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Implementing Sustainable and Regenerative Practices in Business Events

In a world coloured by concerns about climate change and environmental conservation, industries across the globe are adding an important hue to their operations: green.

‘Sustainability’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are no longer just buzzwords in many industries. There is a shared sense of responsibility and willingness to adopt planet-friendly practices rather than just talking about them. The business events sector is no different; NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau is committed to ensuring our social and environmental conservation efforts are at the core of what we do and how we operate. It is equally important to make sure we promote regenerative practices – initiatives that go beyond sustainability to leave a continued positive impact on our place, people and planet.

There are several ways to work towards making your business practices more sustainable and regenerative. One key solution across sectors to be more environmentally friendly is reducing your carbon footprint, whether that be of your business’ operations as a whole or on a more specific level for events and individuals. Reducing your carbon footprint can take many forms, including using energy-efficient appliances and lighting, investing in renewable energy methods, or encouraging the use of public transport and trains instead of more emissions-heavy options like air travel. Many workplaces have adopted ‘carbon credit’ systems whereby employees have a set amount of flights or carbon intensive journeys they can take in a year that they cannot exceed.

A lumo train going through the countryside, surrounded by greenery and with a wind turbine in the background

When thinking about sustainability in business events, there are several factors that can be considered to mitigate the environmental impact of potentially hundreds of delegates travelling internationally. Sustainable practices can be easily implemented when planning an event at any stage, but they are most successful when implemented right from the start of the planning process. This way, you ensure from the very beginning that sustainability is embedded into the event’s ethos; starting as you mean to go on and informing every aspect of the event from the ground up.

An example of how our convention bureau has aimed to offset our carbon footprint is by working with venues and local event planners who are equally committed to fulfilling their environmental responsibility such as BeaconHouse Events, who keep sustainability at the heart of their processes and work with partners across the supply chain to empower them to prioritise sustainable practices. You can also pledge to offset your carbon footprint through corporate tree planting in the local area. An example of this is Newcastle International Airport, who worked with Tilhill Forestry and the North East Community Forest to plant 43,567 new trees by May 2024 to offset some of their emissions.

While in-person events continue to be the preferred choice, online and hybrid events are also a great way to make events more environmentally friendly. As well as providing convenience, these also cater better to those with access requirements who may not otherwise be able to access your in-person activity. If this isn’t a viable option for your event, there are always ways to alleviate the environmental impacts, such as implementing car-share schemes and promoting sustainable and active transport options. National rail operators Lumo and LNER operate electric fleets to the region and Newcastle and Gateshead are walkable places, with options like the buses and the Tyne and Wear Metro also available. A selection of integrated day tickets for public transport starting from £6 are valid with all bus operators as well as the Metro, making travelling within the region seamless. There is also the city’s popular Neuron e-scooter hire scheme which makes it even easier to get from one side of the city to the other.

Two people on Neuron e-scooters

An easy way to increase your event’s sustainability is to limit unnecessary waste by going paperless and having recycling bins at the event. Options like digital ticketing and online event programmes and schedules are a great alternative for paper – such as the eEvent app we’ve used for our own events. As well as reducing paper waste, there are also several ways to limit food wastage at events, such as having delegates pre-order food and drink or partnering with a local food bank or kitchen, such as the Newcastle West End Food Bank or People’s Kitchen, and donating leftovers. Some events also operate a ‘vegetarian by default’ method, where delegates must indicate whether they would like the meat option instead and are automatically given vegetarian food if they do not opt out. This encourages more sustainable meat-free dining whilst simultaneously reducing waste by only catering to exact requirements rather than attempting to do a ‘catch all’.

Environmental sustainability is undeniably important, but it is equally salient to think about where social regeneration lies in your company’s core principles. Social sustainability and regeneration challenge you to consider whether the social impact of your event is long-lasting and if the people local to the place you’re visiting are benefitting from your event’s presence in the destination.

The World Transplant Games came to Newcastle and Gateshead in 2019, which not only amplified the city and the message of the Games also creating a lasting legacy for local people. A free sports science event allowed local people to engage with the World Transplant Games. There were a range of activities where participants could measure their strength and fitness as well as attend talks from experts on how to optimise fitness and how transplant recipients can be assisted through exercise. September 2024 saw the Faraday Institution bring their annual conference exploring energy solutions to Newcastle University. As part of the programme of activity, the Faraday Institution and Newcastle University partnered with Discovery Museum to deliver a day of workshops and exhibitions for more than 100 children aged 11-14 and explore green energy solutions including wind energy, hydrocars and more. These kinds of outreach programmes are brilliant ways for conference organisers to leave a lasting impact on the local area going beyond the few days they spend in a city for their event.

Three people networking in front of a Faraday Institution Conference banner.

While the race is on to mitigate the consequences of climate change, the journey to becoming more ethical and sustainable is a marathon rather than a sprint. The adjustments you implement today may reap short-term wins, but the overall goal of sustainable and regenerative practices is to create a situation for future generations to continue benefitting from these changes. For an industry like business events, it’s important to have conversations around more ethical practices and encouraging sustainable methods wherever possible and show our commitment to these changes through action.

We want to work together to help make business events more sustainable. You can get in touch with us at conventionbureau@ngi.org.uk to learn more about bringing your event to NewcastleGateshead and how we can ensure sustainable and regenerative practices are at its core, or check out our ambassadors resources centre for more, including tips to make your event more sustainable.


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