Planting the sustainability seed

In the summer of 2018, I was attending the ICCA Association Meetings Programme. There was one speaker, the representative of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that left us all speechless.

The statistics that she presented were shocking: we had only several years left to make a change. She appealed to us as events planners to contribute to the effort through sustainable events. The minute that session ended, I was already on the phone with my director, deciding how we could make our next conference more sustainable.

Fast forward a year, sustainability is much more than just the environment. It's now also about leaving an impact and legacy after the event.

Practical tips for sustainable events*

*Using the EHMA 2019 Annual Conference in Espoo, Finland as a case study

1

Sustainable destination

Choosing a sustainable destination really matters.

Destinations have different capabilities and capacities when it comes to delivering sustainable events. Making sure that a destination has the infrastructure in place and can provide the support that you need is crucial and will contribute to the success of your event.

We started by creating the design of the event. We wanted to give our participants the feeling of being connected to nature, a healthy lifestyle and to embody the topic of sustainability on various levels.

The Finnish Convention Bureau stood out from the competition by offering various options and by matching all our criteria. We found the perfect partner not only to bring our ideas to life, but we also found the destination which has sustainability in its DNA.

2

Connect with the CVB

_{A shot under the stars seems familiar and unfamiliar at once.}

Convention bureaux are like a bridge that closes the gap of language issues, knowledge, and cultural differences.

They know what you need and even if you have visited the country 50 times, you can’t possibly have the same knowledge as a local.

Having locals supporting you to put all your ideas and sustainable initiatives in place, is invaluable support and will open new doors and opportunities.

Helsinki Convention Bureau was by my side from the very beginning, arranging all site visits for me and welcoming me to the capital. We decided to choose the venue and Espoo Convention Bureau smoothly took over and was even running with us during our charity morning run. They supported us until the moment we concluded our collaboration. Both Bureaus not only introduced us to many local partners and sponsors but also helped us to secure a complimentary cocktail welcome reception offered by the Mayor, which was one of the highlights of the conference.

3

Surround yourself with strong partners

Connecting with academia, local members, institutions, and organizations that can help you increase your reach and message, that’s key.

Organically expanding your reach is also part of your sustainable initiatives. The more people know about your organization and activities, the more growth you will achieve in the long term.

We collaborated with two influential hosts – Helsinki University Hospital and THL. They had several staff members fully dedicated to delivering EHMA 2019 together with us, and that was a real game-changer. They were equally involved in the development of the programme and the decision‐making process, which not only helped us to share the risks but also to have the full commitment to delivering a successful conference.

Due to these collaborations, we had more than 100 partners and high‐level invitees involved in EHMA 2019.

The convention bureau introduced us to the local authorities who supported our innovative idea of a health hackathon for young healthcare professionals. Those endeavours helped us generate more revenue and increase our association's visibility in the local healthcare arena.

4

Buy local

I know, I know. Everyone’s shouting about local products as part of sustainable actions from the rooftops. However, many organizations still think that it’s more expensive than ordering goodies from China. In fact, going local, helped us reduce costs and made it easier to coordinate the entire process.

We included a recycled biodegradable bottle produced in Finland, which we encouraged participants to use during the conference to fill it up with tap water which is pure and tasty.

5

Involve the locals in your event

Any specialist that you involve in your event, contributes to the local economy and the population’s wealth.

Opt for local audio‐visual companies.
Involve art students to produce your onsite design and branding.
Involve NGO’s or students to do sightseeing tours and other relevant activities in order to diversify the program.

Our onsite design and branding were produced by a student from the faculty of design at Aalto University, which significantly lowered our production costs, but also provided an opportunity for the student to expand her portfolio and get her first paying client. It was a win‐win.

6

Share knowledge

If you want to create awareness around the topic of your conference or an event, work together with the local authorities.

For example, set up a pop‐up tent in the city around the days of your event in order to inform local inhabitants about the topic using clear language and visuals.

This will help you to leave a long-lasting impact and legacy after your event.

7

Sustainable gifts

Instead of buying your speakers or VIPs something they will forget, or perhaps even throw away, get creative with your giveaways:

Adopt a rare animal that inhabits in this region via the WWF

Plant a tree on their behalf and supply them with a certificate

Donate to offset carbon footprint or towards other sustainable activities

For our VIPs and keynote speakers, we adopted one of the rarest seals in the world and it happens to inhabit Finland. Our guests adored this initiative.

8

Event Design

This is where all the pieces of the puzzle come together. Involve all your partners in this fascinating process.

Discover together. Create together. Innovate together.

Instead of hosting a fancy gala dinner that is a tradition during a scientific conference, we shared our thoughts with the Convention Bureau and they helped us to organize a camping‐style dinner in the Nuuksio National park. We installed the tipis and served smoked salmon, which is the highlight of the local cuisine.

I can’t express how much our participants loved it and were surprised. Honestly, that year we had the biggest social dinner attendance and it was an extra paid activity.

Think outside the box and dare to think differently.

Creating a highly sustainable event is not an easy task because it requires the involvement of many partners. But the results will surpass your expectations.

Sustainability is the new normal!

This article has been written by Nadia Rubtsova, the creator of the Business & Events Academy, an online platform for personal and professional education for event professionals. Nadia has more than 10 years of experience in the events industry and for the past years she was working for the European Health Management Association as the Events & Partnerships Manager. Nadia is Associations’ Specialist and 2021 Helsinki MICE Ambassador.