Water + Events: How They Flow Together
World Water Day is March 22 and to honor one of the most precious resources we have on this planet, we are shining a spotlight on water. “Dive” in with us to look at how the meeting and event industry uses water and how we can all reduce our water waste with a few simple planning tips from PRA’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Courtney Lohmann.
Clean Water and Sanitation is one of the 17 Goals outlined by the UN in their Sustainable Development Goals. Water is so important, ensuring it’s here as a resource for a long time is part of a Global awareness program. While water means something different to each and every person, it is a lifeline for us all.
For many years, we have talked about how corporate meetings and events can have a large waste footprint. Part of that footprint is related to water, where it is used for food preparation and cooking, beverages, materials produced and used at events, in transportation (something has to clean the vehicle!), sanitation, and more. There is not a single part of your event that doesn’t utilize water in some way, shape or form! That being said, we can have a big impact on how we save water and reduce the footprint we create. Here are PRA’s tips on how to easily reduce your water usage at your next corporate event.
Before the Event
- Put it in your RFP! Declare in your RFP to your hotel partner, DMC partner or venue partner how important water conservation is to your program, and ask them to outline how they can contribute. This will help you raise awareness and allow you to select partners that have the right policies in place to reduce your water footprint.
- Book a LEED certified venue
- Go paperless
Food + Beverage
- Serve tea instead of coffee or flavored/infused water instead of juice
- Do not pre-set full water glasses on tables
- Reduce the portions you serve at every meal
- Try some vegetarian menu items to replace animal proteins
Event Design
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Go with linenless tables like wood or metal that bring their own element of design
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Use centerpieces that don’t require cut flowers. Instead, choose flowers or plants that can be replanted after your event or repurposed
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Reduce how many textile items you use for gifting
Giveback Opportunities
- Consider a CSR activity that involves providing clean water to those in need, like with PRA partner, Wine to Water
- Consider hosting a water challenge with Fill it Forward
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