What steps need to be taken to become a “sustainable event”? What does it mean?
FICP (Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals) has applied for accreditation with the Event Industry Council and event director Ellie Hurley shares what she has learned so far.
This effort has been in the works for several years. Hurley’s first stop was the EIC website, which offers a wealth of free information, including webinars, how-to guides and white papers. Since then, she decided to obtain EIC’s Professional Certification in Sustainable Events a year and a half ago.
“The biggest thing I take away from this is, ‘Don’t get overwhelmed, take a step forward,’” Hurley said during a fireside chat at the 2024 annual meeting at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver. “Then one or two things became, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to get certified for the annual meeting?'”
The restaurant has prepared two tools that can help: a food waste solution called Lean Path, which allows restaurants to measure waste and avoid overproduction of food; and a Power Knot biodigester that can break down 5,000 pounds in 24 hours Food waste.
One of the challenges Hurley faces is that attendees have become accustomed to certain standards, so it’s important to educate them on why things change. One of the most visible changes is Meatless Monday, which requires two of the three meals a day to not include meat.
But the plant-based sausages for breakfast on Monday seemed to be a hit. “I don’t think anyone who went to breakfast this morning was disappointed that they didn’t have a big plate of bacon,” said Meredith Buggelli, president of the New York Life Insurance Company’s annual meeting and vice president of corporate events. He is the leader of the company’s sustainable development working group.
The catering team also relies on local sourcing, serving locally grown apples and pears instead of Florida citrus. While Colorado doesn’t have many fruits during the winter, persimmons and figs are in season.
“A lot of it has to do with the attendee experience – what we think we can get away with,” Hurley said. “For example: almond milk, which is bad for the environment. We still choose to have it because a lot of people really like it.
From recyclable key cards to carbon offsets
In addition to dining, rooms are equipped with aluminum cans of water instead of plastic bottles. The centerpiece of the table is a sapling rather than a cut flower.
There were pitchers of water on the table (no small bottles), coffee sugar in bowls (no paper packets), and FICP provided attendees with recyclable paper room keys. They choose environmentally responsible amenity providers, such as Joycoast Sunglasses, which plants 10 trees for every pair of sunglasses sold.
Hurley this year took the first step toward measuring the carbon footprint of events, including travel by FICP employees. “We’ll be taking these measurements next year to see how far we’ve come. Maybe next year, we’ll be carbon offsetting the attendees. There’s a lot you can do.
The certification requires planners to not only take these steps but also work with partners to report.
This is a broad effort. “It’s not just about being green,” Hurley said. “It’s also about things like diversity and gender equality, for example, and those are things we’re already doing a lot of. We’ve done corporate social responsibility at conferences, we always have silent auctions that benefit charities, And we always look for diversity in our speakers.
She was also inspired by keynote speaker Megan Henshall, director of partner strategy and engagement at Google, to include elements that would be appropriate for neurodiverse attendees, such as quiet rooms.
They’ve also added warnings to the meeting plan when meetings contain loud noises or flashing lights, which can be a challenge for neurodiverse attendees, and provided sensory support kits.
“My first suggestion for anyone considering doing this is to talk to your hotel partner beforehand. Talk to your AV partner,” she said. “Your partners might be excited, but it might also be a learning journey for them. That’s definitely been the case for us.
