“Regardless of how lavish and impressive you want your upcoming event to be, you should be taking the environment and sustainability into account. This can be done in a myriad of effortless ways while still maintaining a high standard of sophistication and professionalism.” says Event Affairs managers, Megan Buchanan and Lindy Srubis.
Corporate and social events alike can actually benefit financially from “going green” which makes the objective all the more attractive.
Below are a few subtle tips that can help you “green” your affair with flare:
Electronic invitations – while sending out printed and handcrafted invitations for your event might have its charm, sending out electronic invitations such as paperlesspost or creating a Facebook event is a sustainable option for many businesses. You also have more flexibility with e-invites so you can get creative to your heart’s content.
Recycling – You don’t have to be too garish about it, but when choosing decorations, select those that can be recycled too, perhaps substitute balloons and tinsel with seasonal flowers and food items such as lemons in glass vases, flowers in ice-blocks or authentic table pieces.
For the love of water – while it’s great to offer all of your guests some bottled water, it is more suitable and environmentally friendly to have jugs of water available. Put glass jugs in the fridge beforehand and garnish with mint, cucumber or sprigs of herbs to make it look enticing to delegates or guests.
Think out the “party favour” box – by selecting gifts with minimal packaging or favours that can be reused, you and your guests will benefit. For instance, beautifully decorative cup cakes, small flower plants or classic chalk board name tags are bound to be reused at home.
Purchase seasonal or locally-grown free-range foods – Not only will you wow your guests with local flavours but by using fair trade coffee and tea, local craft beers and wines you can easily add local flair to your affair.
These are just a few basic steps to “greening” your next event.
