EVENT GREENING FORUM
Are you ready for the return of sustainable in-person events? Will organisers prioritise sustainability or will the desire to be sustainable be replaced by other priorities, when we are able to host in-person events once again? By Lynn McLeod, secretariat of Event Greening Forum.
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n an article titled How to Make Sustainability a Priority Again, published on www.tsnn.com on 14 April 2021, Julia Spangler, green events consultant and owner of Ecosystem Events, shared her thoughts on this matter. She stated that many people around the world are increasingly concerned about the environment and climate change, and in some cases, this has strengthened during the pandemic, so organisers need to be prepared to meet expectations in the future. 34 Business Events Africa June 2021
Getting buy-in for sustainability in events has always been an issue and it looks like this will continue to be the case as organisers – and clients – try to get through the coming years with the least possible costs. However, this should not stop professionals in the sector from continuing to focus on sustainability in their respective fields – even if this means focusing on those practices that result in cost savings in the meantime. Julia believes that it is a common misconception that health and safety guidelines somehow impede sustainability
efforts, and at the EGF we tend to agree. While Health and Safety and sustainability often seem at odds, they incorporate much the same elements when it comes to health issues, and safety has been shown to improve when sustainability measures and practices are applied. In South Africa, the SA Events Council, together with Event Safety Council, have published reopening guidelines1 and organisers may still implement best practices for reducing food waste, recycling, reusing event supplies and many other sustainable practices, while adhering www.businesseventafrica.com
