As part of an educational tour in June 2024 through the MICE Wiesbaden Destination and the locations Kurhaus Wiesbaden and RheinMain CongressCenter with customers from associations, foundations and agencies, sustainability expert and lecturer Sabine Böhling gave a keynote speech and workshop on the topic of "Sustainability in event planning". We worked out ways to plan and implement sustainable events. Together with the participants, we collected key measures on how they can increase the sustainability aspect of their event, as well as argumentation aids to break down barriers.

We have summarized the results of our workshop for you in a compact overview - as a checklist for your sustainable event:

• Regional products: Use and promote regional food and services to support the local economy and minimize transport routes. Offer vegetarian and vegan alternatives for catering. Place more emphasis on the quality of the products than on "quantity". Think about sustainable goodies for the participants of your event.
• Regional service providers: Work with local service providers to ensure environmentally friendly services. Activate holistic teams to avoid unnecessary travel, deliveries and pick-ups.
• Sustainable construction: Ensure that the location is built and certified environmentally friendly (e.g. DGNB German Sustainable Building Council, Green Globe Certification).
• Energy efficiency: Implement energy-efficient lighting and heating/cooling systems.
• Public transport connections: The location should be easily accessible by public transport to reduce the carbon footprint.
• Accessibility: Make sure the location is barrier-free to ensure accessibility for all.
• Fewer disposable products: Avoid single-use products and promote reusable options. Use sustainable materials for marketing purposes and event decorations.
• Waste management: Implement an effective waste management system that includes recycling and composting. Work with QR codes instead of printed media (invitations, registrations). Avoid food waste.
• Positive communication: Inform event planners and participants about your sustainability measures. Develop a positive communication strategy on the topic of sustainability. Promote an understanding of sustainable communication. Create interest in the topic of sustainability by making it tangible through the transfer of sound knowledge.
• Energy-saving technology: Use energy-efficient event technology and digital alternatives.
• Hybrid event technology: Enable hybrid events to enable on-site and online event participation.