How to Make Your Corporate Event or Party Eco-Friendly

How to Make Your Corporate Event or Party Eco-Friendly

Every company can get extra goodwill by making their event or corporate party more eco-friendly. However, it can seem hard to do this when you have to serve or entertain large groups of people. How can you minimize the environmental footprint of 100 or even 1,000 event attendees? Fortunately, there are ways to set up your events so that even large ones have elements that are easier on the environment than their alternatives. Here are some ideas you can implement without much trouble:

Choose Reusable Tableware

Washing dishes requires soap and water, but the alternative – paper and plastic – is even worse for the environment. Paper production uses much more water than washing, and it typically results in large amounts of pollution thanks to the use of bleaches and dyes in the production process. Plastic, of course, is a petroleum product. Even worse, plastic doesn't degrade within a reasonable timeframe (some say it takes 500 years to disappear). Eliminating both paper and plastic is clearly the eco-friendly move.

Serve Vegetarian Meals

A good caterer can make vegetarian food taste great, and if your event calls for snacks and sandwiches instead of dinners, your guests may not even notice that meat isn't on the menu. The environmental benefit results from the efficiency of growing vegetables and grains compared to that of raising meat.

Why avoid meat? Raising meat animals produces pollution in the form of animal waste, contributes to greenhouse gas levels due to methane excretion, and requires more food since the feed has to go through another layer before it gets to you. Plants are much cleaner to grow, and they're more efficient because when you eat them directly, you essentially "cut out the middleman" of the food chain.

Hold Your Event in a Big City

When you have your event in a big city like Miami, your guests will be able to reach the venue via public transportation. This, of course, cuts down on the amount of gas used and air pollution produced. As a bonus, the area will have plenty of other things to do after your event ends, and your guests will love the extra entertainment possibilities.

Use Digital Signage

Many events are festooned with a wide variety of posters, pennants, and other printed materials. When the event ends, all of this paper is simply thrown away. Avoid all of that waste by using digital signs. Thanks to today's lightweight flat screens, these signs can be mounted in stands as well as hung on walls. Since they're digital, there's no need to throw them out when the current graphics become obsolete. Simply program them with new images for your next event. Alternatively, rent digital signs and simply hand them in to the rental company after your event ends.

Use Recycled Paper for Printed Materials

Digital signs eliminate the need for much paper, but you still may want to print out programs, brochures, or business cards for your event. In these cases, use paper that is totally or partially recycled to minimize your ecological footprint.

Avoid Plastic Water Bottles

Provide reusable bottles instead and have refill stations set up so guests can get more water as it is needed. If you just can't see going without the traditional plastic kind, set up recycle bins to collect them as they're emptied. Look for water brands that use recycled plastic for their bottles, too.

Rent Durable Materials

Venues such as our Soho Studios offer the chance to rent props, carpets, and other essentials for your event. Choose this option to avoid needlessly throwing away or endlessly storing items that could actually be used for years. If you do buy your own accessories, donate them to charities if you won't be reusing them.

Use Energy-Efficient Items

Many events require special gear. Make sure to choose the most efficient versions that will do the job. One suggestion is to make sure that you have LED lighting whenever possible. These lights are some of the most efficient readily-available ones on the market today.

Mention How Eco-Friendly Your Event Will Be

Helping the environment is great on its own, but the purpose of a corporate event is marketing. Be sure to let everyone know that your event is as green as possible and mention specific steps you've taken to make it that way. This will ensure that you get the expected bump in goodwill.

These are just some of the ways you can make your event more eco-friendly. Even if you can only implement some of them, you'll have a greener event than you would if you used the old-fashioned versions of everything.

For a highly flexible venue in Miami, choose Soho Studios. We have up to 70,000 square feet of configurable space and rental options for all major event elements.

Mellow Mushroom at the SweetWater 420 Festival

Mellow Mushroom is a continual food industry provider, targeting young audiences with delectable pizza, awesome events and a unique brand image. They’re teaming up with SweetWater Brewing Company to create the SweetWater 420 Fest in Atlanta, GA. Games, prizes—and, of course, plenty of beer and pizza—await on April 20th, 2016.

The Fest

The SweetWater 420 Fest takes part in SweetWater’s environmental conservation efforts. The brand’s common statement, “You can’t make good beer without good water,” is commonly attributed to their excellent, nationwide efforts. Their Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance partnership directly funds and raises awareness for the event, assisting community cleanup efforts alongside beer donations.

Intending to positively impact the community’s right to free water, The SweetWater 420 Fest prioritizes eco-friendly practices. Last year, the event reduced landfill waste by 30,000 pounds, diverting it through on-site, eco-focused activities. The SweetWater 420 Fest constantly offers volunteer-powered events, creating fun environments from pavilion restoration, park improvement initiatives, nature path reformation and venue cleanup. The Fest has currently donated over $120,000 in neighborhood and organizational funds, directed towards Park Pride, CPNO and Friends of Candler Park.

Partnerships, Outreach and Mellow Mushroom

Mellow Mushroom has expanded their brand since 1974. Their free-thinking brand image employs pizza, beer, family-operated events and grand journeys to facilitate the food industry’s growth. Greatly attached to the SweetWater 420 Fest, Mellow Mushroom’s latest franchise maneuvers will feature guest art contests, food booths and live events. The SweetWater 420 Fest is an excellent location, spanning across a large area capable of hosting a slew of activities. Of course, a multitude of branded merchandise will be available, boosting revenue alongside funds gathered from pizza and beer alone.

Mellow Mushroom also holds a unique opportunity in partnering with SweetWater Brewing Company’s other affiliates. SunTrust Bank, Happy Endings Productions, Centennial Olympic Park, Central Atlanta Progress and Park Pride have all assisted downtown Atlanta’s green lifestyle. Streetcar, too, has been involved, increasing the city’s ‘mobilized’ lifestyle. Mellow Mushroom, now, helps event happenings by prompting visitors to remove trash while planting plants and landscape throughout the event-hosting area.

The Mellow Mushroom Brand and Statement

From a brand perspective, Mellow Mushroom’s dedication to the SweetWater 420 Fest is incredibly telling. The restaurant has always been dedicated to mouthwatering food accompanies by world-friendly policies. SweetWater Brewing Company, aligned with the brand’s focus, makes an excellent partner.

Mellow Mushroom’s experimental marketing participation has granted it immersive access into the SweetWater Brewing Company’s fan foundation. Crafting unforgettable environments, the brand additionally gains from Twitter and Facebook appearances. Its ‘Fresh Tweets’ outreach program rings true to the SweetWater 420 Fest, tying up any loose ends while nodding, again, to the brand overlap between two eco-friendly entities.

Mellow Mushroom’s offered Mellow E-Club, famous for spreading event information, will likely propose options for future SweetWater 420 Fest attendees. Social Media, in the food and brew world, is an indispensable resource. As Mellow Mushroom gears up for its newest marketing opportunities, it’ll continue adhering to the SweetWater Brewing Company state of mind—one dedicated to community, happiness and great food.