Corporate events are big, especially if they’re only held once a year, and while they have long been a staple in the world of business, they often come with a large carbon footprint.
Luckily, there is now more emphasis than ever on reducing CO2 emissions, and more event professionals and corporations are becoming climate conscious. So, if you have to book a corporate meeting for 2025, you can rest assured that sustainable events are becoming more popular.
Of course, it’s best to be on the safe side, and, in this article, you will discover strategies that you can use to host an array of sustainable corporate meetings and events.
Book a Catering Team
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It may be surprising to learn that the majority of professional business catering solutions have an emphasis on being eco-friendly, and this goes far beyond simply offering a vegan option! Many will transport their food to any meeting space using a green or a hybrid van. There are also the basics of how hiring a catering team is better for the environment, as they operate using reusable cutlery and are experts in predicting how much food will be needed for an event based on the number of guests, so there is less food waste.
Organize a Virtual Event
Studies have found that when it comes to attendees traveling to a conference, they can create over two thousand tonnes of greenhouse gas. Yikes! If you are opting to create a truly eco-friendly corporate meeting, it may be worth looking into hosting a virtual event or meeting.
This will reduce the need for food production, accommodation, and transportation fuel costs and minimize venue energy, simply because everybody will be in their own home! Indeed, this is not perfect, as a virtual event will still create its carbon footprint from network data transfer, but it’s better than having a flock of people commuting to a manor in the countryside using gas-powered vehicles.
Choose a Green & Accessible Event Venue
If you have to have an event that takes place in person, it is well worth looking into a green event venue. This one is sustainable and will meet specific guidelines and standards. This can be tricky to narrow down if you are in a city, but there are some things to look out for on a website that suggests it is a green venue. These include the IACC Green Star, as well as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or LEED) and the Managers Association Building Environment Standards (BOMS BEST). So, keep an eye out and ask if you aren’t sure!
Sustainable Event Vendors
If it has recently become your job to book and host the majority of corporate meetings for your company, but you want to keep it green and sustainable, it is well worth collaborating with sustainable event vendors. This could be working with a car rental company for transporting attendees or hiring a green catering team. Just be sure to ask the right questions when choosing them for long-term contracts. For instance, if you are going to be working with a decorating service for in-person corporate events, ask if the items are recyclable. When working with caterers, ask if the food is locally sourced, seasonal, and organic.