Carbon Footprint’, ‘Food Miles’ - expressions which until around six months ago, I had never heard of.  We have been inundated recently with requests for ‘Sustainable Events’, everyone wants to do the right thing, but I don’t think people realise the financial implications in organising such an event and are they really as ‘green’ as you think?  Is this just a fad?  Will conference organisers give up sourcing ‘green’ venues when they realise the cost involved? 

The Conference People support ‘Sustainable Events’ wholeheartedly, we are in the process of compiling a separate database of venues that meet our very stringent checklist of ‘green’ requirements, quite a task, but we are getting there.  The question I would like to ask is are we being realistic in believing we can organise a large event that is sustainable?  

So, let’s look at what buyers expect from a ‘Sustainable/Green Event’: 

Food & Drink 

Locally sourced organic food - Sourcing and supplying this adds on average £20.00 per person to a typical day delegate rate.  As the majority of clients are on a strict budget, this can be problematic.  Sourcing local produce works very well for smaller events of 50-60, but can the local supplier really supply 500 organic chicken breasts regularly?  Will they cut corners to meet the demand?  How would we know if they did anyway? 

Fair-trade Coffee - again, more expensive to supply and the ‘food miles’ used really negates the thought behind using it.  Typically its flown in from say Ethiopia, so the coffee you are drinking at your ’sustainable event’ has actually been flown thousands of miles across the world.  It’s fair to the grower, but is it fair to the environment?  Of course, all coffee has to come from overseas, so perhaps we shouldn’t serve coffee or tea at all, should we refresh delegates with local fruit juice and water only? 

TRAVEL 

Minimise the ‘carbon footprint’ - this really is a tricky one.  Do delegates who are attending a ‘green’ event expect it to be held in a green and open space, plenty of fresh air and countryside, where it is almost impossible to reach by public transport?  Or do we hold it in a city centre where it is much more difficult to be ‘green’ but the ‘carbon footprint’ is minimal?  We had an enquiry like this recently, 400 delegates for two days.  The client requested a venue which will minimise the footprint, but they also wanted a green open space, which are few and far between in most UK cities, especially London, so where do we start?  

There is no grey area here, you either have it in the city and have a relatively low ‘carbon footprint’ or you have it in the country with huge numbers of cars churning up the country lanes, we can’t have our organic cake and eat it I’m afraid.  Of course, we can always rely on ‘carbon credits’ to minimise the impact, but will delegates actually sign up for them and pay from their own pocket? 

HOTEL/CONFERENCE VENUE 

There are so many ways hotels/conference venues are being asked to be ‘green’ it would take forever to address each point, but here’s a couple to think about: 

Hotel amenities - do not replenish the toiletries unless they need to be and ideally dispensers should be used.  Realistically, the majority of people, including myself are horrified at the thought of using a soap dispenser in the shower of a hotel bathroom, you don’t know who has been using it before you and think about the first thing you wash and the last thing the previous occupier washed!  The solution?  Tell delegates to bring their own from home, everyone wins then. 

Hotel towels & linen - for years hotels have popped little cards into hotel rooms stating for ‘environmental reasons’ towels and sheets will only be changed if requested.  Hotels have been pulling this one for years, they are thinking of the bottom line people, not the environment. 

I have merely grazed the surface here; we could debate all day on this subject. Ultimately the big question is ’Do the pro’s outway the con’s in running a ’sustainable event?’  The answer is a resounding YES, but just be realistic, that’s all I’m asking dear readers.