7 Sustainable Event Engagement Ideas to Create More Immersive Experiences
Plastic-free? Tick. Eco-focused venue? Tick. Locally sourced F&B options? Tick. Have you covered all the key areas to ensure your event is greener, but are struggling to creatively weave sustainability more into your agenda and enhance your brand experience and engagement? In this article, our design, production and logistics teams highlight their top ways to immerse your event in sustainable experiences, from kinetic technology to air-purifying living walls.
When it comes to corporate events, sustainability is no longer viewed as a standalone objective. Today’s attendees are increasingly expectant that organizations should demonstrate environmental and social responsibility in a way that feels authentic rather than performative. As a result of this, event planners are looking far beyond operational changes in order to create experiences that actively involve attendees in their sustainability journey.
The most successful sustainable events do not simply reduce waste behind the scenes, they actually encourage participation. Whether that is by generating renewable energy, or by creating greener event spaces, interactive experiences help attendees to better understand all of an organization’s sustainability commitments while creating more memorable moments throughout the event.
When sustainability becomes a bigger part of the attendee experience rather than just something that is happening in the background, it creates stronger engagement and encourages conversation, which will leave a lasting impression long after the event has finished.
Make your event more sustainable with these 7 ideas
1. Create a living wall
Living walls don’t have to be created only to be dismantled post-event. Instead, build into the agenda the opportunity to add plants to a living wall that has a legacy beyond the final session. Plant walls aren’t just a great way to incorporate nature into spaces, they can also work to purify the air, add a calming atmosphere and help reduce the ambient temperature.
Living walls can also become one of the most photographed and memorable features of an event. In addition to improving the look and feel of a venue, they will also provide a natural talking point and are easily incorporated into networking areas or stage backdrops. To create an even greater legacy, the plants can be donated to local schools or community projects after the event, which extends their environmental benefits well beyond the closing session.
2. Meet by bicycle
For large-scale conferences and exhibitions, have attendees travel between sessions by electric scooter or bicycle. Instead of your standard 1:1 meeting hunched over a table, why not encourage attendees to take to the outdoors and have a business meeting by bicycle. A great way to add wellness elements to the agenda, whilst still providing networking time.
Outdoor meetings also encourage more natural conversations than a more traditional boardroom setting. Walking or cycling discussions can help to stimulate creativity and improve wellbeing while at the same time providing attendees with an opportunity to experience the local destination. For leadership events, and smaller conferences, active meetings can become a very memorable part of the agenda while supporting wider sustainability and wellness objectives.
3. Generate energy with every footstep
Have your attendees turn footsteps into off-grid energy with smart flooring technology. By installing this kinetic tech in busy footfall areas within the event space, your attendees can help generate electricity for the event. Use this energy as electricity credits for local areas in need, to power LED signage, or to fuel electric device charging points.
Making sustainability visible is usually just as important as reducing environmental impact. Displaying the amount of energy that is being generated throughout the event allows attendees to see the collective difference they are making, which encourages participation and creates an engaging talking point. Interactive technology like this will take sustainability from a behind-the-scenes initiative into a shared experience that all attendees can actively contribute towards.
4. “Do good” runs
Do you want to incorporate active sessions into your agenda, but not your bog-standard 7am 5K? Why not build in fitness sessions that give back to the local community. Groups can run, walk or cycle to areas in the event’s local community that need support. From beach cleaning and tree planting to helping out at the nearby community centre. A great chance for attendees during your event to give back to the planet whilst also keeping active.
Activities that are supporting local communities can also strengthen team building by giving attendees a shared purpose that goes beyond the event itself. Whether planting trees or supporting local charities, these shared experiences will help organizations to create a positive legacy while giving attendees the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the destination that has hosted the event.
5. Create an immersive LED canvas
Immerse your audience in audio-visual content with this more sustainable form of technology. LED bulbs can be up to 80% more efficient than standard bulbs. A brilliant way to create a highly effective installation, that is more eco-friendly.
LED installations also offer more flexibility than traditional printed staging and signage, as content can be updated throughout the event without producing additional physical materials. This allows organizers to tailor their messaging for different sessions while reducing any waste. Combined with immersive visuals and interactive storytelling, LED technology creates engaging attendee experiences while supporting more sustainable event production.
6. Save the bees
With a third of the world’s food production dependent on bees and other pollinators, they’re a pretty-important species to look after to help keep our ecosystem in check. Planting wildflowers is a simple way to support bees with their essential food sources throughout the seasons. Add a bee workshop to your event agenda, and plant wildflowers in the venue grounds, all accompanied by a honey-infused cocktail mixology experience.
Workshops that are focused on biodiversity provide attendees with practical knowledge that they are able to take home long after the event has come to an end. By partnering with local environmental groups or conservation projects, organizations are able to create a lasting impact within the host destination while giving attendees the opportunity to contribute to initiatives that will support local ecosystems.
7. Forage & feast
With a wealth of tasty morsels tucked in our hedgerows and fields, a foraging experience can be a fun way for attendees to learn about ingredients on their doorstep. Break up your event agenda with a foraging workshop with an expert. Round off your evening with a Chef’s Table experience, feasting on all your findings.
Experiences that have been built around locally sourced ingredients will also provide a valuable opportunity to showcase regional culture while supporting nearby producers. By working alongside local chefs and foraging experts, you can create memorable networking opportunities and demonstrate how sustainability can naturally be woven into every stage of the attendee experience, from education right through to dining.
Turning Sustainability into a Shared Experience
The most effective sustainable events are those that are able to actively involve attendees rather than just showcasing environmentally friendly initiatives. By encouraging people to make a meaningful contribution, and to participate, organizations are able to create experiences that are not only highly-engaging but also meaningful.
Whether through interactive technology, or nature-inspired activities, sustainable experiences can help to transform corporate events into something that attendees are more likely to remember and talk about. When sustainability becomes part of the journey rather than just part of the event plan, it can create much stronger engagement while at the same time supporting wider environmental and social goals.
Sustainable event design is about much more than just reducing environmental impact. By combining creative experiences with responsible event planning practices, organizations are able to create memorable moments that will strengthen attendee engagement while at the same time demonstrating their ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Whether you are exploring innovative event technology, or immersive experiences that have been inspired by nature, finding that perfect balance between creativity and sustainability can leave a really long lasting impression on attendees after the event has ended. The Collective by BCD Meetings & Events can help bring these ideas to life through innovative event design, and sustainable event planning.
