Why Are More Companies Choosing Sustainable Venues?

Sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration when companies are choosing venues for conferences, meetings, training days, corporate events and away days.

A few years ago, sustainability might have appeared towards the bottom of an event brief. Today, we are seeing more companies actively asking about a venue’s environmental credentials before they make a decision.

But what is driving the change – and what should event organisers actually look for when choosing a sustainable venue?

Sustainability is becoming part of corporate policy

One of the biggest changes is that sustainability is no longer solely the responsibility of a company’s sustainability team.

Many organisations now have environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives, net-zero ambitions or responsible procurement policies that affect decisions throughout the business – including events.

If a company is working to reduce its environmental impact, it makes sense to consider where conferences and meetings are held, how delegates travel, what food is served and how much waste an event generates.

As a result, questions about sustainability are increasingly appearing in venue briefs from the outset.

Companies want their events to reflect their values

Corporate events are a visible representation of an organisation.

Employees, clients and stakeholders may reasonably question why a company that promotes its environmental commitments has chosen an event venue that appears to make little effort to reduce energy consumption, waste or unnecessary use of resources.

Choosing a genuinely sustainable venue helps companies demonstrate that their environmental policies extend beyond statements on a website.

This can be particularly important for conferences, company-wide meetings and client events where large numbers of people are attending.

Delegate travel matters

The environmental impact of an event isn’t limited to what happens inside the venue.

How hundreds of delegates get there can make a considerable difference.

For this reason, companies are paying greater attention to venues close to railway stations, Underground networks and other public transport.

For a national conference, choosing the right city can be just as important as choosing the right building. A centrally located venue with excellent rail connections may significantly reduce the need for delegates to drive or take domestic flights.

This is one reason why accessibility and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand when we are helping clients consider different locations.

Sustainable catering has become mainstream

Food is another area where event planning has changed significantly.

Venues and caterers are increasingly offering seasonal produce, locally sourced ingredients, plant-forward menus and better systems for reducing food waste.

Event organisers are also becoming more conscious of over-ordering.

Accurate delegate numbers, sensible portion planning and arrangements for surplus food can all contribute towards reducing the environmental impact of an event without affecting the quality of the hospitality.

In many cases, sustainable catering has simply become good event management.

Employees increasingly expect it

Employees are another important influence.

People increasingly expect the organisations they work for to demonstrate their values through their actions. Company conferences, away days and internal events provide a very visible opportunity to do this.

Choosing an environmentally responsible venue can therefore contribute to the overall message an organisation wants to communicate to its team.

This doesn’t mean that every corporate event needs to take place in an eco-retreat in the countryside. Some of the UK’s most established hotels, conference centres, universities and purpose-built event venues have made substantial investments in sustainability.

Sustainable doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive

There is sometimes an assumption that choosing a sustainable venue will increase the event budget.

That isn’t necessarily the case.

Energy-efficient buildings, reduced waste, refillable water stations, carefully planned catering and better use of resources can all help control costs.

Similarly, choosing a well-connected venue may reduce expenditure on coaches, taxis, parking or overnight accommodation.

The important thing is to consider the overall cost and environmental impact of the event, rather than simply comparing room hire rates.

Companies are looking for evidence, not just green claims

Perhaps the biggest change we are seeing is that event organisers are becoming more knowledgeable about sustainability.

Simply describing a venue as “green”, “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” isn’t always enough.

Companies increasingly want to know what sits behind those claims.

Questions might include:

• Does the venue have a recognised environmental accreditation or certification?
• Does it use renewable energy?
• How does it manage and reduce waste?
• What happens to leftover food?
• Does it have a sustainable sourcing policy?
• How energy efficient is the building?
• Is drinking water provided without single-use plastic bottles?
• How accessible is the venue by public transport?
• Can the venue provide information about the carbon footprint of an event?
• Does it have measurable sustainability targets?

Not every venue will be able to tick every box. What matters is understanding which sustainability criteria are most important to your organisation and comparing venues accordingly.

Avoiding greenwashing

As demand for sustainable venues has grown, so has the use of environmental language in venue marketing. Event organisers therefore need to look beyond the headline claims.

A venue saying that it recycles or doesn’t use plastic straws doesn’t necessarily make it a sustainable venue. Look for specific information, measurable initiatives and recognised accreditations where appropriate. Ask what the venue has actually changed and whether it can provide evidence.

A good venue should be comfortable answering detailed questions about its environmental practices.

Finding the right sustainable venue

Sustainability shouldn’t mean compromising on the practical requirements of your event. The venue still needs to have the right capacity, layout, location, AV facilities, catering, accessibility and budget. The challenge is finding a venue that meets both your event requirements and your organisation’s sustainability objectives.

That’s where an experienced venue finder can be particularly useful.

At Function Fixers, we can help identify venues that match your brief while also considering factors such as environmental credentials, public transport connections, catering policies and sustainability initiatives.

Rather than simply searching for venues that describe themselves as sustainable, we can help you ask the right questions and compare the options available.

The future of sustainable corporate events

We expect sustainability to become an increasingly standard part of corporate venue selection.

Instead of asking, “Do we need a sustainable venue?”, more companies are likely to ask, “How sustainable are the venues we’re considering?”

And that’s an important distinction.

Sustainability doesn’t have to dictate every element of an event. But by considering transport, energy, catering, waste and responsible sourcing alongside the traditional venue requirements, companies can make better-informed choices without compromising the delegate experience.

Looking for a sustainable venue?

Tell Function Fixers what you’re planning, including any sustainability requirements your organisation needs to meet. Our free, independent venue finding service can help you identify suitable sustainable venues across London and the UK and provide a tailored shortlist based on your event, location and budget.