Booking a meeting room or venue

Before booking a meeting room or venue, it’s important that you think about how to reduce the climate impact. 

If you're using a third party to deliver your event, consider using this list as requirements for your supplier as you go through the procurement process.

Location or venue

Things to consider include:

• holding the meeting online instead
• if you need to hold the meeting in person, chose a venue that’s accessible by public transport
• asking the venue if they provide a recycling service (including food waste)
• asking the venue if they use renewable energy or if it’s carbon neutral
• asking if the venue or organisation if they disclose their actions to reduce their impact on the environment

Travel

Things to consider include:

• encouraging delegates to travel by walking, cycling, using public transport or using the Essex DigiGo service
• if you’re providing the transport, consider electric vehicles
• if travel by car is necessary, encourage car sharing

Food and drink

Things to consider include:

• providing vegetarian as default catering
• ordering food according to attendance to prevent wastage
• sourcing food from local suppliers
• not using plastic bottles of water – provide jugs and glasses
• not using plastic wrappers
• not using single-use items including disposable cutlery, coffee cups, plastic cups or plastic straws

Materials

Things to consider include:

• avoiding giving out freebies such as pens and plastic wristbands
• electronic versions of materials and information by using QR codes and supporting website pages
• keeping printed materials to a minimum if these are needed
• using 100% recycled paper and recycling this at the end of the event
• using recycled name tags or reusing these at another event