A great way to create environmentally friendly events is to think about what and how you serve your food.
Here are three things for you to consider:
1) Locally sourced and organically grown food. Work with chef caterers that have good relationships with local farms and producers so that it becomes built into what you offer to your guests.
2) Food that comes in plastic free packaging. A touring band we worked with required all food and beverages in their green room to come in plastic free containers and wrapping. Ditch those bags of apples that come in plastic!
3) Consider offering a mostly plant-based meal offering. At a recent charity gala for 500 guests, we went with an all vegan plant-based menu that catered for all dietary restrictions so that we could safely serve all guests and avoid complicated menu requirements. People were stunned at how wonderful the menu was and we avoided having to buy 500 portions of food like beef or lamb that would usually be served. Not only did it save us time and money, it was good for the planet.
Nick Oxborrow is the Director and Founder of Fabulation and is a guest lecturer for event management. With an educational background in Switzerland and Boston, Nick has had experience in managing events, as well as lecturing and running training programmes in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Geneva, Boston, Kenya, Tanzania and London.
He has a Masters in Hospitality Administration and is formally a lecturer of the London School of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure at Thames Valley University and University Nevada Las Vegas, Singapore and the London School of Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure.