Sustainable Event Planning

You love your Jimmy Choo’s and you want your carbon footprint to be small, too. We get it.

That’s why we specialize in offering green solutions for your wedding or corporate event. It’s not always easy to be green–but we make it look like it is!

We know that every little bit helps, and we are as committed to taking care of our community and our planet, as much as we are to taking care of you. Hosting a green event helps to:

·      Conserve water and energy
·      Improve the local economy
·      Minimize waste
·      Support local agriculture
·      Save trees

Here are some specific ways The Blazy Group can reduce the carbon footprint of your event.

Destination Selection

• Select a destination city that is close to the majority of the participants and is served by direct flights. Multiple take-offs and landings result in higher emissions from air travel.
• Choose a destination city with a good public transport system that connects the event venue with major transportation hubs and accommodations.

Venue Selection and Service Provision

• If possible, choose a venue that is LEED certified, or one that employs energy- and water-efficient equipment and practices, and schedules heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) resources around meeting requirements.
• Request organic, locally produced food and beverages to cut transportation emissions. Organic food and beverages do not use synthetically produced fertilizers or chemicals derived from fossil fuels.
• Eliminate disposable containers, plates, bowls, cups and cutlery.
• Set up a compost program for all food waste. Composting reduces the amount of waste going to landfill and cuts emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
• Ensure the venue is able to provide you with required data for the monitoring and evaluation of greening practices.
• If you negotiate environmental practices not currently in place at the venue, ensure them by including them in contracts.

Accommodation

• Provide guests with information about accommodations with environmental certification or with environmental policies and practices.
• Negotiate room blocks with hotels that are within walking distance of the event venue and/or have green policies.
• Ask guests to participate in linen reuse programs at their hotels. Ask them to shut off lights, televisions and air conditioners or heaters when they leave their rooms.

Transportation

• Offer guests the choice to attend the event via videoconferencing.
• Use alternative fuel vehicles in a guest shuttle service.
• Alternatively, provide free passes for public transit.
• If taxis must be used, choose taxi companies with hybrid vehicles.
• Providing shuttle service drivers with training in environmentally responsible driving practices.
• No idling at the venue and major transportation hubs, such as airports.

Procurement

• Use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, processed chlorine free and made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled content. Producing a tonne of recycled paper results in 80 percent fewer CO2 emissions.
• Use printers and photocopiers that are Energy Star certified.
• Choose suppliers that provide low-carbon products or services.

Registration and Accreditation

• Electronic event registration.
• Lanyards made from recycled materials. Asking participants to return them after the event.
• Post-consumer recycled paper and vegetable-based inks for badges.

Food and Beverage

• Organic, fairly traded coffee and tea.
• Leftover food donated to local charities.
• Seafood served is harvested responsibly.
• Vegetarian meals or vegetarian meal options.
• Using a local caterer specializing in local, organically grown food.

Marketing and Communications

• Electronic or paperless communication.
• Sustainable printing guidelines.

Procurement

• Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of a good or service throughout its lifecycle. Favour goods and services that result in minimal environmental impacts and foster positive social and economic development.
• Use environmental criteria as well as quality and price.
• Develop contract riders to hold suppliers accountable to sustainability commitments.

Offices

• A sustainable procurement strategy for kitchen, office and cleaning supplies, furniture, office equipment and gifts.
• A recycling program for glass, metals, plastic and paper.
• Minimize paper use; encourage double-sided printing.
• Develop an environmental awareness program.