Sustainable Events: Venues, Menus and Measurements

Sustainability isn’t a theme—it’s a design constraint. Plan for it early and it becomes simpler, cheaper, and more meaningful. Here’s a practical playbook you can apply to any UK event, from venue shortlisting and menu design to measuring impact you can actually report.

What “sustainable” really means (for events)

• Lower impact by design: minimise travel emissions, energy use, and waste.

• Inclusive by default: step-free routes, hearing support, clear wayfinding, quiet spaces.

• Transparent reporting: track the big drivers (travel, venue energy, catering, materials) and publish the results.

1) Venues: choose infrastructure, not just aesthetics

Shortlist criteria

• Location & access

  • < 10 mins from rail/Tube; bike storage; coach drop-off; realistic walking routes on your invite.

• Energy & water

  • 100% renewable electricity (on bill or contract), LED lighting, smart HVAC, sub-metering, water refill points.

• Waste

  • Three-stream bins (recycling/food/general), back-of-house sorting, oil/cardboard/coffee-ground recovery.

• Sustainability governance

  • Policy + named lead; incidentals like green cleaning, low-VOC paints, eco consumables.

• Materials & brandability

  • Vinyl-safe areas, reusable signage systems, projection surfaces (avoid single-use prints).

• Accessibility

  • Step-free street→stage, accessible WCs on each event level, hearing loop/IR coverage map, quiet/faith room.

Questions to ask (paste into your RFP)

• Can you evidence renewable electricity for my event dates?

• Do you offer sub-metering so we can report event-specific kWh?

• What waste streams are available and what proportion is diverted from landfill?

• Where are the bottle refill points and can we add temporary ones?

• Provide your access plan (step-free routes, hearing support coverage).

• Confirm load-in route, earliest access, overnight storage, and rigging/power drawings.

Rider clause (use as-is)

Venue will provide: (a) written confirmation of renewable electricity supply or tariffs for the event dates; (b) sub-metered electricity data within 10 working days post-event; (c) waste weights by stream (food/recycling/general); and (d) access provision including step-free routes and hearing support.

2) Menus: plant-forward, seasonal, waste-smart

Principles that work

• Plant-forward by default: Make vegetarian/vegan the hero; meat/fish as opt-in.

• Seasonal & local-ish: Fewer airmiles, better flavour; spotlight UK growers and sustainable fisheries (e.g., responsibly sourced seafood).

• Designed for zero waste: Right-sized plates, plated mains over large buffets, smaller dessert portions, donate safe surplus where possible.

Sample low-impact menu sets

Breakfast

• Oat pots with seasonal compote; sourdough + local jam; plant-based yoghurt; fair-trade tea/coffee (served in mugs).

Working lunch

• Grain bowl bar (spelt/farro, roasted brassicas, pea pesto), lemon–tahini dressing

• Herb falafel or marinated tofu as default protein; free-range chicken as opt-in

• Seasonal fruit; tap water in jugs; canned or on-tap softs (no single-use PET)

Reception / bowl food

• Wild mushroom risotto (bowl)

• Beetroot tartare, dill, rye crumb

• Smoked hake brandade (opt-in fish)

• Sticky toffee pudding bites (mini)

Bar

• Local beer on keg, wine on tap where offered, low/no options headlined; glassware only.

Catering asks (copy-paste)

• Provide dish-level allergen and ingredient transparency.

• Quote reusable service ware only; no single-use plastics.

• Confirm surplus plan (redistribution/composting) and portioning strategy to reduce waste.

3) Production & materials: design for reuse

• Signage: fabric sleeves, magnetic panels, and modular frames you can re-skin.

• Build: rental furniture; standardised stage sizes; avoid foamex/one-off vinyl.

• AV: LED over projection where viable; schedule power-downs; specify efficient fixtures (high CRI, low wattage, flicker-free).

• Gifting: opt-in gifting; experiences or consumables; no generic swag.

4) Travel & accommodation: the real emissions driver

• Pick rail-centric cities/venues and state rail first on invites.

• Offer active travel maps; time the agenda to off-peak trains.

• Room blocks in walking distance; provide postcodes and walking times.

• Consider a virtual/hybrid layer for long-haul stakeholders.

5) Measurement: simple, credible, repeatable

What to measure

1. Attendee travel – mode split (rail/air/road/walk/bike) + typical distances.

2. Venue energy – kWh electricity and gas (sub-meter if possible).

3. Catering – covers served by menu type (veg/meat/fish), litres of drinks on tap, bottled drinks avoided.

4. Waste – kilograms by stream (food/recycling/general) + donation logs.

5. Materials – sqm of prints, qty of lanyards/badges, % reusable or hired.

Formula you’ll use everywhere:

Emissions = Activity data × Emission factor

(Keep your factor sources consistent year-to-year; note any changes.)

Core KPIs to publish

• kg CO₂e per attendee (overall + travel-only)

• % attendees on public/active transport

• % plant-based/vegetarian servings

• Waste diversion rate (% recycled/composted)

• Single-use bottles avoided (count)

• Energy use per attendee (kWh)

Minimal data capture form (add to registration & ops)

• Travel plan: rail / car (solo) / car (shared) / air (short/long) / walk/bike

• Dietary preference: veg / vegan / fish / meat (opt-in)

• Accessibility needs (to design inclusive routes)

• Post-event: actual travel taken (one-click survey in the thank-you email)

6) Governance: make it stick

• Assign a Sustainability Lead on the team and in each supplier.

• Put non-negotiables in contracts (renewable power evidence, waste weights, no SUP).

• Brief on-site: five-minute crew huddle on waste streams, power-downs, refill points.

• Publish a one-pager post-event with KPIs, what worked, and two improvements for next time.

Good • Better • Best (quick decision table)

Copy-and-use checklists

Pre-event

• Venue confirms renewables and sub-metering

• Waste plan with streams and signage

• Plant-forward menus agreed; surplus plan signed

• Reusable service ware only

• Rail-first travel info sent; walking map included

• Accessibility plan published to attendees

On the day

• Meter readings captured (start/end)

• Waste contractor briefed; bin stations staffed at peaks

• Bar serving from kegs/taps; refill points visible

• Crew reminded to power down between sessions

Post-event

• Travel mode split confirmed

• kWh and waste weights received from venue/contractor

• KPIs calculated; one-page report shared

• Improvement actions logged for next edition

Need a venue that can prove it?

Function Fixers can shortlist hybrid-ready, sustainability-credible venues across the UK and negotiate the data you need for reporting—with availability on hold in 24–48 hours. Share your dates, headcount, city and must-haves, and we’ll return 3–6 on-brief options with costs, access notes, and measurement commitments baked in.