Whether it's joining the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, the Sustainable Events Alliance or simply devising an internal plan of action, event and meeting professionals are putting a bigger focus on bringing back green events in 2022. Of course, that poses a challenge during a time when much of the industry is also hyperfocused on health safety, which comes with single-use products. But if the pandemic taught us anything, it's that event pros welcome a challenge.
Here, seven industry peers across the globe weighed in to share their team's efforts this year to produce more eco-friendly events.
Nancy Prowda, senior director, Corporate Responsibility – B2B, Hilton, Scottsdale
"At Hilton, we’re proud to have been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. Our company was founded on the belief that travel can make the world a better place. We know that we have a unique role to play in addressing critical global challenges, and we are proud to serve as an engine of opportunity while also paving the way toward a more sustainable future for us all. As it relates to events in 2022, we expect an increase in engagement of our proprietary and award-winning LightStay platform. Through LightStay and our sustainable meeting offerings, which include Meet with Purpose and EventReady with Hybrid Solutions, we also now have the ability to offer carbon-neutral meetings at participating hotels. Customers have the opportunity to align with our hotels to customize our programs to assist them in achieving their individual sustainability goals."
Amanda Ma, chief experience officer, Innovate Marketing Group, Los Angeles
“We further digitalize our operations process and reduce paper usage by 50% compared to previous years—internal and external communications and paperwork, such as sending and receiving of contracts and invoices. This year, we are looking to reduce that number yet again by digitizing more processes. Reuseable promotional items—pillows, posters, office supplies—are these items attendees will actually want and use or will they leave it in a hotel room after the event or give it to their children to play with? We have always been about quality over quantity. And truly understanding what is the purpose. Less stuff, more purpose. And to continue with our standard sustainability practice: Ask what is available for us to use at the venue (tables, chairs, linens, glassware, plants, lighting, sound system, etc.) so we can utilize what is already on-site and save the client money, recycle name badges, register electronically, etc.”
Wendy La, owner and principal planner, WLA Events, Toronto
"As an event company whose journey began in the midst of the pandemic, my business model is to introduce sustainable alternatives for clients and to challenge vendors to start implementing more earth-friendly practices. We are undertaking many measures to do more for the environment from a business perspective. We plant a minimum of five trees per booking and have committed to offsetting 1 ton of carbon emissions per event. Last year, we planted over 75 trees and plan to double that number in 2022! We are also working with venues (and clients) to combat three main areas that may make the most impact: Repurposing florals and greenery post-event so they do not just end up in a landfill; creating opportunities throughout the event to identify sustainable alternatives as a learning moment for both clients and their attendees; and combating food waste at events.”
Matt Grey, founder, EventDecision, Frimley, England
“EventDecision supports event professionals in making more sustainable decisions in planning—measuring the sustainability of events, on behalf of clients, agencies, venues and virtual platforms in terms of tons of CO2e. This allows agencies and clients to mitigate environmental impact and feed the results directly into client ESG [Environmental, social and corporate governance] audit trails."
Kayla Castellano, director of special events, Javits Center, New York
“Today, the Javits Center is taking sustainability to the next level—literally—with the opening of its new 1-acre rooftop farm on Manhattan’s West Side. As part of a 1.2-million-square-foot expansion completed in September 2021, the rooftop farm will generate up to 40,000 pounds of produce a year, and these crops will be directed to Cultivated kitchens where the produce will be incorporated into client meals served throughout the year—creating a true and unparalleled roof-to-table experience. The rooftop also includes an orchard (the largest in the world), a meadow, a shade garden and several ornamental planters with a focus on pollinator-friendly and native plants. There’s also an all-season greenhouse to ensure the rooftop plantings can grow throughout the year. Two underground tanks capture and treat rainwater to irrigate the crops and terrace plantings. All of these additions build on the success of the Javits Center’s 6.75-acre green roof. The entire expansion project has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.”
Meg Strahle, assistant sustainability advisor, The Bulb, London
“We work with agencies on decision making to ensure that sustainability is designed in from the outset, and we are seeing these trends: More event professionals are starting to track and measure their event's carbon footprint; there is an increase in questions of what carbon calculator to use; the creation of TRACE by isla will help event professionals on a global scale once it launches this year to make it easier for professionals to track. We are now asking our supply chain to stop wrapping items in unnecessary plastic; asking our supply chain to also prioritize sustainable behavior and procurement; and donating our assets to charity and businesses instead of placing it in the trash. Organizations such as EventCycle help with the pickup, organization of donation and delivery to the charity in the U.K. We are also now going beyond thinking about creative and sustainable design elements, we are also thinking about the unsexy things such as waste management and toilets, especially in outdoor events with zero existing infrastructure.”
Molly Crouch, director of sustainability, Sodexo Live!, Orlando
“Sodexo Live! is going to participate in Sodexo’s Goalympics focusing on reducing food waste and implementing environmentally friendly practices for the month of February, in correspondence with WasteWatch by Leanpath timed around the Winter Olympics in Beijing. For example, our team here at the Orange County Convention Center will be on Team Determination and focusing on food recovery through donations and reuse opportunities. The Goalympics event will run from Feb. 1-28 and offers our units the chance to 'medal,' a much-needed feel-good to focus on when things have been so challenging for so long.”
