Hybrid and virtual events are a greener alternative to in-person events and will help organizers to achieve their sustainability goals, says Falguni Jain, content marketer for virtual and hybrid event platform, Hubilo.
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2020 has been a year of discussion and introspection. We are now more aware of our impact on the world around us, and vice versa. This means sustainability is sure to be one of the hottest event industry trends in 2021.
Once travel bans and social gathering restrictions are removed post-pandemic, safety measures would still need to be implemented. This means the resource requirement and subsequent waste production, per person, will increase manifold. And we all know travel is the largest component of carbon emission of most international meetings.
For these reasons, making an event 100% virtual will be the greener solution to hosting events and a viable alternative for achieving your sustainability goals.
For experiential events and gatherings that are larger in size, taking the virtual route completely may not be possible. In such cases, adding an online counterpart to the physical event is the way to go.
This will allow you to digitize a majority of the tasks and implement a paperless policy. For example, setting up online registration, uploading documents on the virtual event feed to disseminate information, scheduling push-notifications for important updates and providing digital swag to your attendees.
However, it is important to ensure that neither of your event components remain aloof. That’s where an intuitive hybrid event platform comes into the picture.
In-person events
For the in-person element, ensure you select a venue with sustainability certification, such as ISO 20121, LEED or EMAS. Check if the venue boasts eco-conscious architecture with aspects such as solar panel installations and energy-saving lighting and heating and cooling systems. Often, they also have a designated recycling program to manage their waste.
Selecting a technologically advanced venue will take you a step further in adopting eco-conscious practices, because such locations also have features like an automatic lighting system and electronic signage to share key information.
Also, with travel being the biggest contributor to an event’s carbon footprint, a great way to change this is to select centrally-located event venues that are accessible by public transport or incentivize your attendees to use car-pool.
The opportunity for change has never been so significant. The events industry is at a point where organizers can easily highlight and demonstrate their brand’s eco-conscious values.
Making incremental changes to your policies is a great start, but if you have an event-tech provider to back up your sustainability goals, why not go ALL in?
This is your moment to shine. To reimagine your event using a reliable hybrid event solutions partner, contact Hubilo for more information on hybrid event solutions.
Author: Falguni Jain is a content marketer for Hubilo, a virtual and hybrid event platform with notable global clients that include the UN, Siemens, GITEX, NYU, AWS and Tech in Asia.