Finding Sustainability in an Excessive Industry

Events & Expectations

Events have always served up the image of luxury that only lasts a week or two. Providing luxury options such as:

• Beautiful locations on sandy beaches
• Sumptuous hotels
• Never-ending lavish buffets

The luxury provided and expected in events comes at a cost that we should step back and evaluate. For example, should we expect the never-ending lavish buffets? Generally, the food that is provided is often flown in when we could be mindful of utilizing local resources. Is the cost to the environment worth the momentary pleasure of eating this way at an event?

Finding Sustainability In the Experience

The Hospitality Industry is known for wining and dining customers with the ultimate experiences. We humans love it! However, it makes the planner’s job to be more sustainable at events difficult. It is often seen as going against the long-standing tradition of excess when implementing sustainable solutions.

Flipping the Narrative

What if we can have both? What if we can be more sustainable while still providing the indulgences of special treatment? What if we can flip the narrative?

For example, serving a meal on china with silver service has proven to be more environmentally beneficial than using disposables.

When you are hosting guests in your home for special occasions, you bring out:

• Good china
• Linen napkins
• Beautiful glassware

It makes them feel they are an essential part of the celebration. It shows you care. That’s why you don’t find paper plates in the First-Class section of an airplane. Disposables are not considered First Class.

Menu Planning & Expectations

More and more individuals are concerned about their health and eating habits. At one time an attendee may have expected:

• Steak
• Baked potato with all the trimmings
• Decadent dessert

This luxurious meal was the way to show our guests we care. Today’s consumers are looking for more delicious local, often plant-based meals in keeping with their eating habits. That’s how you will find sustainability in menu planning. The best chefs are becoming experts in vegetarian cuisine, evoking taste and aromas beyond compare. By reimagining luxury and fine dining chefs are providing innovative ways to healthier meals for attendees and the impacts on the environment.

You may have noticed at events that there has been focus on carbon footprint of food by serving plant-based meals by default. Chefs and planners can be very creative in providing the up-scale experience with creativity and tools like a food carbon calculator.

Reimagine the Buffet Table

Buffet tables filled with amazing food can spoil us all. Is it necessary to have ten different items when you can serve five items of amazing quality? Reducing the number of items on a buffet menu cuts down on the amount of:

• Cooking
• Replenishing
• Cleaning
• Eliminating food waste

Venue Considerations

Select a hotel that is fabulous, accessible, and top-notch. But also take into account the infrastructure and operations of the property. Questions that should be considered when selecting a venue:

• Do they use renewable energy?
• What is their recycling process?
• Is there composting available at the facility?
• How are they conserving water?
• Are they good stewards of their community?

Sustainable Event Optics

The optics of a sustainable event is not granola served on a burlap bag while we sit cross-legged on the floor. It is the gracious hospitality of time-honored traditions to make our guests feel welcome.

It is possible to be sustainable in an excessive industry, and you can have both.