Recent years have been highly focused on making the global environment sustainable. From private firms to corporate giants, everyone is making considerable efforts to be a part of the eco-friendly future. Despite the introduction and use of sustainable production materials, certain domains still contribute to polluted environments. Event planning and management is one of them. Some event planners organize large corporate events using materials that leave an impact on the clean environment. While valid, there is a new wave in the industry consistently aiming for sustainable event planning.
This new wave covers prominent names in the event planning market who have analyzed the needs of the hour and derived eco-friendly solutions for corporate event planning. If you have multiple New York events lined up on your corporate calendar and want eco-friendly event planners to do the job, you have arrived at the right place.
Before proceeding to the planning part, let’s dive deeper to understand the popular trends in eco-friendly event planning together. We will also discuss the most vital tips you should be aware of when aiming for sustainable celebrations.
Corporate Event Planning: Achieving Celebrations With Sustainability
The growing awareness about building a greener global society has greatly influenced the business world. Modern consumer brands have let go of their old manufacturing practices to acquire new, more sustainable materials. Organizations are keen to set a strong footprint in the eco-friendly business world. While many entities have successfully transitioned into sustainability, others are making bold efforts to accomplish the objective.
According to the statistics published by Deloitte, 67% of companies are using more sustainable materials like recycled materials and lower-emitting products. When it comes to event planning, the need for sustainable materials is clearly evident. Modern event planners aim to reduce the carbon footprint by adopting eco-friendly practices in setting up venues, sourcing materials, and organizing company parties.
To better understand why eco-friendly event planning is crucial in the corporate sectors, have a look at the following factors.
Reduced Impact on the Environment
Eco-friendly practices in corporate event planning help reduce the impact on the environment. Event planners focus on waste reduction, energy conservation, and the use of sustainable materials to reduce the impact of meetings, conferences, and other corporate parties on the environment.
Positive Company Reputation
Corporate organizations are highly conscious of their market reputation. They avoid all steps and procedures that can negatively impact their presence in competitive circles. With sustainable event planning joining the equation, large organizations can have a drastically positive influence on their market presence. They can also spread the message of building a cleaner environment among other enterprises.
Cost-Effectiveness
Adopting eco-friendly practices in event management can help corporate entities in saving potential costs. The expenses associated with printing marketing and other materials can be cut short by opting for digital means of communication. Plus, using recyclable materials instead of single-use products can help reduce overall material costs. These factors can help you effectively plan your upcoming events in terms of cost allocation and management.
Positive Attendee Experience
Corporate events are typically large, with attendees from various industries and professions. Each attendee takes a positive or negative experience with them as they return from the activities of the conducted session. With an eco-friendly party arrangement, the company’s motive and commitment to a greener society can positively influence each attendee. They can spread the message in their own communities, creating a trickle-down impact in the business world.
Popular Trends in Eco-Friendly Corporate Event Planning
Making a decision for a corporate event plan can be full of challenging variables. From venue selection to choosing materials and organizing the event setup, each factor is equally concerning. We have covered the most popular eco-friendly event planning trends below to help you streamline your ideas for a successful corporate event.
Sustainable Event Venues (Green and Accessible)
Choosing the right NYC event venue is the most challenging and time-consuming part of planning a sustainable corporate event. When deciding on the location, you may keep a few factors in check. LEED-certified buildings are highly trending for eco-friendly event planning. You may also look for certifications like IACC Green Star and Managers Association Building Environment Standards (BOMA BEST).
Moreover, aim for green and accessible venues. Pay attention to how the energy is sourced and utilized in the venue. It would be best if the site is close to your attendees’ hotels.
Digital Invites for Everyone
The trend of printed invites for corporate event attendees is phasing out rapidly. Modern organizations incorporate sustainability in this process. They opt for digital invites to reduce their carbon footprint. When planning your upcoming event, invest in digitalization instead of printing materials. This way, you can reduce printing costs associated with each event and opt for one-time digital investments.
A good way to share e-invites is by sending emails to the guests. If there are multiple categories of attendees, sharing the digital invite on your company’s social media pages (with instructions) can be a great alternative.
Hybrid Corporate Events
Hybrid corporate events have become widely popular in various global regions. Depending on your event’s goals, you can opt for a hybrid event model. Large-scale events can be difficult to manage effectively. From finding accessible hotel locations for attendees to organizing their transportation, every stage can be tricky in terms of sustainability.
With a hybrid event model, you can rely on digital tools to conduct online conferences with a small group of hosts gathered in a specific venue. Plus, attendees may like the convenience factor over physically attending a corporate event.
Eco-Friendly Transportation
A common culprit that majorly contributes to carbon emissions is transportation. With many fuel-burning cars heading to the same location, the area surrounding the event venue can be easily polluted. When aiming for an eco-friendly event, the best way is to minimize the number of vehicles for transporting the attendees. Encouraging carpooling and ridesharing practices can help you achieve sustainability.
You can also book public transit for your guests to arrive at the location. If possible, using hybrid or electric vehicles to pick up and drop off the event attendees can help you reduce the carbon impact on the environment.
Combining Accommodations With Venues
Another popular trend in modern-day corporate event planning is combining accommodations with venues. It is the ultimate method to reduce the carbon impact on the environment. Arranging events in a multi-purpose location can help you minimize the need for transportation. It can also be effective in saving time and resources involved in gathering foreign guests in a particular location.
Opting for venues with solar-powered accommodations can meet your demands for an eco-friendly corporate event. Seeking help from eco-friendly event planners can facilitate you in acquiring such sites.
Vital Tips for Conducting Eco-Friendly Corporate Events
Now that you are aware of the popular trends in sustainable event planning, you might want to know how you can conduct successful and eco-friendly company parties. Many critical factors jump into the equation when organizing events in the corporate domain.
To help you make the best choices, we have covered some vital tips for organizing a memorable, sustainable corporate event below.
Avoid Using Plastic Materials
Plastic water bottles, goodie bags, and other materials are considered must-haves in a typical corporate event. While they facilitate the attendees in many ways, plastic goods can severely impact the environment. Modern event planning does not encourage the use of such materials. Eco-friendly event planners opt for sustainable options, like reusable water containers and giveaway packages, to reduce their carbon footprint.
Avoid using plastic materials wherever possible to ensure your event’s success as an environmentally friendly gathering. Do your research on suitable alternatives or consult professional event planners for this purpose. They can help you pick cost-effective recyclable materials for your upcoming corporate event.
Offer Green Catering (Organic Foods)
Want to make an impact on a higher level? Offering green catering can help you accomplish this goal. It is a unique and optimal way of promoting a sustainable society in corporate communities. Green and organic foods can be used as compost when left for waste. Discouraging the use of imported and canned foods can help you promote the message of healthy living among your guests.
Plus, you can offer organic foods in recyclable packages instead of single-use plastic bags. Spread the message of promoting healthy living by sharing your idea behind green catering with your attendees.
Choose Digital Over Physical
Digitalization is the new normal in the corporate world. While most large enterprises rely on digital tools for conducting business (internally and externally), they often overlook the use of these efficient means in mega-events. When organizing your next company gathering, focus on digital means of communication and marketing instead of physical counterparts.
Such efforts can help you reduce paper waste and energy consumption associated with creating handouts and other promotional materials. Focus on using QR codes to help attendees join a meeting link from their smartphones.
Involve Your Guests in Eco-Friendly Activities
Despite the acknowledgment of green initiatives in businesses, there is a dire need for normalizing practices that promote a sustainable environment. When planning your corporate event’s schedule, take some time to organize activities involving guests to promote the golden message of eco-friendliness. These may include feedback sessions about green packaging, catering, and transportation. You can also conduct tree-planting activities with your chief guests to promote a positive message.
Conducting such activities can materialize your efforts of organizing an eco-friendly corporate gathering. Seeking help from professional event planners can benefit you in this regard. They can guide you about various activities you can plan to promote a greener environment.
Invest in Green Transportation
Be a part of the eco-friendly transportation trend when planning a corporate event. Gathering guests at the venue is a major challenge in terms of transportation. An effective solution to reduce the carbon impact on the environment is to use green transportation. Electric buses and cars can be ideal for this purpose. Moreover, consider vehicles with larger seating capacities to minimize the total number of cars or buses used for transportation.
This initiative can help you conduct large-scale events without impacting the neighboring areas. You can also gain recognition for opting for sustainable methods of transportation.
Analyze, Evaluate, and Share the Results (After the Event)
Positive efforts are as effective as their impact on society. After thoroughly planning and conducting an eco-friendly corporate event, do not forget to share the measured outcomes of your efforts with your attendees. The outcomes may cover cost reduction, reduced carbon impact, reduced waste, and other factors highlighting the positive effects of sustainable material usage.
You can share the results with your community via newsletters, personalized emails, or generic social media posts. Such efforts can help you in creating a bigger impact in the competitive market.
FAQs About Eco-Friendly Events in New York City
How can I make my NYC event more eco-friendly?
Start by coordinating with vendors and event services who also value sustainable methods. Make small decisions wherever possible, like going plastic-free. And adopt every paperless technology for invitations and registration that makes sense for your NYC event.
What is ESG when it comes to event planning?
ESG means planning an event using Environmental, Social, and Governance best practices in your efforts.
What makes an event sustainable?
Any event that takes active steps to promote preservation can be viewed as sustainable. Preserving the environment, along with efforts to promote health, be inclusive, and eco-friendly are all steps towards curating sustainable events.
Final Thoughts About Eco-Friendly Events
Corporate event planning is a complex domain that takes careful planning, significant research, and intelligent sourcing. When aiming for sustainable event planning, these factors can be even more critical to address. As a decision maker, you may have a huge responsibility for planning a successful event for your organization. Even the smallest miscalculation can be impactful on many levels, affecting the whole company’s reputation in the market.
By incorporating the trends and tips discussed above, you can achieve a highly effective event planning equation with eco-friendliness in focus. Your attendees can take inspiration from your efforts and promote the message of building a green society in their professional circles. Whether it is about adopting environmentally friendly business practices or transforming the entire organizational infrastructure, corporate professionals can expand your cause beyond your imagination.
However, it is worth remembering that planning and conducting the discussed methods on your own can be more than challenging. This is where professional event planners come to your rescue. They can take the burden off your shoulders and help you achieve your event planning vision in an incredibly effective manner.
Ready to take your corporate event planning vision to the next level? EMRG Media is a leading name in large-scale event management. Get in touch with us today to bring your valuable ideas to the table and explore your options for an eco-friendly corporate event.
