Broadsword's Guide to Sustainable Events

Understanding emissions

Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions are categories used to classify and account for the greenhouse gas emissions associated with business activities. These categories are defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a widely used international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions.

Scope 1 emissions refer to direct greenhouse gas emissions that occur from sources that are owned or controlled by a company such as emissions produced from operating a company-owned vehicle.

Scope 2 emissions refer to indirect emissions that occur from consumed or purchased energy. These occur at the facility where the energy is produced, rather than at the company’s own facilities.

Scope 3 emissions refer to all other indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur as a result of the organisation’s activities but occur from external sources such as attendee travel, waste disposal, and supplier activities.

Combatting emissions is where the 5 Rs come in. We all know reduce, reuse, recycle but it’s also worth considering refuse and repair as not all R’s are created equal with recycling suggested as the very last resort.

REFUSE

Refuse to use single use items, plastics and print items as a standard across your event and find alternatives such as digital products. This also applies to poor quality materials that are likely to only last for one event.

REDUCE

Reducing what you use for an event can mean repurposing materials rather than buying them brand new. Using print over digital or giving a donation rather than physical gifts as giveaways

REUSE

Reuse and repurpose left over items from previous events. For example you can redistribute materials to charities and community projects as well as hiring furniture and plants that can be reused again and again by other companies.

REPAIR

To divert items from landfill and extend the lifespan of event materials consider repairing damaged equipment including purchasing refurbished technology.

RECYCLE

This is the R that is most familiar to everyone, however following the four R’s above can reduce the amount of recycling needed after an event. However, with recycling, you can divert food waste and materials from landfill – provide recycling stations with clear instructions at your event.

Removal, similar to offsetting, could also become a key initiative in the events industry. Carbon removal refers to the process of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and converting it into alternate forms to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases.

Starting small: nine steps towards sustainable events

Climate change is now firmly on the event industry’s agenda. Reduction in waste and emissions is challenging for our sector yet there is a drive to embark on an industry-wide sustainability journey. Wherever you are in your sustainability journey; continue to educate yourself, evolve and evaluate. Within the industry, there is a growing number of conversations to get involved in and opportunities to collaborate towards larger goals. Small changes in key areas such as travel and catering greatly reduce environmental impact . As shared ideas turn into more sustainable choices, this will also foster a responsible industry.

Digital Integration: The digital shift is a step in the right direction for sustainable events and exhibitions. Scannable QR codes have become the efficient tech that is replacing paper almost everywhere we go – menus, invitations, business cards, and seating plans can all be paperless. If you want to further elevate your digital touch points, interactive signage and mobile apps can be used to engage guests with gamification, polls and important details such as agendas all in one hub.

Go virtual: On that note, virtual events and webinars continue to grow as an engagement tool and a sustainable option. Although they rose in popularity through the pandemic as an alternative solution to in person activities, long-term benefits arose from this format even as a smaller component of a live event (such as bringing together a global audience with zero need of travel).

Sourcing Sustainably: Sustainability isn’t limited to your organisation, but also the supply chain you use for example opting for local suppliers is important to reduce transport emissions. Reevaluate your supply chain to include suppliers with similar values to you, accreditations such as carbon neutrality and who can advise you on sustainable best practice.

Gifts that Give Back: There are hundreds of sustainable gifts out there to combat the tote bag epidemic in the exhibition industry. Take biodegradable seed paper or edible straws for example or even adopting an animal in your attendee’s name. Handmade gifts by small local businesses or those that reinvest profits into a community or charity are truly purposeful gifts.

Journey Smarter: While we’re all thrilled to get back to in-person events, the challenge of attendee travel is no small one. To reduce this, we suggest a choice of venue that is easily accessible by public transport and asking attendees to feedback their transport so that it can be offset, or incentivising them to take a more sustainable journey.

Cater to the climate: It’s been estimated that plant-based catering can reduce the carbon footprint of a 500-person event by up to 10 tonnes! Many catering companies offer a fully plant-based menu and sustainably and locally sourced food. Planning the amount of food according to the number of attendees ahead of time also helps to reduce food waste although waste can also be reduced through partnering with food donation or compost programmes.

Re-use and repurpose: Set design is material-heavy but this doesn’t mean it needs to be single-use. Fabrics can easily be made into something new, you can opt for reusable signage for your next event, or use projection mapping rather than printing to display dynamic designs.

Utilise nature: Bring the outside in with live plants, which can be hired from a plant rental company to reduce waste. Green decorations, such as up-cycled pallets or recycled paper decorations, are also gaining popularity.

Go Carbon Neutral: Broadsword are now implementing a carbon measurement tool to offer clients the option to offset the carbon footprint of events that can’t be reduced. This is measured across key factors such as waste management, transport and energy usage and then offset.

Adding Social Impact to the Equation

Being an events agency, and a remote one at that, we know the power that bringing a team together for an internal event or team building experience can have. We’re creative in our approach to connecting our team while creating a social impact in line with our sustainability values. Whether it’s a workshop making prosthetic hands for those in need, battling it out to see who can raise the most money at charity shops or helping to conserve a 183 year old local nature reserve – community projects have bought our team together in a purposeful way.

Actively integrating charity and volunteering initiatives into an event agenda is a powerful way to engage employees and event attendees, as well as aligning with CSR goals and the shifting demand towards purpose led brands.

Combining environmental sustainability with social value requires a holistic approach to event planning, with sustainable practices considered at every stage.

For example, connect with local non-profits to supply team building activities such as repurposing event materials into birdhouses to be redistributed to community gardens post-event. There are also a number of suppliers who combine purpose and profit such as Connection Crew and Redemption Roasters, who both provide training, mentoring and employment opportunities for people who have been affected by homelessness.

Supporting a meaningful cause and making a tangible impact creates a positive event experience that extends beyond the event.

Putting our planning into practice

One of the annual highlights for our events calendar is the Il Salone Del Risparmio in Milan – the largest exhibition in the asset management sector.

The stand created for our client at the show was designed and built with a focus on sustainability, showcasing a minimalist design aesthetic, yet retaining a powerful message.

Implementing the 5 Rs framework alongside our waste reduction strategy gave us a structured approach to this project. In summary:

• 88.2% of recycled materials used in the build.
• Energy efficient lighting employed throughout the stand.
• Interactive digital display with downloadable information, eliminating the need for printed materials.
• All materials sourced and installed locally.
• Sustainable transport and logistics.

Overall we offset 1.4 tCO2e, with Zero percent of the build ending up in landfill after the exhibition, which was a real cause for celebration given the issues being faced around single use materials at similar events

Additionally, 178kg of CO2e was offset via a local planting scheme in line with ISO 20121 certification.