How to Plan an Eco Event - Part 2
Whether you’re planning an office party, a brand launch, or an annual meeting of your co-op members, all event planners have one thing in common – you want the event to be a success. So imagine hosting a killer event with every seat in the house taken, the audio/visual components working smoothly, the attendees are excited and engaged, the refreshments work out just right, and then, in the closing remarks, you get to tell everyone that entire event was also hosted with zero waste. Not only did you crush the event, but you also did it in a way that aligns perfectly with your brand and also makes mother earth smile a little brighter. Sounds nice, right?
Well your friends at Modern Species have put together a bunch of tips on how to keep your next event Eco. So many we decide to make it into a 2 part series.
Read Part 1 of our Eco Event Planning Series HERE
TIPS FOR HOSTING A GREEN EVENT - Part 2
Marketing & Materials
Mailing Lists - It has taken you years to cultivate that list of potential attendees, but when was the last time you cleaned up that list? How many people have moved, left their company, or lost interested in your company since they signed up? Even though it takes some effort, it’s worth the time to occasionally clean up that valuable list of yours so you don’t waste precious time, goods, and money sending out materials to the wrong address. That being said, if you ever get a marketing piece from a company you no longer want to hear from, do them a favor and take yourself off their mailing list. It’s the nice thing to do.
Print or Digital - Since we’re living in the modern digital era, you should take the time to consider what’s worth printing, and what would be better as a digital piece. Try thinking of it this way – if it’s not worth holding on to for six months, it’s probably not worth physically producing and shipping across town (or across the country). For example, a really beautiful, letter-pressed invite with gorgeous type and illustrations might adorn a bookshelf for years. Whereas the cheap tri-fold conference brochure that just regurgitates the content already on the website…. well, maybe that could have been an email, or Facebook post and saved you the print/post costs. So make your print piece special, or just go digital.
Go Green - The time will come when you just can’t escape producing some sort of signage, swag, or other event material. Since there is no way around it, why not go green? There are so many options out there these days from soy-based inks to recycled/recyclable materials to ethical manufacturing. Just try not to get caught up comparing the cost of ethically-produced, green products to those crappy made-in-you-know-where items made by companies that often pay kids next-to-nothing to make their products out of horrible, polluting ingredients. These are bad for your mojo, bad for the people making them, and bad for the economy. So if it’s not worth producing ethically, it’s not worth producing.
Decor
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (or compost) - Now that the DIY (do it yourself) movement has taken over the world, there are so many more products out there to help you make your event picture perfect, and on a tight budget. So we encourage you to think creatively when decorating for your next event, whether it’s a large trade show or a simple dinner. For example, why not use old books as a centerpiece instead of flowers, or salvage fruit crates to display your goods at the conference. People will appreciate your uniqueness, and when you tell them you did it all in the name of green, they will respect you that much more. Whatever you plan to make though, just think first about what you’ll do with it at the end. If the answer is landfill, think of another idea.
Source Local - Does your centerpiece need to be flown in from Denmark? Probably not. So just as you would with catering, think local for all your decorations/flowers/props. You might find a local manufacturer, a robust thrift shop, or a local craft store that has all the supplies you need. It makes for more interesting pieces and it keeps that good karma flowing.
We hope you have enjoyed our tips, and good luck planning your next event.