Venue finding platform Hire Space recently hosted its ‘Venue Talk’ event at 41 Portland Place, which saw panelists discuss issues around sustainability – including energy.
Speakers included Mark Bannister, production and operations director at Toucan Agency, Carina Jandt, co-founder of Event Cycle, and Duncan Reid, CEO of Reset Connect. Cameron Roberts, editor of Conference News, moderated.
Measures and advice
The panellists strongly recommended venues switch to 100% renewable energy as soon as possible, and to measure carbon emissions.
Venues must also find ways to reduce their energy usage, such as installing solar panels, dimmer switches and separating their venue hire pricing from their electricity pricing to encourage organisers to take greater responsibility when planning events.
Reid suggested switching to a Power Purchase Agreement, where you can buy electricity as a cheaper fixed rate long-term, as well as writing to local MPs and pointing out the challenges venues and businesses will face due to paying high energy prices.
The panel also discussed repurposing event materials so nothing goes to waste. The speakers recommended that organisers and venues identify charities or organisations in the local community that could use surplus event materials, including food waste.
Bannister said: “We found during the organisation of COP26 that by literally placing sustainability at the top of every meeting agenda, positive change happened. Hire Space together with the venues represented in the room are clearly keen to do the same and help our industry steer a course towards net zero.”
Source: Conference News
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