11 Easy Tips on How to Organize a Sustainable Event

Julie Starr • October 24, 2020



Going green should no longer be the last thought when it is time to plan an event. No matter the type of event or how big it is, you should always consider how it will impact the environment. The global event and meeting industry is worth a whopping $840 million , with a quarter of the amount being the programs’ marketing budgets. Many companies might feel that using a much greener approach might be expensive, however, when you carefully examine a more environmentally friendly event, you will find that they are, in fact, more budget-friendly. 

Thankfully, there are newer innovations that help when it comes to planning green programs. As people are continuously growing to become more climate-conscious , it might not be long before organizing sustainable events becomes a requirement. So, what can you do if you find yourself planning an event? Here are a few sustainable tips:

Select a green venue
 It would not help to host an event at a location that does not adopt climate-friendly practices or is not particularly green. One of the best things you can do is select an eco-friendly venue that would reduce your carbon footprint. So, when you are planning your next event, consider a modern-day location with upgraded systems designed to conserve water, electricity, and smart temperature control. You can also ask about your venue’s waste management process, including their composting or recycling policies. If you cannot find a green-accredited space, you can look for one that still has some concrete environmentally friendly policies or practices. 

Use a green meeting calculator
 If you are having trouble finding a suitable eco-friendly destination, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is here to help you. ICAO has created an app to help you find meeting venues or locations that will have the lowest impact on your carbon emissions. 

The calculator will rank the best destination for your event based on your number of guests and your current location. You can download the app from Google Playstore or the Apple Store. 

Include locally sourced foods in your menu
 When planning a sustainable event, you should strongly consider what kinds of food to include in your menu. For best results, opt for local and seasonal fruits, vegetables, and meats where possible. Eating seasonal or local might seem like a recent trend or fad, but it does have its advantages. Local foods have a richer flavor and are more nutritious. It is also cost-efficient to eat local or seasonal as it reduces storage and transportation costs. 

Donate any leftovers
 Food waste is a significant environmental issue. Aside from that, we end up wasting the resources that go into preparing that food as well. When we waste food, we end up wasting nearly a quarter of water supply in the form of uneaten foods. It also comes with a massive carbon footprint burden because it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas when food is left to rot. So, instead of throwing any leftover dishes after an event, you can choose to donate to soup kitchens or local charities. You can check with your venue if they have any donation programs. That way, you can make an impact. Ideally, to reduce food wastage, you can ask your attendees’ dietary requirements in advance to help you get a clearer idea of how much food to order for your event. Additionally, you can also opt to have plated meals instead of a buffet. 

Plan sustainable or environmentally friendly activities

Activities are a great way to keep your event guests attentive and thoroughly entertained. If you are looking to have an eco-friendlier program, you can develop some sustainable activities; you can organize tree-planting exercises or even beach clean-ups. These team-building activities will keep them active and learn more about their environment. Plus, your guests will feel more fulfilled for helping protect the environment. 

Use sustainable cutlery and packaging
 Plastic cutlery, bottles, and Styrofoam are harmful to the environment because they do not decompose as quickly as organic compounds do. It can take up to 1000 years for plastic to decompose in a landfill because the chemical bonds in those materials are not present in nature. Therefore, there are no naturally occurring elements to help break it down. When trying to practice sustainable eating at events, the best option is to use reusable cutlery. Get rid of all the plasticware including all straws, plastic spoons, and even plastic decor. Instead of providing water bottles, you can have water stations or fountains installed. You can see this as a way to get more creative and look out for biodegradable or compostable items to use instead. 

Go paperless
 Most events typically tend to use a lot of paper. Sometimes, even your venue might provide you with branded notepads and plastic pens to help attendees make short notes during the program. Plus, you might have to print out brochures, program line ups, invitation cards, and so on. While these papers might look nice, the sad fact is that more than half of them end up in waste bins at the end of the day. Not only would it negatively impact the environment, but you would have lost a whole lot more money.

So, what can you do to reduce the amount of paper at an event? The answer is quite simple. Go paperless and digitize everything. Instead of creating an event flyer, you can create a website or an app. Or you can put up your program on event management websites and have guests RSVP. You can also advertise and promote your program via email or social media instead of using traditional media such as billboards and posters. Plus, on the day of the event, ensure that you present everything digitally. You can put up LED screens or project any relevant information.  

Rent all IT equipment
 Typically, event guests and organizers bring their electronic gadgets when attending programs. The problem with guests bringing their laptops, in particular, is that they usually require being placed on a hard surface. Furthermore, they can be quite heavy to carry, depending on the brand. Plus, the average laptop has a five-hour battery life and would require charging. Most laptops are also not energy efficient as you can use up to 45 watts of power to charge them. 

Fortunately, many IT companies allow you to rent tablets or iPads for significant events and conferences. iPad rental has many benefits; not only are they portable and lightweight, but they also have an average battery health of 10 hours. Unlike the laptop, the latest iPads or tablets are super energy efficient and require about 15 watts of power.

Ensure that everyone understands and participates
 If you want to have a genuinely sustainable event, it will require a lot of participation from all key players, including your venue hosts, suppliers, sponsors, and guests. Ensure that you effectively communicate your green efforts and vision to all attendees. Not only will that positively impact your surroundings in the long run, but it will boost your brand’s image. 

Keep logistics in mind
It can also be important to make sure your logistics make sense in light of this consideration. Encourage people to attend your event using greener transport methods, and perhaps even incentivize this by offering discounts to those who do. You may use ID Warehouse tags to enable chaperones to make sure parking is correctly applied, so that no guests need to waste time looking for a parking spot and thus wasting resources, or perhaps you can situate the parking further away to ensure your green space takes more of a precedent, helping you strike a stronger image.

This kind of application not only speaks to your values but sustainability in macro as a practical good, rather than a simple goal you espouse. This, again, will boost your brand’s image with confidence.

Go virtual
 With the ongoing global pandemic, going virtual is the new norm. And, even after the pandemic clears and things go back to normal, not much will change. Therefore, responsible business and event organizers trying to be more environmentally-conscious should strongly consider virtual events and their advantages. Videoconferencing alone is one of the easiest and most effective ways for organizers to help save the planet. This will help reduce the usage of paper, gas, and several other factors that negatively affect the environment. Instead of driving or flying to event centers and contributing to emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, you can simply join any event right from the comfort of your home. 

Include sustainability requirements in your RFPs
 When planning an event, you will need to work with several suppliers to ensure that everything goes on smoothly. However, if you are going for a greener approach, you need to make sure that your suppliers know and understand your requirements. When you are preparing your Request for Proposals (RFP) to suppliers, ensure that they include environmentally friendly services. But it also rests on you to clearly define sustainability requirements in your request and if there are any other extra costs. Ensure that you ask any suppliers for proof of any sustainability services they offer or claims they make. People tend to slap on any “green” titles, so you need to be extra careful and vigilant. 

Well-planned events have a significant reach and can be immensely successful for organizers, and that is why they are trendy. However, it can negatively impact the environment due to the number of resources needed to pull it off. When you finally decide to organize an eco-friendly event or at least have sustainability elements in your schedule, not only will it leave a positive lasting impression on your guests, but you will also positively impact your environment. Hopefully, these tips will help you make the best “green” decisions when planning your next event. 

 

 

Transforming Sustainability Communications for Greater Impact

By Julie Starr • January 20, 2025
In an era where stakeholders demand transparency and impact, effective sustainability communications are critical to building trust and demonstrating accountability. The Reporting Matters 2024: Changing Gears in Sustainability Reporting report by WBCSD highlights practices that are particularly relevant as we prepare for 2025. At Taiga Company, we believe these strategies—when applied thoughtfully—can empower businesses to communicate their sustainability efforts more effectively. Here are four key takeaways to focus on: 1. Integrate Storytelling with Data Combining compelling narratives with robust data brings your sustainability initiatives to life. Case studies, real-world examples, and context help transform numbers into relatable stories that resonate with stakeholders. Balancing quantitative metrics with qualitative insights ensures your message is both credible and engaging. Takeaway for 2025: Consider how you can use storytelling to make your impact more tangible. For example, instead of just reporting a percentage reduction in emissions, share the initiatives and innovations behind that achievement. 2. Leverage Digital and Visual Tools Sustainability reports are evolving beyond text-heavy formats. Digital tools like interactive microsites, infographics, and videos make your content more accessible and engaging. These formats not only simplify complex metrics but also expand your reach across diverse stakeholder groups. Takeaway for 2025: Explore how digital and visual tools can enhance your communication strategy. A well-designed infographic or a brief video could communicate your impact more effectively than lengthy paragraphs. 3. Engage Stakeholders Actively Stakeholder engagement is no longer a one-way street. Building two-way communication channels —where stakeholders can provide feedback or ask questions—enhances trust and demonstrates your commitment to transparency. Highlighting partnerships and collaborative efforts also showcases a broader ecosystem approach to sustainability. Takeaway for 2025: Develop communication strategies that prioritize stakeholder inclusivity. This could mean hosting feedback sessions, incorporating stakeholder concerns into your reports, or highlighting stories from collaborators and impacted communities. 4. Embed Sustainability in Broader Corporate Strategy Sustainability is not a side project—it should be central to your corporate identity and decision-making processes. Demonstrating how sustainability aligns with financial performance and long-term goals ensures your communications reflect its strategic importance. Takeaway for 2025: Ensure that sustainability isn’t siloed in your organization. Use your communications to illustrate how sustainability drives innovation, resilience, and competitive advantage. Preparing for 2025 As expectations for transparency and impact continue to rise, sustainability communications must evolve to meet the moment. By focusing on storytelling, leveraging digital tools, fostering engagement, and integrating sustainability into broader business strategies, organizations can craft messages that resonate deeply with stakeholders. At Taiga Company, we’re here to help you navigate this evolving landscape. Whether it’s enhancing your storytelling, exploring innovative formats, or aligning your sustainability initiatives with strategic goals, let’s make 2025 the year your communications truly shine.

Leading the Pack: Proven Strategies to Elevate Your Company to the Top

By Julie Starr • December 30, 2024
It starts with understanding what is happening in your industry, so you can be a leader. This includes studying current market trends and identifying stakeholders and their strategies. Understanding where your business fits in the marketplace will give you a way to claim it. When you stay abreast of industry trends and consumer preferences, you can better forecast changes to help make your business more adaptable. 1) Crafting a Clear Vision The first ingredient for a winning organization is fundamentally to have a well-defined vision ; — This is the guiding star that keeps teams aligned, and drives innovation and resilience in tough times. Leaders craft a compelling vision, which paints the picture of how they see their company evolving in the future and why it matters — its purpose that both employees and stakeholders will align with. Begin with the end in mind—Identify your company's core values and what you uniquely contribute to create a vision. This vision is much more than just profits; it also includes a focus on quality, customer service, and making a difference in society. Involve the right people in shaping this vision to make sure it reflects a shared ideal and is realistic. Drive the vision clearly and regularly across all levels of an organization. Bring it to life through storytelling to illustrate how each position makes direct contributions toward achieving the larger mission. Culminate in embedding the vision into what some call common operating procedures, its presence felt at even a level of day-to-day decision-making within strategies and actions along with performance metrics. A vision, well-articulated and written in a compelling way can inspire your team to work differently than the competition and maintain momentum for years to come. It is the plan that takes ambition out to walk and places a company at the vanguard of its industry. 2) Prioritizing Innovation To remain competitive and at the front of the pack Innovation is a key focus for all businesses demanding new ideas, thoughts & ways. In the world of constantly changing marketplaces, innovation makes sure that your business is not just adjusted to change but responsible for it as well. To take your enterprise up a notch, innovation needs to be the one core principle that trickles through every pore in your company. This begins with creating a culture where creativity and risk-taking are welcome. Give permission and means to employees of all levels who wish to try out new things without being afraid of failing. This kind of openness accelerates involvement and reveals white space for breakthrough progress. Leadership support: Leadership weighs in by encouraging new ways of thinking; providing resources, and celebrating successes as well as failures from which to learn. Making innovation one of your strategic priorities requires an ongoing commitment to researching solutions, developing technology, and training human resources. Listen to the industry and customers to see what is needed next. Similarly, collaboration —whether internally with other professional areas or externally with partnering organizations casually called "open innovation"— amplifies the possibilities to discover new opportunities by contrasting different viewpoints and knowledge from professionals specialized in diverse sectors. Ultimately, make sure to measure and iterate on your innovations. Develops metrics for tracking the effectiveness of new initiatives and ensure they best align with company goals. Making innovation a strategic imperative your company distinguishes itself as an industry leader which is preparing to survive disruption and take advantage of opportunities for ongoing high performance. 3) How to Create a Powerful Brand Identity In a saturated market, you need a strong brand identity. The brand you create should reflect what your company stands for in terms of values, mission, and unique selling propositions. You need to be able to maintain consistency, on your website and social media platforms even down customer interactions It increases brand loyalty and improves the trustworthiness of your business. 4) Providing World-Class Customer Service To see the customer satisfied and happy is key to growth. Outstanding customer service results in repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations. Pay close attention to their complaints, respond quickly, and go above the call of duty to make your customers happy. Satisfied customers are the champions of your brand and can help build loyalty. 5) Leveraging Technology Today, in a rapidly moving business world to become an industry leader, your competitors would need technology. Technology catalyzes innovation , efficiency, and customer satisfaction. So first things first, find relevant technologies that match your business goals. From automation to artificial intelligence or advanced analytics, the proper utilities can automate processes cut costs, and make data-driven business decisions a snap. Adopt data-driven approaches to get a detailed understanding of your customers and the market shifts while ensuring that you operate with accuracy, helping your business be more predictive. In addition, a technology-first approach really improves customer engagement. Gain loyalty with an engaging digital application and custom journeys. Make an investment internally in tools to facilitate collaboration, agility , and workforce productivity so your team can remain relevant in a compressed technology landscape. Technology adoption for success in the modern Needless to say technology is changing fast and the only way we can keep up with this change is by thinking ahead. Keep your team up-to-date with the latest emerging technologies and industry innovations. Work WITH specialists to get the solution implemented and scaled correctly. 6) Fostering Employee Engagement You need to invest in your employees. Active, driven teams are typically a more productive and innovative team that is invested in achieving organizational objectives. Create an encouraging workspace — Celebrate wins, provide growth opportunities, and encourage communication open. Employees who are happy tend to be employees that work more effectively in a company. 7) Expanding Your Network Networking for the journey to reach your company at the top level is a need you are not talking about which is required as part of Business Strategy. Building a solid network opens up pathways for partnership, creativity, and scalability leading your business to be an industry leader. Start by building relationships in your niche. Take part in conferences, trade shows, and networking events to link with peers influencers, and potential partners. Such interactions often result in mutual benefit with contributions to shared resources, partnership, and insight. Your network should not only consist of the most direct people in your industry. Interact: with related professionals, academia, and even  emerging markets. New viewpoints on business puzzles can emerge through varied professional networks. Thwart idleness using online channels and interacting with a larger part of the professional community, for instance, most people on LinkedIn will accept your connection request so use that to keep contacts through time. 8) Delivering High Quality and Reliability Consistency in delivering state-of-the-art products and services is a must. You have to be able to convince the customers they can trust you and your company when it comes to fulfilling their expectations. There are industries like manufacturing that include specialized solutions such as metal plating services in their offers to demonstrate knowledge and dependability, requiring these types of industry having a good position in the minds of customers. 9) Adapting to Market Changes Two of the key traits necessary to lead firms successfully are flexibility and adaptability. Track market behaviors and be ready to adjust your tactics as needed. By embracing change, and seeing it as an avenue for growth rather than an obstacle- companies are far better equipped to survive in dynamic environments. 10) Emphasizing Sustainability Sustainability is not just a trendy buzzword anymore… it's becoming increasingly relevant to the way organizations must manage themselves. Business that promotes the environment and community, not only make a better world but also attract informed customers. In your operations, embody the sustainable practices you preach, and do not be afraid to trumpet how green-friendly they are. 11) Investing in Marketing and PR A strong marketing and public relations effort is key to increasing your company's visibility while establishing credibility. Create an integrated marketing plan (digital advertising, social media engagement, and thought leadership content) Having a powerful online presence combined with all the positive media exposure can go a long way in how your brand is perceived. 12) Performance Metrics Monitoring As you keep moving forward, it is vital to ensure that your company remains on the ball. Progress to your end goal and hopefully areas of improvement will be identified using key performance indicators (KPIs) Having data will help you make the right adjustments based on reality without having to rely on them as much, which keeps even more momentum. 13) Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement is the foundation for sustained success in leading the pack. It involves fostering a culture of learning, regularly assessing performance, and refining processes. Encourage feedback, embrace change, and invest in employee development. By consistently seeking ways to enhance efficiency, quality, and innovation, your company stays agile and competitive. This commitment to ongoing growth ensures long-term excellence and positions your business as an industry leader. In conclusion, rising to the highest of your company means a thoughtful blend of innovation, flexibility, and presenting execution. Understanding your market, building a strong brand, and investing in both employees and customers can make you the pioneer of an industry. Be it using the latest technology or providing metal plating services , keep your immediate goal as value – and get solutions. When you have this vision and a hunger to get better, your company will lead the pack — but more importantly other companies (and people) will want to follow in its footsteps.
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