How do we host more sustainable parties ?

Something that used to break my heart when I worked in hotels was seeing all the food and paper waste.
How can our industry collaborate to prevent climate change and make events eco-friendly?
Well, there are many actions we can implement to avoid waste and have more sustainable events.

Being more green-conscious not only will help you to keep away bad press, but it will make your event more cost-efficient, will engage your staff with your mission, and improve your image.
Here are some basic steps we could all take:

Catering

Preventing wasting food is easier for social than corporate events.
When organizing a wedding or birthday party, you normally know weeks in advance the final number of guests. It is crucial for the catering team to know the exact number of invites at least 10 days prior, as they need to order and purchase the products.
 
The truth is that I have seen more waste in corporate events. The majority of these events are hosted by companies and they invite their key clients or prospects.
Therefore, food and beverages must be copious. But, sometimes, assistance is not mandatory so participants will register and then just no show.
 
Besides the deadline for registrations, I would highly recommend following up with your attendees. It is also a nice gesture for the sales team to have a personalized conversation and let them know how important their presence is to you.
If this does not work or it is hard to implement, ask the catering team to prepare to take away bags for the staff with leftovers. This gesture would be appreciated by your logistic team (AV staff, security, etc.)

Daylight saving

As much as it is possible, I would always encourage my clients to organize their events outside.
I know, this is not very easy to arrange, but when you think about it, when was the last time you participated in an open-air conference?
Instead of organizing a “We appreciate you” cocktail or dinner during wintertime, what about a “We appreciate you” lunch outside? During spring or late summer?
Enjoying nature is not only good for your health, but also for your business. If you show some originality in the way you do events, your audience will value your efforts.

In Geneva, we have a few green-friendly establishments where you could organize your next seminar while enjoying a sustainable environment. If this option interests you, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Paperless

As an old-school millennial who loves books, this one is very challenging for me. Yet, for many years I witnessed a lot of paper waste during conferences and seminars.
Nowadays, we can find everything online. Printing hundreds and hundreds of pages for a product launch or annual review that no one will read is a waste of time, money, and trees.
 
Keep the paper for menus and wedding invitations, otherwise, move to digital. A digital version of Save the Date, RSVP, programs, and so forth, could be created. If you are planning a big event, you could create a website or app for it, where all the guests will be able to find the information they need.

Choose your green suppliers

Going green is more than a trend. Efforts must be made everywhere if we truly wish to stop climate change.
Therefore, before contracting any new supplier I would make sure they have taken some green initiatives like LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or similar, recycling bins, or any type of waste management.
The catering company should offer vegan and vegetarian options, as well as local and seasonal products. Some local labels like BIO Suisse and GRTA should be mandatory for an event in the Geneva area.
If you are working with other companies, you can refer to the Swiss Ecolabel Index to know more. 

Let everybody know

It is beneficial to your company’s image to promote your eco-friendly event, but not only that. As mentioned before, being and acting consciously is not a trend anymore, it is a commitment we should all take.
Communicate to your guests, partners, sponsors, and vendors what your goals are in terms of sustainability for your events. Ask them to do the same and keep moving forward.
As they say, there is no Planet B.