The opportunities of being sustainable for regional events
Visitors and residents want to support events that are responsible and doing good for their communities and the environment – it’s a ‘trend’ that’s only going to increase in importance.
As an industry, events have many positives: they provide economic benefits and jobs, support the protection of cultural heritage, provides transformative experiences, and much more.
But events also can have negative effects such as emissions from transport, degradation of natural areas through mismanaged use, and impacts on locals such as noise, crowds, and traffic.
What are sustainable events?
Sustainable events are events that don’t have negative environmental, economic, or social impacts.
Regenerative events improve their community’s environment, liveability, and economy.
Being sustainable is a process of continual improvement.
What are the benefits of being sustainable?
Embedding environmental sustainability deeply across your event is not only the right thing to do, it is appealing to the public, and can save you money.
Competitiveness and appeal
Events that make sustainable choices improve their reputation and their competitive edge. They generate loyalty and trust in customers and other stakeholders. They may also be able to sell tickets at a higher price point (because they offer more value!)
Consumers are seeking out purpose-led brands that align with their values, and they’re expecting brands to play a more meaningful role in society. In other words, people want to support those who do good.
Volunteer attraction
People want to feel good about their volunteerism – they want to volunteer for organisations that do good, so a reputation for being sustainable can help with volunteer recruitment and retention.
Similarly, attracting potential investors, collaborators and hired staff can be easier.
Cost savings
Becoming more efficient with energy, waste, and transport provides cost savings as you purchase less energy, or pay for less waste removal.
Innovation
Transitioning to become more sustainable may require a revamp of products or processes, fostering innovation, and the creativity of your committee and your suppliers.
Sustainable Australian events
Orange F.O.O.D. Week
This food and wine event 250km west of Sydney is the first one in Australia that has tried to comply with the the global standard ISO 20121 to become certified as a sustainable event.
Having discovered that 98% of the event’s total emissions come from transport used by attendees, right on the home page there’s this offer:
For 17 years Island Vibe on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island near Brisbane) has played host to hundreds of local, interstate and international acts from across the Pacific region.
They have strived to create an event with high sustainable standards through award-winning responsible waste management, recycling, compost loos, reusable crockery, and composting of food waste.
They recently introduced the Righteous Reusables initiative, which aims to eliminate compostable/disposable cups and plates (and their emissions) by providing 3,000 pre-loved plates and cups for patrons to use.
““We will be washing these plates and cups throughout the festival and delivering these to food stalls to serve your meal of choice onto.
Each time these reusables get reused, we have already saved something from being thrown away, and we have saved all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each one of those disposable items travelling across the world just to be used once.
The Righteous Reusables wash station will be located in the market area - come check out the operation, throw a soapy high five to our awesome volunteers and see sustainability in action.””
Another initiative they have is Cycle Vibes where they provide Borrow Bikes for patrons, including one at the campground for easy travel to and from the festival grounds – all for a $5 wristband. They also encourage people to cycle and carpool to the festival on their ‘Getting Here’ page.
They’ve also made camping as sustainable as possible by encouraging patrons to borrow instead of buy camping equipment. Patrons can borrow camping and sports gear through the Brisbane Tool Library.
Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival, VIC
As Australia’s largest marathon this event aims to inspire people to keep moving, to promote health and wellbeing, and contribute to the sustainable future of our planet for future generations to enjoy.
“We must continue to consider our small role to ensure that future generations have access to clean fresh air, an abundance of open green spaces and a thriving world to run in.”
The organisers use carbon offset partner Fifteen Trees to helps participants reduce their carbon footprint through Australian community tree planting projects. On behalf of participants, sponsors, and management the festival plants 5,000 trees each year.
They also link their actions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals which encourage countries, companies, individuals (and event organisers!) to rise to the challenge of climate change.
“By partnering with Fifteen Trees, we are covering 3 of the 17 goals:
3. Good Health and Wellbeing
13. Climate Action
15. Life on Land”
Splendour in the Grass is an annual summer music festival near Byron Bay that offers a carbon offset option when purchasing tickets that is donated to local environmental initiatives (such any easy initiative!).
Other initiatives include a bus network to help attendees get around without personal transport, reusable cups, encouraging attendees to BYO their own water bottle, and waste reduction endeavors.
(On the other hand, there’s no info on their website about their commitment to sustainability!)
Woodford Folk Festival, QLD
Woodford Folk Festival in the Sunshine Coast hinterland near Brisbane has been doing good for so long their environmental statement was written 20 years ago!
The festival owns its site, and has invested in its own water supply, sewage management, and revegetation of the property which was a cleared and degraded farm when purchased 30 years ago.
Just one example of the many ways the festival is sustainable is their policy of providing compostable food and beverage containers to all food stalls which are then composted on site.
The goal of this canoe and kayak event is to have a net positive impact on litter in the Kangaroo Valley.
Though the organisers are working on a few initiatives to help make this a reality, as a minimum they’re encouraging all participants to not only dispose of their own waste thoughtfully, but to also #Take3 for the sea.
“If you find any litter on your adventures as part of the F.O.C.K., please collect it, dispose of it properly and let’s leave this special place in a better state than when we found it.”
This arts and cultural festival includes suggestions on how attendees can make sustainable choices easily accessible on the About page of their website, including
BYO drink bottle and refill it at water stations provided
Reuse your cup, and place it in the cup deposit bin for it to be cleaned and reused by others
Buy a reusable cup made of sand to keep as a foldable camping cup
Catch the bus for free
Offset your flights’ emissions
$1 from every ticket sale is donated to the local Trees for Tourism program, which helps protect Noosa’s pristine environment for generations to come.
Wingham Music Festival
Wingham Music Festival has a Sustainability Management Plan, and a zero waste plan. Food stalls are required to use recyclable or compostable containers and utensils. Numbers of recycling bins are being increased while landfill bins are being decreased significantly as they become redundant.
Before COVID, the festival partnered with a local worm farm and collected organic waste including cardboard food containers and food scraps which were fed to the worms. The organisers intend to rekindle that relationship.
“The day after our festival, I am always amazed by how clean the showground is left. I put it down to the type of patrons we have - great people.”
Want to plan how your event will be more sustainable?
It takes just one event to make a positive impact, multiplied by being a role model.
If you want to be taken seriously, sustainability needs to pervade your event culture, and environmental and social responsibility needs to be integrated into event planning.
Our Responsible Event Checklist is just what you need to quickly understand what you can do (affordably!) on your path forward.
Want to dive deeper?
Our new Responsible Event learning module will help you learn how to
reduce emissions and negative impacts on the environment
be more inclusive and diverse to provide social benefits
grow your event’s economic impact
Over to you
Now’s your chance to brag - what are you doing at your event that you’re proud of, or what are you planning to do this year?
Tell the world in the comments!