We All Can Make a Difference

On April 22nd, we celebrated the 54^th anniversary of Earth Day, which was estimated to be observed by over 200 million people in 192 countries around the globe. While it may seem that one person, meeting, or property cannot impact global change, small commitments to green operations can help. 

Helpful Suggestions to Make Your Event Greener

Here are seven ways you can green your event without costing your organization an arm and a leg:

1. Eliminate swag or goody bags.
   Rather than collecting knickknacks from all the sponsors and exhibitors or buying promotional products, ask everyone to contribute toward a green cause.
2. Go all digital.
   Replace printed programs with apps, digital signage, and LCD Displays.
3. Recycle name badges.
   At the end of your event, ask attendees to pull their name badge from the plastic holder. Have them place the paper in a recycle bin and keep the plastic to use over again.
4. Work toward zero waste with your food and drink.
   The easiest way to do this is to be vigilant about your RSVP process and understand the types of food and drink your attendees want.
   If your numbers cannot be defined, try these two suggestions: work with other events in your venue to see if there are different conventions or meetings at the facility where you can share ingredients or order the same type of meals. In addition, find out the state’s health regulations and donate extra food to a food bank or homeless shelter.
5. Eliminate plastics.
   Ask attendees to bring their own coffee cups and water containers. To eliminate plastics, use glassware, china, and silverware.
6. Organize part of your event outside.
   Get out of the building and breathe the fresh air. Hold a yoga, stretching, or meditation class. Find AV options that work well in the sunlight.
7. Hire a sustainable practices speaker.
   Motivate your attendees with a presenter who can give simple suggestions to be kinder to Mother Earth.

Earth Day occurs once a year, but with the world focused on reducing greenhouse gases and improving our living conditions, we can take simple steps to improve our work, home, and world daily.