Here’s How to Hit Your Sustainable Event Goals Every Time

As knowledge of climate change and its effects have increasingly entered mainstream discourse, sustainable event practices have transitioned from a hot industry trend to a top priority for MICE planners.

Yet, with the number of resources required to execute an event, aligning them with sustainable practices remains an ongoing challenge.

Here are our top tips for prioritizing sustainability at all your events and how Marriott Bonvoy Events™ can meet you halfway to work towards a greener future.

Prioritize Longevity and Reusability

Rather than purchasing something new for every event, and disposing of it right after, be more intentional and think beyond the immediate needs of the event.

For event décor, this means investing in pieces made from biodegradable, durable material. Ideally, they should be theme-neutral and versatile so that they can be easily stored and reused for future events. Fabrics, reusable fixtures and booths, as well as unique pieces from local artisans, are all great additions to your décor collection.

For more practical items like plastic drinking bottles or paper, replace them with reusable alternatives, like glass jars and whiteboards. Prioritizing high-quality, enduring pieces is not just more eco-friendly but can elevate the look and sophistication of your event while saving costs.

Think Local

Go local wherever you can. A simple yet high-impact way to do this is through your food service, such as by working exclusively with a caterer that sources locally and responsibly. The Athenee Hotel, Bangkok for example, works with the Thai Organic Consumer Association to directly source certified organic products from farmers, leaving wholesalers out of the picture for your event service.

In addition to reducing your footprint and providing reliable income to the local community, this gives your attendees the chance to savour the freshest, in-season produce available. It’s a win-win.

Know Who’s Coming

Taking the time to know your attendees is a seemingly obvious but often overlooked step. Here are three ways this can be helpful for sustainability:

• Mindful Gifting: Before curating your swag bag, send out a questionnaire to better understand the background, values and interests of attendees. This data will ensure you only gift items that are genuinely useful, instead of the usual disposable items. Provide customizing or engraving options to make your gift feel extra worthy to keep.
• Thoughtful Menu Planning: Gather information on attendees’ dietary preferences and have them choose meal options ahead of time so you can pre-portion and minimise food waste. Opt for individual portions where feasible instead of buffet-style catering to promote mindful consumption.
• Green Transportation: To decrease the emissions associated with commuting to and from the event, survey attendees and find out where they are coming from. This will allow you to provide accurate public transit and travel route information and coordinate key pick-up and drop-off areas if you choose to organize a shuttle service.

Why Plan Your Sustainable Event with Marriott Bonvoy Events™?

While there are many ways to make your event more sustainable, including the tips mentioned, going against the norm can take more thought than you might expect. Nor can it be achieved with your efforts alone.

As part of Marriott International’s Serve 360 Commitments to Serve Our World, you’ll find a range of sustainable solutions to support you as you plan. We strive to make all aspects of sustainable event planning as seamless as possible, ensuring you not only hit your KPIs but also inspire change.

Customized Green Meeting Solutions

Discover dedicated green meeting packages and expertise across our portfolio hotels. For example, at The Athenee Hotel Bangkok, you can explore and request Sustainable Meeting Practices, including climate control, waste-free setups, choices between different charities for food donations, and even the option to purchase carbon credits.

Food Waste Management

Marriott International has committed to reducing 50% of its food waste by 2025 – an ambitious undertaking that has been operationalized in various ways. From partnerships with local authorities to on-site food compost machines that convert waste into electricity and fertilizers, discover a variety of ways to give back to the planet, wherever your event is based.

Responsible Sourcing

It can be hard to navigate and verify the sustainable commitments of your vendors and suppliers, especially when it comes to higher up the supply chain. In line with Marriott’s commitment to responsible sourcing, planners can take advantage of the Serve 360 Marriott’s Sourcing Guide to vet suppliers and ensure they adhere to environmentally responsible and ethical practices.

Sustainable Hotel Design

With 100% of portfolio hotels having a sustainability certification, and 650 hotels pursuing a LEED certification by 2025, you can reliably reduce the environmental impact of your event by choosing to host it at a Marriott Bonvoy™ venue.

Design features vary across hotels. From hotel-wide energy conservation efforts via rooftop solar power stations at the Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa to energy-conserving LED walls specific to events at the JW Marriott Hong Kong, take your pick and find the venue that best aligns with your own sustainable goals.

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