Sustainability strategies for B2B events
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the event industry, including for B2B events. For many participants, the sustainability strategy of a function is a key factor, and other stakeholders, such as sponsors or the media, are also increasingly interested in the ecological footprint of events in the B2B sector.
For you as an organiser, this means sustainability in event management is no longer a niche topic, as hundreds or even thousands of visitors often attend these gatherings.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can implement an effective sustainability strategy for your B2B event.
Hybrid events as a sustainable solution
Hybrid events refer to functions that combine an in-person event with virtual options for participants.
From an ecological perspective, the advantages are clear: Thanks to digital options, such as presentation and lecture livestreams, fewer attendees need to travel. This reduces the environmental impact, including lowering CO2 emissions. In fact, travel is by far the largest contributor to an event’s carbon footprint, accounting for 78% of overall emissions, according to the State of Sustainability Report 2023.
Hybrid events have additional benefits. For example, participants save on travel costs, while event organisers can reach a global audience. With that said, hosting hybrid events also presents several specific challenges, such as ensuring high streaming quality at all times.
Sustainable event management
In addition to hybrid events, sustainability strategies are playing an increasingly important role in in-person events as well. So how can you ensure sustainable event management in general?
The best approach is to address each aspect of event planning one by one and think about how to specifically reduce the ecological footprint in that area.
For example, consider choosing the event location based on environmental factors. Such a venue would, among other things, use eco-friendly electricity.
Thanks to digital tools, it’s also no longer a problem to drastically reduce paper usage at a conference. Instead of printing flyers with the event schedule, you can simply integrate it into an event app for your next B2B event. This also makes updating the information much easier.
Green travel options
Promoting eco-friendly travel options is another important aspect for strengthening the sustainability strategy of your B2B event.
Since such a high percentage of an event’s carbon footprint comes from travel, as mentioned above, it’s critical to focus on reducing emissions in this area. Ensure the event location is easily accessible by public transport and bike. Before the event begins, you can also help participants organise carpools to the venue, for example, through the event website.
Partnerships with local sustainable mobility providers also contribute to promoting environmentally friendly travel options.
Local organic catering
By choosing a regional caterer that provides organic food for your event and works with local suppliers, you visibly set a strong example of sustainability for your B2B event.
With optimised planning for your catering, such as the use of event management software like evenito, a more accurate forecast of the required food quantities can be created. This helps reduce food waste.
Waste management at events
In collaboration with the event venue, you can also ensure that waste is minimised wherever possible, for example by reducing paper flyers or using reusable dishes.
Of course, it’s impossible to completely avoid waste at an event. Therefore, it’s essential to focus on waste separation and raise participants’ awareness of waste prevention and recycling.
Summary: Focusing on sustainability for an eco-friendly B2B event
We’ve shown that there are various approaches to bring sustainability strategies for B2B events to life. You don’t have to go from zero to one hundred right away and organise a zero-waste, emission-free event. Instead, it’s about taking small steps, such as in catering or when selecting the event location.
Want to approach the sustainability strategy for your B2B event in a structured and efficient way? Then our event management software evenito is exactly what you need.
