As green living becomes more and more important, it pays for event organizers to consider how they can make their own events more planet-friendly. Whether you’re planning a multi-day exhibition or a one-off product promotion, there are plenty of ways for you to up your event’s eco credentials. In today’s article from the sustainable beauty experts at Herbfarmacy, we’ll be taking you through just a few of these – giving you the essential ingredients you’ll need to pull off an impactful eco-friendly event.

Opt for paperless promotion

Spreading the word about your event can often be complicated, time-consuming and expensive – but by committing to paperless promotion through your mobile event app or email marketing, you’ll not only save money and time, but you’ll help protect our planet’s trees, too. The online world offers a treasure trove of opportunity to reach and engage with attendees. From e-magazines through to email marketing and social media, digitally savvy event organizers will find pulling in the numbers doesn’t have to require piles of paper – so consider putting away the printer and focusing on your online activity instead.

Buy locally

Procurement is a critical part of event organization, and finding the right suppliers can be a tricky business. Reducing your event’s carbon footprint should be about making the most of local suppliers instead of bringing them in from further afield. By doing this, you’ll drastically reduce transportation pollution, while also offering a great opportunity to showcase and support local businesses. From organic, locally grown produce used in the catering through to local equipment hire, it’s worth searching for suppliers closer to home before thinking of bringing in businesses from afar.

Cut back on waste

It’s no secret that we, as humans, waste a lot. From paper and food to materials and energy, we’re notoriously wasteful – which is why cutting back on your event’s waste is so crucial if you’re aiming to be eco-friendly. With roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption – or 1.3 billion tons – wasted every year, keeping the amount of food left over to a minimum should be your priority. Think carefully about how you much you buy in; of course, you need enough to go around, but try not to purchase excessively – and if you’re left with food after the event is over, you could consider organizing a donation of leftovers to charity.

 Other areas where you can cut back on wastage include the decorations. Instead of buying everything brand-new, why not simply hire items and then return them to the vendor after the event? This way, you’ll prevent unwanted decorations being locked away for a lifetime or simply binned. And when it comes to eating on the day, it’s much more eco-friendly to rent china rather than buy disposable plastic plates in bulk. While it may be more expensive, the planet will certainly thank you for it.

Choose the right venue

When it comes to eco-friendliness, there are a few rules you should follow when finding the perfect building. Many newer buildings were constructed using environmentally friendly practices, which makes them your best bet when hunting for an eco-friendly venue. It’s always worth checking, but many will use low-energy lighting and modern heating units and will implement ongoing green initiatives to continually improve their sustainability.

The second thing to think about when looking for an eco-friendly venue is its proximity to public transport. Having a clear idea of where your attendees are traveling from is key here, as you’ll need to know how they plan to get to you. Encourage the use of public transport by ensuring there are ample bus and train services nearby, or the venue is within a reasonable walking distance – and if attendees are keen to drive, ask that they carpool to reduce the use of fossil fuel-consuming cars.

Maximize your event marketing and communications

Amplify your eco-friendly message by spreading the green word to your attendees. From your social media followers to any speakers on the day, let everybody know why your event is environmentally friendly and how they can be, too. We recommend using the internal messaging system found in your event app because you have the options of automated email, SMS, or gamification to see how your attendees are engaging with the content you’re putting out. Green bonus? It’s paperless!

Whether it’s for a single cause close to your heart or you’re simply intent on protecting the planet as a whole, educating attendees on green practices can create a ripple effect that goes far beyond the venue doors. And, if you’re unable to do this yourself for whatever reason, you could ask an environmental charity or campaigner to host a stall so they can share their knowledge instead.

Whether your event is targeted at an environmentally conscious crowd or you’d just like to improve the eco-credentials of your events in general, going green doesn’t have to be difficult. By following the tips in this post, your event will already be considerably more Earth-friendly – so make sure to keep them handy when you’re next planning.

This post was brought to you by Tegan Denwood, a guest poster from the UK. Tegan works with social media marketing by day and volunteers as an events assistant for a local concert venue.