Tips for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly conference

Sustainability is an important issue for many companies and organisations. This is also true for conferences, which can have a significant environmental impact. Making a few small changes can make conferences more sustainable and contribute to a more sustainable future.

In this article, we explore what the changes could look like and what differences it could lead to.

Digital materials and electronic devices

The use of digital materials is a simple and effective way to reduce paper consumption at conferences. Replacing printed programmes, tickets, presentations and other materials with digital versions can save large amounts of paper, reducing carbon emissions from production and transport.

In addition to reducing paper consumption, digital materials also have other benefits, including

• participants can access digital materials from any device, anywhere in the world
• they can be more interactive and engaging
• digital materials can include multimedia, animations and other features that can make them more interesting for participants.

In addition, there are many different ways to use digital materials at conferences. Some examples are:

• Digital programmes: replace printed programmes with digital programmes to reduce paper consumption.
• Digital tickets: replace physical tickets with digital tickets to save time and money.
• Digital presentations: use digital presentations to make presentations more interactive and engaging.
• Digital materials: offer digital materials, such as articles, reports and presentations, to make information more accessible and shareable.

For digital materials to replace physical materials, you need to make sure that they work well on different devices so that it is easy for participants to access the materials. You also need to make sure that the materials are available on a website or app that is easy to use.

Make sure the materials are clear and easy to read. Also use large fonts and clear images.

Sustainable places

By choosing a sustainable conference venue, you can help reduce the environmental impact of your conference. A sustainable conference venue has put in place measures to reduce its environmental impact. This may include:

• Energy-efficient lighting: using LEDs and other energy-efficient lamps can reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
• Solar energy: solar panels can be used to generate electricity, which can reduce the need for fossil fuels.
• Water-saving measures: using water-saving taps and showers can reduce water consumption.
• Environmental certifications: some conference venues are certified by organisations such as the Nordic Ecolabel or Miljöbyggnad. These certifications guarantee that the venue fulfils certain sustainability requirements.

Energy saving

Using LED lights and ensuring that electronic devices and lights are switched off when not in use can reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, especially during a conference where a lot of electricity can be used.

To save on electricity consumption, conference participants can:

• use energy-efficient appliances
• switching off lights and appliances during breaks and other times when they are not in use
• switch on power saving mode on electronic devices such as phones and computers
• use daylight as much as possible.

Local and seasonal food

Local and seasonal food has a lower environmental impact than food that is transported long distances. This is because less energy and resources are required to produce and transport food grown or raised close to the conference venue.

Some additional benefits of using local and seasonal food are that it tastes better and is often more nutritious than food transported long distances. It also helps to support local farmers and the economy.

When choosing local and seasonal food, it is important to consider the following:

• Which foods are in season during the dates of the conference?
• Where is the food produced?
• How far does the food have to be transported to the conference venue?

Waste management

Having recycling and composting systems in place can reduce the amount of waste generated at a conference. This can help protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions.

Some additional tips to reduce waste at a conference are to:

• minimise the use of disposable products
• use reusable or biodegradable alternatives
• inform participants about waste management systems.

Sustainable transport

Encouraging participants to use public transport, carpooling or other more sustainable transport options can reduce carbon emissions from transport. To attract conference participants to more sustainable transport, you can:

• offer discounts or other incentives for participants who use sustainable transport options
• liaise with local public transport authorities to offer discounts for participants
• provide information on sustainable transport options on the conference website.

Offsetting carbon dioxide emissions

For larger conferences, consider investing in carbon offsetting for the event's carbon footprint. This can help offset carbon emissions that cannot be avoided. You can do this by choosing a reputable organisation that is committed to reducing carbon emissions and ensuring that the offset is effective and not just a greenwash.

Eco-friendly gifts and giveaways

It is always nice and uplifting when there is a gift for the conference participants or if you run a giveaway during the conference. By choosing eco-friendly gifts and giveaways, you can show your commitment to sustainability.

Some great examples of eco-friendly gifts and giveaways are:

• reusable water bottles
• cloth bags
• products such as notepads made from recycled materials.

Evaluation and feedback

After the conference, you can gather feedback from participants to understand how to improve sustainability measures for future events. Together, we can come up with more creative solutions to go greener at work.

Curious about how we at IVA Conference Centre work with sustainability and hold more environmentally friendly conferences? Here is a selection of what we do.