February 2020

FUNCTION VENUES
INDUSTRY COMMENT
Business Events
Go ‘deep green’ with a holistic
view on your operations and what
it means to event buyers
THE START of spring is on the horizon with fresh
growth on the trees, fields across the country
showing the first signs of life and spring greens
on menus too. The term ‘green’ is increasingly
used in the events industry as planners show a
conscientious outlook towards the sustainability
of their live events.
Corporates are becoming swayed by working
with a supply chain that has a social conscience
and values; whether it’s using sustainable meat
suppliers, banning paper at events, ditching the
conference giveaway or giving left over food to a
local charity.
Green is ardently on the agenda for event
planners, however, it’s no longer solely about
being sustainable. People are recognising that a
fully sustainable event is hard to achieve and is
fraught with pitfalls. While local food suppliers
may be contracted, and their electric vehicles may
carry out the delivery, there’s a school of thought
that the lithium battery powering the transport
has significantly more damaging airmiles
attached to it. Thereby negating the whole benefit
of sourcing locally. Even recycling paper is being
scrutinised for the damage it does to the planet
with some asking if it’s better to simply bury it and
let it turn to coal?
Most businesses now have CSR initiatives
rooted in their core values which means that
conferences, dinners and team-builds must mirror
social responsibility. What is clear is that there are
no hard and fast rules and venues should realise
that every little effort can collectively add up to
a large impact. Whether it’s specifying a local
supply chain, putting in electric charge points for
delegates’ cars, ensuring conference table waters
are bottled in glass, supporting the local catering
college for manpower or supporting a
diverse workforce.
People buy people in any
sector and never more
so than in the events
industry. If you think
that being green ticks
the box for today’s
buyer, go deeper.
How you manage and
interact with people is
scrutinised even more
by today’s event buyer
who is influenced by
cause and culture.
It’s a given that venues
must be able to trace their supply
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew White is MD of
Triggerfish Communications,
a specialist in helping
heritage venues and leisure
attractions build awareness
and market share in the
business of events.
www.triggerfish.co.uk
“PEOPLE BUY
PEOPLE IN ANY SECTOR
AND NEVER MORE SO IN
THE EVENTS INDUSTRY. IF
YOU THINK THAT BEING
GREEN TICKS THE BOX
FOR TODAY’S BUYER,
GO DEEPER”
chain but now there is far greater ownership
placed on people: from the impact on employees
to the interaction with suppliers. When sending a
proposal back to a potential client, venues may
want to consider differentiating themselves by
sharing details on their employee engagement
policies and their supplier code of conduct. How
you deal and interact with people highlights your
values, after all no one wants to work with the
customer who advocates making a 30 day invoice
payment a three month trial. And potential
partners will soon switch off if you ask for a
proposal and fail to acknowledge their response.
If you think that being green ticks the box for
today’s buyer, go deeper and consider the interpersonal
relationships by:
› looking at your team’s length of service
› their vicinity to the venue
› your diversity
› how you manage partner
and supplier relationships.
Being conscientious
doesn’t just mean banning
plastic – it’s a holistic
overview of every touch
point in the supply chain
including your outlook on
people.
And just by considering
your cause and culture you too
can turn your competitor set ‘green’
with envy this season.
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