Green Events is a hot topic at the moment – and rightly so.  Here are my top eight tips for making your event more green:

Refuse:

Rather than buying bottled water and fizzy drinks for your delegates, try making plenty of iced tap water and cordial available

Refuse to print hundreds of documents (brochures, hand-outs etc.) Try using eco mags  (http://www.ecomags.co.uk) to share hand-outs/abstracts or SlideShare (http://www.slideshare.net) to share presentations

Reduce:

Reduce paperwork by registering your delegates online using our Event Management 360 registration system, the free website will also save you from printing out promotional material.  (http://bit.ly/goc9vd – click for a free trial)

Reduce CO2 emissions by choosing venues that have good access by public transport

Reuse: 

If you really do need to buy branded materials for your event, avoid putting the date on goods so that they can be reused the following year.

If you have left over food, as your venue to donate it to a local charity or homeless centre

Recycle:

Ask delegates for their name badges back on departure then recycle them for your next event

Use venues and suppliers who have a strong recycling plan and recycle goods wherever possible – but remember, if you don’t use them in the first place, then you won’t need to recycle them afterwards!