simply, wearables are pieces of technology worn close to the body. You can now find them in all shapes and forms: fitness trackers, smartwatches, clothing, eyewear, earwear, even tattoos!

Photo by Quang Tri NGUYEN on Unsplash

The market for wearables has been growing steadily over the past few years, and IDC’s latest research shows that global shipments for wearables grew 9.9% during the third quarter of 2021, reaching 138.4 million units. Leading the way are hearables, accounting for 64.7% of wearable device shipments, followed by wrist-worn devices.

Wristbands, smartwatches, and smart badges are already fairly commonplace for events. In the future, we will likely encounter more wearables in the shape of earwear (for real-time translation), smart glasses (for facial recognition), or clothing (to recharge your phone as you go).

Why should event professionals consider wearables?

People are now quite familiar with fitness trackers and smartwatches. These devices are compelling for their tracking ability during physical activity because they allow for gathering data about the person wearing the device passively. Data is produced through participation in the activity itself, and people don’t need to stop what they’re doing to feed the device information. 

This makes wearables ideal for events, as they allow:

• Passive, real-time, and automatic collection of data: no need to wait for people to use them (like for event apps), and at the same time, data is collected in real time so that corrective actions can be taken immediately (unlike feedback from a survey, for example). No bias either, like what can be encountered during post-event surveys.
• Event engagement without distraction: wearables make it easier to have smartphone-like help without reneging on human interaction. They can deliver everything the attendee needs to navigate the event without the distractions brought by smartphone use (like what can happen with event apps, for example). 
• New, less cumbersome, and more economical opportunities for insights: many areas of an event consume a lot of manpower/time or on-site logistics. Still, they yield minimal benefit (e.g., surveys after an event). Wearables can help in that respect too.

Let’s see in more detail what kind of benefits event planners and exhibitors can get from using wearable technology and the data it collects. 

Why use wearables if you are an event planner?

Goals of event planners when organizing an event

The main goal of event planners is to deliver a successful experience to their attendees while helping sponsors and exhibitors get as much exposure and qualified leads as possible. To achieve that, they need to be able to gather reliable data on attendees’ behavior, if possible in real time, to address any issue on the spot.

Why collect data through wearables?

As we said before, the main advantage of wearables compared to other types of data collection tools (event apps, surveys, check-ins, etc.) is that they don’t require any effort on the attendee’s part. His attention can be kept on the event instead of his smartphone. And the event planner can get real-time data without any delay or bias on the attendee’s part. 

Applications of the data collected through wearables

The data, in turn, can be used for many applications, such as:

• Guest tracking. By generating footfall heat maps of where the activity is happening at any given time and tracking attendee interactions, event planners can better understand traffic flow and attendee behavior. This can help solve issues in real time and make decisions for future events.
• Tracking attendance to conferences, sessions, or exhibitors’ booths. Event planners can figure out what worked and what didn’t, which part of the event was the most/least successful. This, in turn, will help inform future event planning and management decisions.

• Increasing the engagement level. Creating a more memorable experience is crucial to repeat attendance and positive feedback.

Why use wearables if you are an exhibitor?

Goals of exhibitors when attending an event

When they decide to attend an event, exhibitors’ main goal is to make sure their booth is visible to their target to get as many quality leads as possible and maximize their ROI (always tricky to gauge but not impossible). 

Why collect data through wearables?

Exhibiting at an event is an expensive endeavor that takes a lot of time and dedication. Therefore, any information exhibitors can gather on the engagement generated by their booth, the performance of the people they sent to the tradeshow, how long people actually stay in their booth, etc., can help them decide if the event is worth attending. Unlike other data collection methods, wearable technology can help with accurate, real-time data, which in turn can generate better leads.

Applications of the data collected through wearables

Wearables can help exhibitors in different ways:

• Provide data on the booth and surrounding area traffic. This can help address issues on the spot or provide insight into the performance of the booth’s location.
• Show how well the booth is performing. Having accurate data on how an exhibitor’s booth compares to its competitors in terms of performance can help inform future decisions.
• Show the time spent in their booth or on specific activations (such as a product demo). This is a crucial piece of information when you’re trying to make your booth stand out and attract more people to it.
• Get better leads. Their booth can be suggested to potentially interested attendees. They can be notified when valuable prospects visit their stand or are close by and focus on them instead of other people not part of the target, such as competitors or students.
• Help create exciting activations to attract more people and build engagement. That’s what the car manufacturer Infinity did during the 2016 Pebble Beach Automotive Week.

In short, if you are an exhibitor and the event organizer offers wearable technology, you should jump on the opportunity to use it!

In conclusion

Event planners’ main goal is to provide the best experience to their attendees. At the same time, they need accurate data that prove to their exhibitors and sponsors that they need to be a part of their events. In addition, exhibitors need the data to calculate their ROI and justify the cost of attending the event by showing they got interesting leads out of it.

As we’ve seen, wearable technology can be a powerful tool to help achieve these goals.

This technology is not going anywhere, so why not use it to become more efficient while giving your clients the best experiential events they have ever been part of?

We can help you choose the best elements for a successful booth. Contact us today if you have a project you would like to talk about!

It’s no secret that 2020 and 2021 have been tough for the meetings and events industry.

Event professionals have been among the worst-hit professions as the COVID-19 pandemic has stopped all in-person events. And, as of March 2020, the industry had already lost around $16.5 billion, and 90% of event professionals have seen some or most of their contracts disappear.

However, we seem to be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, even though new variants of COVID can still hamper recovery for the sector. Indeed, the industry is expected to reach $1,552.9 billion by 2028, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2% from 2021 to 2028.

In this article, we are discussing five trends that we think will be important in 2022 for the meetings and events industry.

In-person events are returning, but virtual/hybrid will stay

Around thirty percent of planners expect they will host in-person events again in the first half of 2022.

The abrupt pivot that most event organizers had to make to virtual events has shown that people really favor in-person interactions and networking. Virtual meetings simply cannot measure up to live human interactions. Nevertheless, most experts agree that a virtual component is likely to remain. 

Indeed, the uncertainty of new COVID variants emerging and their impacts on travel or even the possibility of holding in-person events mean that event planners need to be ready to switch almost instantaneously to virtual as the recent last-minute cancellation of IBC in Amsterdam showed.

Furthermore, some people will likely keep on preferring virtual for the sheer convenience of it. That could mean more revenue for the event as it is possible to reach a wider audience, especially since technology is now available to make streaming more accessible and cost-effective than before.

Event and venue safety will stay prominent

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

With the emergence of new variants, the protocols that have been put in place for large in-person events are likely to stay going forward. Proof of vaccination and negative COVID tests might even become more commonplace than they are now. Some countries already have more stringent policies for their events than others. Indeed, a recent EventMB survey showed that 71% of event planners in Canada required that attendees be vaccinated. In comparison, that number was only 11% in the UK.

It’s also unlikely that behaviors that were commonplace before the pandemic will come back anytime soon: we’re talking about people shaking hands, sharing the same pen, etc.

Ultimately, event planners will have to be transparent about all safety protocols they have in place and communicate heavily about the measures they are taking to ensure that safety. And this goes beyond the sanitization of surfaces; it can be proof of vaccination, negative tests, reducing the number of attendees, etc.

In-person events will be smaller

Sixty percent of event planners say their events will likely be smaller than pre-pandemic.

As COVID-19 remains a concern, there is a high probability that organizations will favor small, more intimate gatherings. This might make it easier for event planners to offer a really curated experience that will appeal to these small audiences. These “mini-events” can indeed allow for a more authentic opportunity to meet face-to-face.

Smaller-scale events are also more feasible, with a more negligible financial risk. Another upside is the possibility to use less traditional, more “boutique” types of event space. This is usually more attractive to the attendees than the standard conference room in a hotel and allows for excellent image-sharing potential on social media.

Events will be more local

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

For 42% of event organizers, there will be a change in format for in-person events as more local events are favored to counteract the impact of travel restrictions.

Furthermore, local events are perceived as safer and more controllable. The risk of transmission of COVID-19 is noticeably reduced by making sure only locals can attend, as it’s easier to control the risk if you organize an event in a community that has a low incidence of community spread.

Incidentally, this trend could also play a role in helping events become more sustainable, as it dramatically reduces the need for travel.

Shortages will impact the way events are designed

Many event professionals have suffered significant business losses during the pandemic, and some of them have left the events industry entirely. Whether it is individuals who have been laid off and had to find a job in another sector or small companies losing all their contracts and being forced to close down.

Now the events industry is facing a significant labor shortage that is likely to have a long-term impact on the way events can be organized and held.

In the same way, shortages of goods such as flowers and supply chain disruptions will force event designers to become more creative and innovative.

The consequences of these different kinds of shortages will be felt in several ways: financially as it might cost more than before to produce a quality event, logistically as planners might have to revise their timelines to incorporate that element of supply chain disruption, and creatively as the familiar options become unavailable and event professionals still have to produce the best experience for attendees.

The logistics aspects of an event are always challenging, even in “normal” circumstances. The current situation makes it even more difficult to deal with, so trust the experts to help you in that respect.

Photo by Shoot Studio

In conclusion

The fate of the meetings and events industry depends significantly on how countries will react to the (likely) emergence of new variants in the coming months. 

Clients will have to alter their timelines to accommodate supply chain problems and goods or labor shortages, which means they will have to approve things well in advance. But, on the other hand, event planners must be prepared for the uncertainty, be able to pivot quickly, and get creative to find solutions.

To help you navigate these uncertain times, you can count on the teams at totm exposition. Contact us today if you have a project you would like to talk about!

In our previous article, we found out that, according to a study by MeetGreen and Event Manager Blog, travel is by far the primary problem area for the carbon footprint of a national event in the USA (84%). As such, it should be your primary target when it comes to improving the sustainability of your events. 

But, even if they don’t weigh as heavily, energy (12%) and food & beverage (3%) are still worth a look, especially as, in some ways, you might have more latitude to make changes in these two categories.

In this article, we are going to share some tactics to help you with both issues.

The impact of energy and F&B on sustainability in the events industry

Energy as a whole represents 12% of an attendee’s carbon footprint, with 8% being dedicated to energy for hotel accommodation, while 4% goes to the venue.

Food and beverage with 3% take third place for event waste and carbon footprint. The average conference participant produces each day 1.89 kg of discards, or waste, more than 60% of which is landfill, and food waste represents in some cases over 40% of an event waste stream.

While this might seem trivial compared to the overwhelming impact of travel and transportation, making changes in these two categories might be more manageable. Indeed, influencing the way people travel to events might be unattainable at times, while implementing sustainable policies for energy and F&B rests partially on the event planner’s shoulders.

Here is what you can do to put your event on a greener path.

Go hybrid if possible

We’ve touched on that subject in our previous article. In addition, a recent case study compared five different event models (single event site, hub and spoke, regional clusters, local clusters, and remote-only). Results show that streaming experiences can reduce total climate pollution from events by 60% in the case of regional clusters to 98% when the event is remote-only.

Photo by Chris Montgomery 

 

We are not advocating to have only full virtual events as we know they are not as satisfying for the guests as in-person events. But going hybrid can help you reduce the carbon footprint of your event by reducing the number of people who have to travel. And it also helps in terms of energy consumption and, of course, F&B (fewer people, less food needed).

Select your destination appropriately

More and more destinations these days are trying to attract environmentally conscious clients, so you should be able to take your pick from destinations that have elected to use renewable resources for their electricity production or focus on environmental initiatives. 

Two countries have already reached their net-zero carbon-neutral goals, Bhutan and Suriname. While not everybody can organize their events in these countries, other places are working on it, and some have even put it into law (Denmark, France, Hungary, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom).

Costa Rica is another example and has set ambitious goals, such as an all-renewable power grid by 2030 and a zero-emissions transportation system by 2025.

Aside from countries, some cities are also taking steps, like Chicago. 

Choose eco-friendly venues and hotels 

Sometimes, you will have no choice in terms of destination, as some events always take place in the same city. But that shouldn’t prevent you from selecting a venue or hotel that has put in place eco-friendly policies. Some report on their sustainable actions, which should help you discern which ones are really invested in these policies vs. those that just try to surf on the green wave. Why not include a clause in your RFP, giving points in your assessment dedicated to sustainability?

Certifications such as LEED (green building certification program), ISO 20121 (specific to events), or 14001 (environmental management for any type of organization) are also an excellent way to ascertain that these venues have set objectives in terms of waste and carbon reduction, as well as water management. 

The good news is that hotels have made progress. According to Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) Index, carbon emissions per square meter of hotels worldwide have decreased by 10% since 2015. 

Hotels have quite a few choices when it comes to implementing green options, and it starts with the design of the building itself. Look for venues/hotels with green or reflective roofs, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, low-flow bathroom features, LED lighting, etc.

According to Greenview global benchmarking study, 21% of hotels already have on-site renewable energy, and 55% have installed smart irrigation.

 

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP 

 

Quite a few venues have also put sustainability front and center, like the Moscone Center in San Francisco or the Vancouver Convention Center.

Aside from building design improvements that can be tricky to implement in older buildings, green initiatives can be applied everywhere. As an event planner, don’t forget to look for these.

Indeed, instead of providing individual plastic containers for soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc., venues and hotels can use dispensers that can be refilled. Installing occupancy sensors to deactivate lights and climate control automatically when nobody uses the room can also help.

Embracing recycling helps hotels and venues manage their waste more efficiently. So look for places that have banned single-use plastic (31% of hotels have already done that), that have recycling bins around the site even in guests rooms, encourage guests to reuse towels and bedding if they stay a few days, provide bathroom papers made of recycled content fiber, etc.

Implement a zero-waste plan for your event 

The easiest way to make sure you can reduce the amount of waste ending up in the landfill is to reduce what you bring on-site for your event.

Suppliers and exhibitors can help you in that respect by taking steps to reduce their own waste. For example, exhibitors can eliminate give-aways that more often than not end up being thrown away. You can also encourage them to ditch brochures and printed materials if you provide an event app where the attendees can find all the information they need.

Talking about technology, you can make it easier to go paperless by sending email invitations or using digital ticketing. No more paper invitations or tickets! All relevant information can be made available online through the event website (agenda, list of exhibitors, information about conferences, etc.) and later on an event app.

Much of the food waste occurs when the guest count is off or because event organizers fear there won’t be enough food for their guests. Make sure you review your attendance history and update your orders accordingly. Remember, the excess will end up in waste, so don’t be afraid to reduce your surplus margins!

Partnering with local non-profits or charities that can safely transport and donate leftovers is another avenue to explore. Again, you can do this in collaboration with your caterer or the venue, which might already have programs for that, and organizations they work with on a regular basis.

 

Photo by Joel Muniz

 

Your venue or hotel might also have a waste recycling program or be actively composting their excess food. Checking with them during your selection phase will be worth it.

To eliminate packaging as much as possible, consider ordering in bulk.

Use water stations rather than bottled water or pitchers and glasses in meeting spaces.

Try to avoid anything disposable and choose recyclable materials, reusable or biodegradable cups, straws, etc. 

Finally, make it easy for your attendees to recycle, or they might not do it. For example, trash and recycling bins should be easily recognizable and distinguishable. No guesswork there for your guests!

At Totm exposition, as a designer and manufacturer of trade show booths, we recognize the impact our industry has on the environment and try to minimize our footprint by taking concrete steps to maximize the recycling of our materials.

Go local, organic, and seasonal

For your menus, partner with your caterer to choose produce that is locally grown, seasonal, or organic, whenever possible. Maybe your venue grows its own food on-site: the Green Lodging Trends Report showed that, in 2018, 43% of hotels in their panel were doing so. Maybe they can connect you with local food vendors that can help you with that. 

 

Photo by NeONBRAND 

 

You can also take advantage of people’s newfound love for special diets and offer more plant-based meals for your vegetarian and vegan attendees. That will help reduce the overall prevalence of beef in your menus, and this is a good thing for the environment, as studies have shown that producing a pound of beef requires 1,799 gallons of water and releases about 22 lbs of carbon.

In conclusion

Picking the right partners goes a long way in helping you with your goals, especially in making your events greener. Ask them from the start (selection process) what their procedures and practices are regarding sustainability. Also, perfection doesn’t exist, so don’t try to tackle all the issues at once. Instead, go step by step and keep track of your actions. You will see progress! 

As we’ve seen, you can make many choices during the event process that will help you reduce the impact of your event on the environment. But bear in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic has made recycling and waste reduction more complicated. Event planners have to deal with more waste than before in the form of face masks, cleaning wipes, disposable packaging for food, and service ware. Therefore, don’t rely too much on recycling, but more on reducing at the source.

 

While the pandemic of Covid-19 had a severe negative impact on the events industry, with the cancellation of all in-person events for most of 2020 and parts of 2021 in some places, there is no denying that it had some positive impacts on the environment. With no air travel allowed for months, lockdowns, and the slowing down of economic activities, there have been marked improvements in air quality, as well as lower water and noise pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. 

Another impact of COVID-19 is that it has been on everybody’s mind for the past 18 months. Companies have been focused on ensuring the health and safety of employees and clients, and virtual events have been at the forefront to mitigate the fact that physical events were banned in most places. 

But with wildfires raging in North America, Europe, and North Africa, and other extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes or heat waves getting more frequent and deadly, it’s safe to say that nobody can escape from thinking or hearing about the environment. As a result, people are becoming more environmentally conscious and even willing to pay more to ensure the products they buy are sustainable and the companies that sell them adopt greener policies.

And the inevitable return of physical events means that the issue of sustainability will also come back to the forefront of event planners’ considerations. 

In this article, we are going to share with you some tactics to help you reduce the impact of your event for the biggest culprit of all, travel and transportation.

The events industry and the issue of sustainability

The events and meetings industry is generally considered very wasteful and not environment friendly, with a large carbon footprint.

A study by MeetGreen and Event Manager Blog shows that a conference attendee typically produces 1.89KG of waste per day, 1.16KG of which goes directly to a landfill. The same research has also shown that the three main problem areas are travel, accounting for 84% of the carbon footprint of a national event in the US, followed by energy with 12%, and food & beverage with 3%.

If we dig a bit deeper, air travel accounts for 70% of the carbon footprint, followed by car travel with 10%, and train with 4%.

For event planners, this is by far the biggest and most difficult challenge to tackle. Indeed, attendees have to travel for most events, sometimes internationally, in the case of major conferences and trade shows. For example, if an attendee books a round-trip flight between New York, where he lives, and San Francisco, where your event takes place, that trip will emit 1.4 tons of carbon dioxide. This is the equivalent of the emission of an average car if used daily for three months!

We can all agree this is a colossal number, and whatever small step you take to improve the situation will help to make your event more sustainable. 

Here are a few avenues to look into.

Consider where your event will take place

Taking into account where the majority of your participants will be coming from can help you choose a central location, which will help lower the amount of travel necessary to get to your event. But, of course, this will not always be possible, as events such as CES usually always take place in the same location year in, year out.

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

If you have the option, try and organize local or regional events. These might be smaller, but they will allow you to get local talents, which comes with two benefits: they are more attractive to a local audience, and they don’t have to travel to your event (which, coincidentally, might also help you if you have to work with a lower budget)!

Your choice of venue is also essential. If you pick one that can double as accommodation, that should significantly lower any transportation needs. Even better if the venue/hotel is within walking distance of the destination’s main attractions!

Promoting public transportation and safe, walkable routes could also be a step in the right direction. 

Widen your choice of transportation options

Sometimes, you have no other option than to transfer a lot of people from one place to another. In that case, you can reduce the number of flights or trains necessary to get people to and from your event by coordinating travel from major cities, for example, by organizing chartered transportation.

Photo by Igor Starkov on Unsplash

Carpooling and shuttle options can also be considered, especially if you can find services using electric or hybrid vehicles. To make carpooling more attractive, offer discounts (or even free) parking options for full vehicles at your event location.

Most importantly, communicate heavily on these greener means of transportation so that attendees don’t need to look for the information themselves. Make it convenient for them to make green choices!

Use technology to your advantage 

MeetGreen calculated that by holding the UN Global Compact Uniting Business Live 2020 event virtually instead of in-person for three days in New York, the organizers managed to reduce the CO2 emissions from 1,153,291 KG to 16,798 KG! The difference of 1,136,493 KG of CO2 emissions is comparable to the energy-related CO2 impacts from 192 homes over a year.

Obviously, not all events fare that well virtually (trade shows are a good example), but many can offer live streaming for participants who can’t or won’t attend in person.

Compensate your carbon emissions

As we’ve seen, some events can’t be held locally or virtually, and you have, therefore, no other option than to rely on some kind of transportation. However, that doesn’t mean you are doomed and can’t go greener. Carbon offsetting is one of the best options you have, and there are several initiatives that can help you with it. 

At totm exposition, we chose to plant trees to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of our company’s activities and to reduce our carbon footprint. We also minimize our impact on the environment by taking concrete steps to maximize the recycling of our materials.

 

 

In conclusion

There is no perfect path towards sustainability. Each industry has its own issues, and it’s essential to start your journey towards greener events by understanding your main sustainability problems. 

The way to improvement requires setting attainable objectives and targeting your primary source of waste or carbon emissions, i.e., travel most of the time. We’ve seen some tactics to help you with that issue, and if you keep track of your efforts and measure how far you’ve come, you’ll be well on your way to more sustainable events.