Eco-friendly events: not just a trend, the obvious choice.

Through recent high profile events, such as Cannes Film Festival, it is evident that eco-friendly attitudes are infiltrating all aspects of our daily lives. The CFF lowered its carbon footprint through several tactics: 100% of the carpet used on Marché premises was recyclable, 100% of badge-holders eliminated, 75% less promotional brochures printed and more. At Comshows, we also recently took part in this movement with the tumblr product launch in Shoreditch Studios! By incorporating eco-friendly elements into events your company will be embracing the future while simultaneously inspiring new ideas for your attendees and promoting a socially responsible outlook.

The Film4Climate initiative started the ball rolling at Cannes in that area of the entertainment industry. This initiative is a sign that the film industry recognises its social impact and is embracing its influence to direct massive attention to social issues and shifts in thinking. Its goals and motivations have been discussed at every major film festival this year, from Berlin to Guadalajara to Cannes. We can observe this phenomenon in several other areas of entertainment as well: Action4Climate, Sport4Climate, Fashion4Climate, Music4Climate; all inspired by the Connect4Climate campaign. Climate change affects all people from all walks of life; events across the globe are increasingly recognising this by reducing their carbon footprint and integrating exciting alternative energy sources and promotional materials. This is the opportunity for your company to showcase their innovativeness regarding technological development and creativity.

If you want to show that your company takes their Corporate Social Responsibility seriously and that you are committed to increasing sustainability then holding eco-events is a logical component, whether environmental attitudes are the central reason behind the event, or it could simply be an implicit component.

The possibilities are endless, ranging from technological developments to venues to activities and more! Here are several fun ideas to get you started:

– Create a barcode for attendees to scan upon entrance to the event for tablets and smartphones to download brochures and itineraries of the event, rather than using print versions.

– Encourage attendees to create digital versions of business cards to exchange wirelessly between devices. Not only does this cut out the wasteful aspect of printing physical business cards, it also facilitates the experience of attendees.

– Take advantage of any and every video screen available at the venue, or even consider hiring out more. These screens can be multipurpose, from simply advertising the different elements of the event to raising awareness of sponsors to really embracing that sense of liveness by directing the flow of people from one section to another or manipulating conversation topics by guiding people’s thoughts towards certain subjects.

– The venue! This can embrace the eco-friendly aspect in a variety of nuanced ways. The venue could simply be extremely environmentally-friendly using recycled materials and energy efficient light-bulbs and solar panels. On the other end of the spectrum, a location that holds particular climate-related significance would be very evocative of the theme and inspire unavoidable and exciting conversations regarding this topic. One example of such a venue could be a re-purposed, decommissioned oil tanker.

– Catering also plays a major role in the carbon footprint of an event. A more ecological approach in no way lowers the quality of the catering, but certainly adds a new dimension to it. Suggestions here include serving vegetarian meals and rather than using bottled water, opting instead for reusable, recycled glass bottles. The catering aspect also extends to include the aesthetic presentation of food and drink.

– The event may of course be an activity, in which case the end objective of the event could be emphasized by doing something that positively affects the environment around attendees. For example, a team building exercise could take place outdoors and involve some form of conservation work, such as tree planting.

– Merge the event tokens with eco-friendly practices: hand out coffee cups upon entrance to the event for each attendee to personalise and use throughout the day.

Feel inspired to embrace the change?