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. 

 

 

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.