With business’ rising demands for PR campaigns, event management is increasingly becoming a vital service for PR agencies to offer their clients. 

Whether it’s a small community gathering or a large stakeholder event, it’s vital that in 2024, PR professionals can navigate their events towards a new sustainable event planning future. When organising an environmentally friendly event, it’s important to think about the impact of your planning on the ecosystem. A study by the Events Industry Council found that implementing sustainable practices can result in a 20-30% reduction in costs and a 60-80% reduction in waste.

“So, what can I be doing to make my client’s events more environmentally friendly as well as still producing a successful event?” we hear you ask.

6 Ways to incorporate sustainable event management into your business:

1. Virtual invites

As tempting as it is to send out a glossy paged non-recyclable paper invitation to your guests, over time this can add up to around 1016kg of paper –  the equivalent of twenty-four trees. So why not try a digital invitation? This way you can still make it look professional but create far less impact on the planet. 

2. Travel

Encouraging sustainable transport methods can be a great way to get your guests using public transport, biking or even walking to the event.

3. Suppliers

Given that event planning is an ever-growing trade, it can become extremely overwhelming to find the perfect supplier. Why not look a little closer to home? Use local businesses or suppliers that are more socially responsible to avoid not only travelling to the supplier, but also allows your client to support local businesses and trades in the area.

4. Tableware

Rather than using plastic and paper tableware for your event, why not get something that you can use again? Get ahead of the game, and think about products that can be re-used for future events. This could include glasses, crockery and metal cutlery which can be used over and over again.

5. Sustainable lanyards

At events, lanyards are a great way to identify yourself  and the company you represent.  However, the majority of lanyards end up being discarded after the event. According to the WWF, plastic can take up to 30 years to break down, so why not source an eco-friendly alternative such as a seed paper lanyard –  which incorporates wildflower seeds and recycled paper.

6. Location, location, location

When looking for an event space, many factors come into play from the view, how many people it can host, and if it fits the aesthetic for the event. So before you book, find out how sustainable the building is and what the location can mean for the local area. For example, is it a net zero space? Net zero buildings help to reduce energy demand, have little impact on the environment and help cut carbon. Do some digging and ask the event space how they are approaching sustainability – then share any inspiring stories with your guests.

Steps to support sustainable event management in future

With spring just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about your future eco-friendly event. 

We can help with your event, whether that be a virtual press event for overseas media, a client sports day or launch party in London, we can help you to make your event sustainable. 

If you would like to get in touch with our events team, contact us here.