7.5: A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

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Sustainable Event Management

As festivals, large events, and expositions grow and help drive tourism to areas, the focus on sustainability has grown. Being environmentally and socially responsible in event management does not need to cost a lot to achieve.

Technology - Implementing technology such as an event app can reduce the need for physical programs and increase attendee satisfaction by having access to the information on demand.
Recycling - Recycling is fantastic but the trend is moving towards combining that with sourcing products that use less packaging to further reduce solid waste and the energy spent recycling as well.
Skip the Buzzwords - Be clear and specific in what your goals and actions are.
Show your work - Be transparent with what you did and will be doing. What proof do you have that what you are doing is helping?
Be Regenerative - Sustainability’s next stepping point is not just maintaining what we have but making it a better place than we found it.

Accessibility in Events

Having your events be accessible to all who wish to participate to fully enjoy the festivities is a goal we all should have. There are several key steps that Cornell’s Human Resource Department compiled that should provide even the most novice event planner with a framework of where to begin.

Ask your attendees if they may need any accommodations.
- You may want to include a checklist of the most common accommodations that are asked for, just make sure to include enough room for the attendee to add anything that you might have missed.
Inspect the Venue in Advance
- Parking
- Ramp access
- Flooring condition
- Restrooms
- Charging Access for motorized wheelchairs
- Visibility
- Acoustics
- Mobility
- Technology Capabilities
- Service Animals
Train your staff
- Knowledgeable in handling the needs of various guests
  - Emergency response training
  - Sensitivity Training
  - Bias awareness
Have a Code of Conduct
Examine potential Communication Barriers
Accessible Website or App

Inclusion & Diversity

A recent survey done by Radisson Meetings found that 80% of event planners recognized the importance of inclusion and diversity. Only recognizing that it is important is not enough, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have procedures that help you make decisions with diversity and inclusion in mind. Below are a few bullet points of ways to increase diversity in your events.

Check your own unconscious bias
Examine the supply chain
Improve accessibility
Be more thoughtful on key speakers/entertainers/etc
Benchmarking your work

At the end of the day, we can always do better, keep seeking out what you can do to be better.

Technology in Events

Technology is everywhere and becoming cheaper and more accessible each year. For years the entertainment industry has used mobile ticketing, which is being used more and more as a way to fully integrate mobile experiences during any event.

A barrier to entry into utilizing more technology, for some, is the perceived cost of the technology. Many vendors will need to emphasize the saving and added value that their programs can bring to event planners.

Another welcomed side effect of the use of technology in the event industry is the ease with which we can collect and use data. Though the event industry has not yet made the same strides that companies like Disney have at their theme parks, using near field communication to help direct staff to areas that are experiencing more guests. This type of technology could be used by event planners to better layout their event knowing where attendees frequently converged.

Moving away from cash or credit card payments to mobile payment technology, such as Apple Pay, will become more and more common, especially with festival-goers who may not want to carry their wallet or purse but have their phones handy at all times.

Event planners need to continue to look to the future and see what is coming and how they can utilize it to give their guests the ultimate experience.