This year brought virtual events front and center. Along with meeting virtually it also gave us insight into the impacts of sustainability. Have you wondered “What are the Benefits of Virtual Events?”. We did and we came up with a way to tell the story of virtual events and their benefits. When you don’t have to travel to an in-person event here are some of the obvious benefits:
- Saves time
- Budget friendly
- Doesn’t disrupt your personal life
- Alleviates the stresses of travel
These are the first benefits of virtual events that come to mind. If you look at the environmental impacts of virtual events there is more than meets the eye.
Carbon Footprint Benefits of Virtual Events
Let’s dig deeper and think about other benefits to virtual events. Have you considered the carbon footprint of an in-person event? Taking this concept and comparing it to a virtual event the numbers are impactful. When it comes to capturing data for carbon footprint here are some categories we have zeroed in on:
- Air travel
- Ground transportation
- Hotel energy
- Venue energy
All of these categories are significant when it comes to comparing in-person versus virtual events. Our sustainability team has captured this data by using our UnCarbon Calculator that is transformed into an infographic for an easy to read way to take in this data. Let’s take a look at some examples of the data we have captured.
UN Global Compact Uniting Business Live 2020
2020 Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council Virtual Event
BSR 2020
Sustainable Development Goals
More benefits of virtual events include meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals or commonly known as the SDGs. The following SDGs are met by meeting virtually:
As you can see there are many benefits of virtual events and this is just the beginning of how impactful they can be. As we move forward with virtual and hybrid events we will continue to learn more about the positive impacts they have on us, the event, and our planet.
I could not agree more. As an event planner, I have seen a surge in virtual events. It is a challenge to make sure the virtual events are intimate and personalized.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It’s a work in progress and improving all the time.