5 Carbon-Reducing Factors to Consider When Picking a Venue

Ever wonder what the largest contributors to an event’s carbon footprint are? Spoiler: travel, followed by food and beverage (F&B). So, where you decide to host your event—a.k.a. the venue you select—is super important as it impacts both travel and F&B. There are several ways to reduce the environmental impact of your event, but mindful venue selection is one of the best ways to take action! Here are five sustainability factors to consider when evaluating your prospective venues.

1. Pick a destination close to attendees and a venue that’s centrally located

When planning your conference, trade show or business event, it’s important to select a geographical location closest to where most of your attendees are travelling from. For example, choosing to host your event in Toronto versus Vancouver because most folks are located in the eastern side of Canada and the U.S.

In addition, select a destination with large international airports, as these hubs are more likely to have direct flights from most destinations. The more you land and take off, the more fuel is burned (the landing-takeoff cycle accounts for approximately 25 percent of airplane emissions). Toronto, for example, has two international airports serving over 180 destinations in 55 countries, which means more chances at a direct flight.

Once the city has been chosen, you want a venue that is in close proximity to accommodation for your attendees—if not hosting at a hotel—and that the space is accessible by multiple modes of transportation. You can quickly check this by entering the address into Walk Score. Then encourage local attendees to take public transportation, bike or walk to the event.

Some really great centrally located venues in Toronto to consider hosting your event include: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Fairmont Royal York, CN Tower, Steam Whistle Brewery, Arcadian Court, Hockey Hall of Fame, Meridian Hall, among others.

2. Ask if the venue has any eco-friendly certifications or features

Once you’ve narrowed down your venue selection to a centrally located space, you’ll want to consider the energy efficiencies of the building. Start by asking the venue if they have any certifications like LEED or Green Key Global for hotels. If there are no certifications, does the space have Energy Star appliances, low-flush toilets, LED lights, motion sensors, green energy sources like solar panels or do they partner with organizations like Bullfrog Power? (Bullfrog generators put 100 per cent clean, pollution-free electricity onto the grid to match the amount of energy your event uses.) The more yeses you get, the better!

Some examples of LEED or energy-efficient spaces to host your event in Toronto include: Exhibition Place, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto Botanical Gardens, Artscape Wychwood Barns, Daniels Spectrum and Hotel X. Other venues like Steam Whistle aren’t LEED certified but they work with Bullfrog Power. And spaces like the Sheraton Centre and the St. Regis have prioritized LED lighting.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre diverts the majority of its waste.

3. Inquire about the venue’s waste management practices

When it comes to waste management, always ask the venue what types of bins are on-site. For example, do they have just recycling and garbage bins or do they have green/organic bins as well? You should also ask what items are actually accepted into each bin. Just because something is labelled or marketed as recyclable doesn’t mean that those items are accepted by your venue’s bins. For example, black plastic is not recyclable in the City of Toronto but can be recycled in the Region of Peel. And many compost or organic bins are sent to facilities that can only process food waste.

And of course, reusables are always best. In the chance you need to use single-use compostable items, some Toronto event spaces that accept them include the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Evergreen Brick Works.

4. Prioritize venues with built-in décor and AV

When it comes to travel, it’s not only about the attendees and your team, but any potential vendors as well. How far are they travelling and transporting items from? A really easy and convenient way to reduce this impact is to look for venues that already have built-in décor and AV. For example, prioritize spots to host your event that already have lighting fixtures, furniture like soft seating for panelists and built-in AV components like projectors and screens available in the event space. Examples of spaces with built-in décor and AV include Arcadia Earth, Fairmont Royal York, Casa Loma, Arcadian Court and the Quay at The Toronto Board of Trade.

5. Opt for venues with on-site catering

The last element to consider is whether a venue has any on-site catering. Again, this eliminates the additional transportation of F&B to the space. If they do have on-site catering, here are some questions you can ask:

Are ingredients locally sourced (within 100 kilometres of the venue), organic and in-season?
Do you have a rooftop or on-site garden that you use in your kitchen?
What is done with food scraps or waste after an event? Do you have any existing partnerships with food recovery organizations or food banks?
When it comes to your menu, are there comprehensive vegetarian and vegan options?

Some Toronto venues that have on-site catering and gardens include 1 Hotel Toronto, CN Tower, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Fairmont Royal York and Sheraton Centre. Other spaces that prioritize sourcing local ingredients include Hotel X and the St. Regis.