Exclusively sponsored by Honeycomb Strategies

If you’re dealing with a different budget for your event than last year… this is for you.

Faced with uncertain or reduced budgets, changing regulatory requirements, and fluctuation in attendance, some events may be tempted to sideline sustainability as a nice-to-have. However, you’ll find that adjusting sustainability programs during budget lulls is easier than you think and may actually create savings and strengthen initiatives even without cash flow.

Here are a few ways to keep your sustainability momentum going:

Don’t Stop Tracking Data

Focus on strong and detailed record keeping. Baseline energy, waste, and water at a minimum, or maintain the KPI that you already report on for consistent year over year metrics. When programs ramp up again, the data will be vital to picking right back up. Gaps in data could result in delays down the road, or difficulties measuring accurate progress. If you’re already collecting sustainability KPIs, continue to do so even if you hit snooze on rolling out a flashy new program.

Focus on Reductions

Sustainability is about efficiency and cost savings, which goes hand in hand with environmental wellness and systems resilience. Look for areas where sustainable choices can save you money by reducing or eliminating, like those we suggest here. For example, consider removing aisle carpet from an expo floor, cater some plant-based meals, and have attendees select registration gifts ahead of time so you only order what you need. All of these are sustainability activities that don’t cost you a thing and actually create savings in your budget.

Look For Cost-Neutral Swaps

You can still creatively move forward with new sustainability initiatives by phasing out old, less efficient systems. For example, swap one-time décor and signage for multi-use materials. You’ll pay for the printing or manufacture of the item up front either way, but with multi-use durable materials you won’t have to pay again next year. Plus, you won’t pay for the waste disposal of landfilled materials after the event. Tip: remember that designing for reuse involves leaving off dates, hashtags, or branding that won’t apply over time.

Collaborate Between Departments

Look for crossover opportunities between departments to share budget and people power to keep programs going. For example, wellness and sustainability share a lot of common values. Investigate if your wellness program can include communications around plant-based meals, encouraging walking or bike riding for getting around, and bringing a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. These hybrid opportunities increase the visibility of sustainability while strengthening programs that your attendees already engage with year over year. It’s a win-win!

You may be able to approach an existing wellness sponsor to cover some of the sustainability initiatives. And speaking of sponsorship…

Emphasize sponsorship opportunities and communications

When you need some cash flow for sustainability programs, show your sponsors how sustainability is adding value to your event. These efforts differentiate your brand and build trust with your partners, attendees, and stakeholders. Especially during periods of tight budgets, strengthen your relationships with partners that believe in the core values of your organization who will help you grow through their financial and programmatic support.

And never stop talking about the value of sustainability to your audiences. Continually remind your supporters that you are persisting with programs and policies that are good for the earth and people because it’s also good for the business. By showing your leadership, people will lean in and stick by you, maintaining or increasing a market share in uncertain times.

Plan Ahead for the Future

Things won’t always be tight. When you’re projecting and planning 3, 5, and 10 years into the future, you want to make sure that efficiency and resiliency haven’t fallen by the wayside. Plan now for how you’ll ramp up sustainability initiatives later. You can do this by:

• Implementing a corporate sustainability statement and undertaking internal education
• Edit your RFPs and contract addendums for future events to include sustainability clauses
• Inquire with venues that meet certain sustainability criteria
• Set goals for the medium and long-term and build internal structures for support and deployment

All of these can be cost-neutral adjustments to ready your team for future years when programs can be more robustly supported.

Don’t Give Up

Problems like climate change, microplastics contamination, and deforestation will unfortunately continue even during economic lulls. At Honeycomb Strategies, we advise you to revisit your “why” – if sustainability is part of your core values, then it’s important for you to nourish your sustainability actions despite challenges. There are so many actions we can take that don’t rely on cash flow, and plenty that can actually free up costs. We know you can do it. And if you need help, we’re here to lend a hand.

Honeycomb Strategies specializes in impactful solutions for sustainable events, sports, and venues. hcsustainability.com/ hello@hcsustainability.com