The buzz word right now for most marketeers, no matter what their product,  is sustainability and how they are being responsible and effecting change for the good.

Events have been increasingly under the spotlight as irresponsible consumers of energy and a shift is happening under our noses, with major events now being used as part of the public policy to leave a legacy of sustainable responsibility, that can be followed by others.

It is worth noting that those on the sustainability bandwagon leave themselves open to criticism – as seen at some high profile events – and this now attracts more attention that the key note speakers.

What we can do is create awareness amongst key stakeholders of the things they can do to make a difference.  And to be truly effective we need to view this holistically as a way of life, rather than a nod to our environmental conscience at the odd event.

The top 3 changes we can make for the good of the planet, both at a personal level and at our events are:

  1. Keep energy consumption to a minimum. Try to turn lights off and keep the heating down wherever possible.  Electricity and Heat production is the No. 1 producer of CO2.
  1. Try not to waste any food, Farming and food generation is intensive and every time a farmer ploughs a field he releases carbon into the atmosphere. Every time he fertilises his fields he does so using chemicals which have been created generating more CO2 into the atmosphere. So intensive farming methods need to be kept to a minimum. Over 1/3rd of what is produced is wasted before it gets to the super-market shelves, and what we go on to throw away doubles that figure.   Try not to waste a morsel. Bring back Doggy Bags.
  1. Take public transport – or better still walk where you can – so be mindful when choosing a location for your next event – it is more important that you may think.

And of course reuse things until they are rubbish – cups, clothes, fast fashion – keep it all under control!