Globally July 2021 was the hottest month on record according to the NOAA We are experiencing the effect of climate change now We should all do everything we can do be more sustainable including in the events industry At the height of COVID-19 the industry was faced with a choice go virtual or cancel We chose the former We found virtual events to have their pros and cons Heres one of the biggest pros a reduction in environmental impact Today well explore the rise of virtual events and their implication on sustainability A Bit About Fossil Fuels Whats the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States Well give you a hint It isnt agriculture And it isnt electricity either Its transportation The EPA found that 29 of greenhouse gases emitted in 2019 stemmed from the burning of fossil fuels by cars trains ships and planes Thats the biggest contributor by a wide margin Fossil fuels arent everything when it comes to fighting climate change But reducing our dependence on them is the biggest obstacle to overcome in the quest for a greener planet Fueling the Events Industry What does this have to do with events If its been a while since youve attended one in-person you might have forgotten all the travel involved Flying across the country to attend a two-day event is not uncommon Even when air travel isnt necessary lets not forget that ordinary passenger vehicles have a substantial carbon footprint too especially when hundreds of them are driven together But theres good news Fossils dont have to fuel the events industry Lockdowns Silver Lining Early into last years lockdown you might recall a viral video purporting to show dolphins returning to Venices canals The world took this as a sign that the reduction in emissions resulted in a healthier planet Of course the video was a hoax But then 1 year later it actually happened A pair of dolphins made their way through the Grand Canal while the city was in the middle of their 3 rd lockdown This story is anecdotal But it does suggest that a year of intermittent lockdowns and increased emphasis on remote work has benefitted the environment Experts agree that COVID-19 has caused marked improvements in air quality GHG emissions and pollution But the world must go on and things shouldnt stay this way forever Events must be held Going Virtual is Going Green As we alluded to earlier the events industry by and large opted to go virtual in response to COVID-19 Virtual events mean no travel whatsoever This makes attendance more convenient for everyone People on the other side of the country or even the planet can experience an event without hopping on a plane Even local attendees find tuning into a livestream simpler than driving to the convention center When attendance is easier more people will attend Its as simpler as that This is why countless organizations shattered their previous attendance records when they made the switch to virtual But its not just organizations that benefitted from the virtual renaissance The planet did too Could virtual events be the key to a sustainable future for the events industry The Need for In-Person Events Still in-person events should return Although event technology has evolved to make virtual attendance remarkably immersive and engaging you shouldnt overlook the advantages of place-based experiences Its difficult to replicate the organic person-to-person interactions that occur onsite Casual chats in between sessions and during happy hour are more important than you might think Theyre a substantial part of what draws people to events in the first place Additionally a few organizations have struggled to monetize their virtual events as well as they do in-person ones Often this results from an expectation that virtual attendance should be free We believe that events should be priced based on the value they provide not the method of attendance And you should too Our clients have learned to maximize the ROI of in-person events through decades of experience With the right tools they can do the same with virtual events Still some may want to stick to the in-person model theyre more familiar with Hybrid Events and the Promise of Sustainability Livestreams and webinars work best as a complement to place-based experiences not a substitute for them This idea drives the shift toward Hybrid Events You dont want to say goodbye to the perks of in-person events or virtual events either Fortunately you dont have to Hybrid Events roll all the perks of both approaches into one incredible package Hybrid Events present a more profitable event model for you and a more accessible one for your attendees More pertinently they mean a reduced environmental impact Some of your audience will choose to attend in-person Others will prefer the virtual experience What results is a significantly reduced carbon footprint as a portion of your audience chooses to experience your event from home Looking Ahead The rise of virtual events has a huge implication for sustainability in the industry We learned that events could have a negligible carbon footprint But we also gained a newfound respect for the inherent value only an in-person experience can provide In Hybrid Events weve found the happy medium between sustainability and engagement We believe that every little bit we can do to lessen our environmental impact counts And going hybrid is more than just a little bit its a big step toward a sustainable future for us and our clients Produce Sustainable Events with CommPartners Looking to reduce the environmental impact of your events We can help Hybrid Events are nothing new to us With over 13 years of experience merging in-person and virtual experiences weve learned to maximize their impact and profitability Were ready to help you do the same If youd rather reduce your footprint with virtual events we can help with that too Whatever format you choose integration with our award-winning Elevate LMS raises the bar for reach revenue and retention Ready to go green with your events Get in touch with Meghan Gowen at meghangowen gocadmiumcom Keep up with us on Twitter and LinkedIn