Hold a Green Event and Save Money

The first thing that often comes to peoples' minds when they think of going green is that it's going to be expensive. Of course there is some truth to that perception but there are ways to hold a green event and, also save money.

Go Local
One of the highlights of any successful event is the food. Good food makes for happy guests. When you hold an event, one way to go green and save money on food is to go local. Pick fruits and vegetables that are in season and grown locally. Often, locally grown produce saves you money since you are not paying for high transportation costs. This also helps the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of the food item as well as helping a local business. In this scenario everyone wins.

Reduce Waste
It would be wonderful if all events could be held using silverware and stoneware, but that isn't always practical. When this happens we often turn to paper goods. The ideal scenario would be to use paper goods made from sustainable materials such as bamboo or recycled goods. However, this can be more expensive. If you can use bamboo goods that is wonderful, if not, there are still some other ways to reduce waste.

Use a marker or stickers on paper goods so guests can identify their cups. Using a marker will reduce consumption of cups since guests can identify their beverage. Try using water from a pitcher or water cooler which guests or the host can pour into cups, instead of bottles of water. Also, have a separate bag that you can throw empty plastic or paper cups that can be recycled. Some of these measures will also save you money. In fact, an event planner saved $50,000 for Microsoft on one event by using water coolers instead of water bottles.

Use the Internet or Social Media
Use e-invitations. You can use websites such as Evite to send invitations to your guests. You can also market larger events through social media such as Facebook. By eliminating paper, electronic invitations will save you money on postage and printing cost as well as reducing the environmental impact of your event.

Decor
You can also save money and go green by using flowers that are local. Tell your florist that you want arrangements that are as local as possible. If flowers are not part of your event you can instead use edible decor. You can use food that is part of your menu, snacks, or desserts. Perhaps, even make edible arrangements. If appropriate use potted plants that can be given to guests or give as part of a raffle. Dominic Phillips, an event planner for Swissotel, uses items from local parks and makes centerpieces using medicine bottles or pails.

Going local, reducing waste, using the internet for invites, and being creative with decor are some easy ways to reduce the carbon footprint of an event together with save you money.

Resources:

"Affordable and Green," Meeting and Conventions magazine, October 2009, by Kaylee Hultgren
"Greening Events without Breaking the Budget," Special Events, February 2009, by Christine Landry