SUSTAINABLE EVENTS: BUILDING A GREENER FUTURE FOR YOUR EVENTS
Sustainability is an essential aspect of any long-term event strategy. Hosting sustainable events can enhance brand image, engage attendees, satisfy stakeholders, reduce your company’s environmental impact, and save costs.
OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE EVENT MANAGEMENT
Castle’s event sustainability expertise goes beyond “green,” emphasizing the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit. We’re not just event managers. We’re stewards of sustainable practices, champions of social responsibility, and advocates for making a difference.
RESPONSIBLE SOURCING & RFP COMPLIANCE
We carefully curate every aspect of an event, starting with selecting partners and suppliers who share your commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. Responsible sourcing and performance are key to producing sustainable events. Our Requests for Proposal (RFPs) include sustainability requirements to ensure we select the best possible partners. We oversee our partners’ practices throughout the planning process to ensure compliance so your organization can confidently communicate its commitments.
WASTE REDUCTION & DIVERSION
Our event experts employ creative strategies to reduce waste and divert materials from landfills, ensuring that your event is as environmentally responsible as it is unforgettable.
REUSING & REPURPOSING
Embracing a circular economy, we find clever ways to reuse and repurpose event materials. We aim to extend the life cycle of items, reducing the demand for new resources.
VENUES
Your event’s venue not only sets the tone but can also significantly influence the environmental impact of your event. If sustainability is a top priority, ensuring your event location aligns with your environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals is often the first place to begin. Castle assists clients in sourcing venues with clear and robust environmental policies, including energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction programs. We also take care to ensure venues are fully accessible, employ fair labor practices, and support vendors in their local community. Where applicable, Castle will suggest venues with recognized sustainability certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Green Seal, or ISO 14001.
TRANSPORTATION & ACCOMMODATIONS
Castle partners with hotels and transportation companies that understand and embrace sustainable practices. This means, when possible, seeking transport vendors that aim to minimize greenhouse gas emissions through efficient energy use, sustainable transportation/vehicle options, and carbon offset initiatives. We source hotel partners implementing water conservation and reducing waste through recycling, composting, and reusable or biodegradable products. From global hotel brands with extensive environmental initiatives to hyper-local venues that source food from rooftop gardens, we can help minimize a group’s overall environmental impact.
MENU PLANNING & FOOD RESCUE
We hate to see good food go to waste and work to avoid it through responsible menu planning. Pending your audience and goals, we will recommend ways to reduce waste associated with your meal functions—eliminating single-serve packaging, selecting locally sourced options, leveraging event data to forecast accurate attendee attrition, and more. Castle can also work with local organizations to help facilitate surplus food rescue, redirecting it to those in need.
ECO-FRIENDLY SIGNAGE & COLLATERAL
Our use of eco-friendly materials for signage and collateral ensures that your brand is showcased sustainably and kept out of landfills. Castle will bring all digital and print options to the table for discussion to meet varying goals and budgets.
EVENT TECHNOLOGY
Harnessing the power of technology, we implement innovative solutions to streamline processes, reduce paper usage, and enhance the overall efficiency of your event. Strategies include:
- Digital invitations, registration, and ticketing
- Artificial intelligence (AI) for brainstorming and efficiency
- On-demand name badge printing, digital badges, and RFID
- Event apps to house digital event collateral (agendas, maps, etc.) and amplify connectivity
- Digital and light-projected signage and branding
- Interactive displays, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR)
- Gamify sustainability initiatives and reduced handouts at exhibits
- Digital feedback and surveys
Interested to hear more about trends in event technology? Check out our Wired for Success webinar.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
At Castle, we believe in authentic, inclusive events celebrating diverse perspectives. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are essential triple bottom-line elements. Fostering social inclusivity, environmental responsibility, and economic vitality will ensure that your event and message are authentic and sustainable for years to come.
COMMUNITY GIVEBACK & DONATIONS
We encourage and facilitate community giveback programs, including Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs and donations—both financial and physical—to local causes that matter, leaving a positive legacy in the areas where your events take place.
HYBRID & VIRTUAL EVENTS
Whether the goal is to minimize environmental impact, broaden your reach, provide equitable access—or a combination of all three—Castle’s expertise in hybrid and virtual event management leverages the latest technologies to connect people worldwide.
CARBON OFFSET
There are countless benefits to meeting in person, but bringing people together can be environmentally damaging. Castle can help source and support carbon offset initiatives in areas important to the local community and your organization if your budget allows.
SUSTAINABLE EVENT PLANNING GUIDED BY ESG PRINCIPLES
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles guide all aspects of our planning. Even if sustainability isn’t your primary focus, Castle’s commitment will improve your event’s footprint, leaving a positive impression on your stakeholders, bottom line, and the planet.
Castle endorses the Events Industry Council’s Principles for Sustainable Events.
TESTIMONIALS
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT OUR EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
EVENT SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES ON OUR BLOG
EVENT SUSTAINABILITY FAQ
WHAT IS A SUSTAINABLE EVENT?
A sustainable event is designed to minimize its environmental impact while fostering social and economic benefits. Sustainable events incorporate eco-friendly practices throughout planning, execution, and post-event activities. From choosing venues that reduce energy consumption and invest in the community, boosting the local economy by hiring local suppliers and staff, using biodegradable, recycled, or reusable materials for event set-ups and décor, and employing digital signage and sustainable catering, all event elements should be approached with sustainability in mind.
WHY HOST SUSTAINABLE EVENTS?
Conference and meeting attendees are becoming more aware of how their actions, especially travel, impact the environment and are more conscious when choosing which events to attend. Organizations can help environmental efforts and gain significant business advantages by hosting sustainable events. For example, sustainable events can stand out in a crowded market, help build a positive brand image, and appeal to eco-conscious attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders. Additionally, there are cost-saving benefits over the long run through reduced resource usage, such as lower electrical charges, printing expenses, and shipping costs.
WHAT IS EVENT SUSTAINABILITY?
Event sustainability is the practice of organizing and managing events to minimize their negative environmental, social, and economic impacts while maximizing positive contributions to the community and environment. This involves implementing strategies to reduce waste, conserve resources, and lower carbon emissions through recycling, using renewable energy, and promoting public transportation. Sustainable events also prioritize ethically sourcing materials, ensuring products and services are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. Additionally, event sustainability encompasses social inclusivity by making events accessible and supporting local communities through fair labor practices and community engagement. By integrating these practices, event sustainability aims to create positive, lasting impacts beyond the event itself, fostering a culture of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE EVENT MANAGEMENT?
Sustainable event management involves planning and organizing events with the deliberate intention to minimize adverse environmental impacts and positively influence your community and economy. Some key practices in sustainable event management include selecting eco-friendly venues, implementing waste reduction methods, offering sustainable transportation options such as the use of public transportation, carpooling, and shuttle services, supplying digital collateral (i.e., signage and event programs), using local suppliers and products to reduce emissions, and involving local vendors and community members to support local economies.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOSTING A SUSTAINABLE EVENT?
There are many benefits to hosting sustainable events locally, nationally, and globally. Sustainable events can engage local communities, promote local culture and support local businesses, building goodwill and strengthening community ties. When orchestrated correctly, sustainable events prioritize social equity and accessibility, ensuring the event is enjoyable and open to all, and enhancing the attendee experience. Events are excellent platforms for educating participants about sustainability and encouraging them to adopt similar practices in their lives and businesses. Successful sustainable events can serve as a model for others, enabling broader adoption of eco-friendly practices across the industry.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF SUSTAINABLE EVENTS?
Sustainable events aim to create positive and lasting environmental and community impacts and help to ensure your event is profitable year over year. See our holistic approach to sustainable event management above.
HOW DO YOU HOST A SUSTAINABLE EVENT?
It all starts with your sustainability goals. Once your objectives and budget have been set, there are numerous ways to incorporate sustainability into your event format. Listed below are just a few ideas:
- Sourcing eco-friendly hotels, transportation partners, and other vendors that share a commitment to sustainability
- Using digital tickets and programs to reduce paper waste
- Providing water refill stations to minimize single-use plastic bottles
- Implementing energy-efficient lighting and sound systems
- Offering plant-based or locally sourced food options
- Using recyclable or compostable materials for signage, badges and decorations
- Ensuring the event is accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
- Involving local communities in planning and execution and supporting local businesses and services.
- Prioritizing the well-being of attendees, staff, and volunteers through safe and healthy practices.
- Sourcing goods and services locally to support the local economy and reduce transportation emissions.
- Ensuring fair wages and working conditions for all involved in the event.
- Communicate and educate attendees about the event’s sustainability efforts
At the beginning of the planning process, Castle will learn about or help define your event sustainability goals and find solutions that fit your program’s specific needs.
HOW DO I FIND A GOOD SUSTAINABLE EVENT PLANNING COMPANY?
When looking for a sustainable event management company, start by researching and seeking referrals from colleagues, friends, or professional networks who have experience with sustainable events. Review potential companies’ portfolios and case studies to see examples of past events they have organized, paying close attention to how they implemented sustainable practices. Look for companies with industry certified planners (e.g. Sustainable Event Professional Certificate (SEPC) through the EIC) . Evaluate their responsiveness and willingness to discuss sustainable options tailored to your specific event needs. While considering budget, weigh their services’ overall value and long-term benefits.
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