Sustainable events help the planet—but did you know they can also reduce costs and boost your organization’s reputation? Eco-friendly choices are a start, but leading-edge planners are going beyond to embrace circular economy principles. That includes designing out waste right from the beginning of event planning, reusing, repairing and regenerating resources and materials, and prioritizing environmental and community health, among other things. “Circularity requires upstream decision-making across event formats, contracts, food systems, staging and partnerships, not just better recycling bins,” says Leor Rotchild, CEO of Kavana Partners and author of How We Gather Matters: Sustainable Event Planning for Purpose and Impact. ABOUT TIME: “Circularity can be easy to implement because events have a start and an end,” says Kelly Power, EVP of client experience and sustainability at Proof Experiences. That short duration means events can operate as closed-loop systems that maximize efficiency and reuse and minimize waste, instead of the typical “take-make-dispose” approach. REVIEW EVERY EVENT ELEMENT: Organizing conventions and road shows with the circular economy in mind doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as choosing sustainable venues and vendors, ordering modular stage or booth materials that can be reused, using digital tickets, signage and communications rather than print materials, and reducing carbon emissions by renting furniture and offering energy-efficient transportation options. You can also select locally sourced foods with a low-carbon footprint and donate leftovers to local community organizations. The bonus? “Embedding circularity into core planning and contracting processes can help secure early partnerships and supplier arrangements and help control costs,” says Rotchild. GET TO KNOW THE FIVE RS: Add Refuse and Repurpose to your “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” mantra. That can include refusing single-use swag or bottled water, for instance, donating floral arrangements to local seniors’ homes or repurposing banners and décor. Power often works with MB Design Inc., a company that upcycles vinyl event banners into company- branded duffel bags and merch, and event signs into clipboards and other supplies for Indigenous, marginalized and low-income Canadian youth groups. Consider the five Rs when tracking the life cycle of resources and materials in your event, from choosing venues that use renewable energy and rainwater harvesting, to ensuring that purchased or created items are reused, donated, composted or recycled. GET BUY-IN BEFOREHAND: Many event planners are dealing with tight timelines and budgets and limited access to executive-level decision makers. Championing company-wide, sustainable event checklists can fast-track future decisions and allow your organization to include circular-economy requirements in RFPs, contracts and supplier codes of conduct. Hiring an external consultant can help senior staff question old practices and craft new policies. Rotchild always raises awareness: “When companies and event planners spend Earth First S U S TA I N A B L E E V E N T S O L U T I O N S Closing the Loop What the circular economy really means for events by Lisa Murphy enormous sums of money on AV needs, big name speakers and lavish meals, it can be jarring to hear them say they cannot afford to minimize the negative impact [of events] on nature and their host community.” FOREGO THE CHEAP SWAG: Give away reusable, recycled or eco-friendly items or free passes for an event or course instead. You can also set up a gifting lounge where attendees can select a truly useful item. As Power says, the planet doesn’t need another branded hoodie ending up in a landfill. SPREAD THE WORD: Tell employees and attendees about your event’s circular-economy efforts before, during and after events, so they can feel proud to be a part of it. That boosts brand credibility, staff loyalty and motivation to share what they’ve learned. MEASURE IMPACT: Tracking the waste-diversion rate, carbon footprint, water usage and energy consumption of events are just a few metrics to help gauge results. Let go of perfectionism, however. Even if your events are 10% more sustainable than before, that’s progress, says Power. Summer 2026 | Ignitemag.ca | 19
