Sustainability in Virtual and Hybrid Event Planning- a guest blog from Swagable partner Chati

Sustainability in Virtual and Hybrid Event Planning

Virtual and hybrid events have become are now an integral part of connecting to global audiences while building virtual networks and advancing personal and professional growth. Virtual and hybrid events play an important role in increasing the sustainability the event industry with their decreased carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact when compared to in-person events requiring travel, accommodations, food, and more.

Here, we discuss some the sustainable innovations enabling eco-friendly virtual and hybrid events, including energy-efficient servers, virtual swag bags, reduced travel emissions, sustainable catering, waste management programs, eco-friendly transportation, and more. Here, you’ll learn some of the important ways attending virtual and hybrid events helps the environment while growing your global network, audience, and reach.

Virtual Event Platforms with Low Carbon Footprint

Virtual events platforms are designed for low environmental impact, enabling individuals to connect with others worldwide without the need for travel, lodging, food, and other expenses that could increase an individual’s carbon footprint when attending an in-person event. While virtual events have existed for over 30 years, they have evolved by leaps and bounds over the last decade, and are now designed to give a comparable experience as in-person events.

Commonly used eco-friendly technologies include energy-efficient servers and green hosting options that reduce virtual event platforms’ carbon footprint. For example, energy-efficient servers use fewer physical servers and less energy, and green hosting options include virtual event platforms with energy-efficient data centers and renewable energy credits.

The benefits of choosing sustainable platforms for virtual events cannot be understated. Virtual event platforms that choose this approach are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and enhancing green initiatives in tech. These platforms provide the same level of engagement and connectivity as in-person events, but with significantly reduced carbon emissions. It’s a win-win.

Carbon Offsetting and Environmental Impact Calculators

There are many ways to monitor and potentially reduce a virtual event platform’s carbon footprint, one of which is with carbon offsetting programs to mitigate event carbon emissions, which can estimate the reduced carbon emissions based on specific event criteria. This way, virtual event organizers can take the necessary steps to reduce their carbon footprint while providing the same engagement and connectivity as in-person events.

Chati is proud to offer a carbon calculator designed to estimate the carbon emissions a virtual event will save based on event length and the number of attendees. For example, a virtual event lasting 5 days and hosting 1,000 attendees could save an estimated 1,241,500 kilograms (2,737,038 pounds) of carbon dioxide emissions, also noting that it would require 57,028 trees to absorb this amount of carbon from the atmosphere if this was an in-person event.

Carbon calculators provide the data showing the real-world impact of the events industry. Understanding the exact impact of attending an in-person event can help event planners and attendees see the real-world impact that going virtual (or hybrid) can have on the environment

Virtual Swag Bags and Digital Event Materials

Due to the increased demand for sustainable virtual events, there has been a transition to virtual swag bags and digital event materials. These materials are designed to reduce carbon emissions by negating the need for real-world one-time use products and the waste produced by throwing them out. That branded pen you got was one of thousands that will end up in a landfill. A free t-shirt from a company you don’t work with and will end up as textile waste. Virtual swag can help reduce this waste in many ways.

Virtual swag can be anything from e-tickets, digital content/handouts, downloadable content, virtual gift cards, and more. Digital swag provides an eco-friendly alternative to traditional event swag. Virtual swag, like digital gift cards for example, can also be more applicable to event attendees than the previously mentioned branded items destined for the landfill. Overall, virtual swag bags provide the same level of inclusivity and engagement while significantly reducing the carbon footprint due to reduced production and waste. The best part? They aren’t exclusive to virtual events. Virtual swag is a sustainable solution for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events.

Remote Attendance and Reduced Travel Emissions

One of the most important aspects of virtual and hybrid events is their reduced need for travel and commuting, as airplanes and cars produce significant amounts of carbon emissions to attend an in-person event for even just a few days.

This is why understanding the environmental benefits of remote attendance and virtual participation is essential for building a greener and cleaner event industry in the future. Virtual and hybrid events significantly reduce the carbon emissions produced by airplanes and cars for travel since attendees are free to participate at a remote location without requiring significant travel.

By allowing virtual attendance at your event, you can increase sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of your event by a high percentage. This is the hybrid approach, which not only increases sustainability, but also enhances accessibility for many.

For hybrid events, these reduced carbon emissions include:

• Increasing Hybrid Event Sustainability

Virtual events have somewhat easier-to-achieve sustainability goals than in-person events, but there are some ways that in-person events can decrease their environmental impact, including adding a hybrid option.

• Sustainable Catering and Food Choices

Features such as plant-based menus, local and organic ingredients, and zero-waste catering are excellent ways hybrid events can contribute to reduced carbon emissions for the in-person aspect of the event.

• Recycling and Waste Management Programs

Features such as virtual recycling bins, composting initiatives, and waste reduction strategies provide the means to reduce carbon emissions while allowing attendees to focus on building connections and engaging with individuals worldwide.

• Eco-Friendly Transportation and Logistics

Features such as electric shuttles, bike-sharing programs, and public transit initiatives help significantly reduce travel-related carbon emissions and congestion.

Conclusion: Increasing Sustainability by Going Virtual

To increase the sustainability practices of virtual and hybrid events, it’s vital to promote continuous improvement and accountability across all virtual event platforms. This ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding best practices and protocols while continuing to execute the same level of attendee engagement and connectivity.

Here, we discussed sustainability innovations in virtual and hybrid event planning, including energy-efficient servers, virtual swag bags, reduced travel emissions, sustainable catering, waste management programs, eco-friendly transportation, etc.

At Chati, we’re pioneering the path to sustainability in the virtual event space. Our commitment is to revolutionize event management by providing eco-friendly alternatives that reduce environmental impact while delivering unparalleled engagement and quality.

To learn more about green initiatives in virtual event planning, contact a Chati representative today.