EVENT BASICS
PLANNING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Engage attendees early, and network.
r Choose an electronic conference app to enable paperless communications with attendees and enable networking.
r Establish sustainable event basics such as it will be paperless, will minimize or eliminate single-use plastics, and will be Styrofoam-free and carbon neutral (with high-quality certified carbon credits).
r Distribute invitations digitally.
r Integrate sustainable travel tips into all communications, from pre-event messaging to Master of Ceremony (MC) remarks.
r Provide meeting participants with specific tips to reduce their environmental footprints while traveling, such as:
à Pack lighter. Be sure to confirm the dress code, so you pack what you need! Did you know that packing lighter reduces airline emissions? Remove that third pair of shoes or that extra jacket to reduce the weight.
à Use electronics. Check in to airlines and Hilton properties online to reduce paper and plastic waste.
à Reduce waste. Bring your own reusable water bottle instead of plastic water bottles.
THE HOTEL STAY
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELER EXPERIENCE (where available)
à Nourish locally. Did you know that agriculture is one of the leading sources of emissions? While dining, choose locally sourced, plant-based foods, or more veggies where available.
à Leave the soap. Did you know that Hilton recycled 2.3M+ bars of soap in 2022? Leave the used soap visible for housekeeping, as it will be recycled!
à Toss the paper. If printed materials are needed during the conference, reduce the size and number, print double-sided and use recycled paper.
à Ditch the plastic. Instead of plastic keys, access your room with Digital Key using the Hilton Honors app. Membership is free at joinhonors.com
à Arrive greener. When possible, ride-share with colleagues, request hybrids, EVs or sedans rather than gas-fueled taxis, rental cars or SUVs, or consider using public transportation.
r Provide attendees with the most environmentally friendly means of ground transportation available to arrive at the event. Provide EV charging information, if available, or consider hybrid taxi or group van (carpool) options.
r Provide attendees with maps or instructions to walk or use public transportation, where available.
Encourage travelers to keep an eye out for sustainability during their travels and encourage more environmentally friendly choices to join us in our collective journey, including:
r Use the Hilton App to check in prior to arrival, and use Digital Key instead of requesting plastic keys.
(Not a Hilton Honors member? Join for free at joinhonors.com!)
r Use bulk amenity pumps in showers.
r Leave the soap bars to be recycled.
r Bring your own water bottle and eliminate the use of single-use plastic bottled items in the room. Be on the lookout for hydration stations as you travel!
r Use the recycle bins in the guestroom and throughout the property. Request clear signage to emphasize correct bins for trash or recycling in the meeting space.
r If watching TV, notice that the hotel’s internal channel might feature videos about Hilton’s ESG strategy, Travel with Purpose.
r When checking out, do so via the phone, Hilton App or front desk with paperless checkout.
Look for simple ways to make a positive impact. United by a shared planet and visit to a new community, there has never been a more critical time to gather sustainably.
r One way to gather sustainably is to host events in outdoor spaces, where possible, to provide fresh air and a change of scenery from the day’s events and to reduce HVAC and lighting requirements, two leading sources of building emissions. Consider outdoor event spaces, such as a hotel garden, poolside deck or hotel terrace.
r When gathering indoors, discuss moderate temperature set points. Very cool “movie theater”–like temperatures are typical yet uncomfortable for many attendees. Moderate temperatures will cut emissions, too.
r Request the environmental impact anticipated for the event from your Hilton sales representative.
The “Meeting Impact Calculator Report” can be generated using the data points below to calculate the energy, water and waste generation, and the carbon emissions anticipated:
à Name of the meeting.
à Total room actualized block.
à Total number of breakfasts served.
à Total number of lunches served.
à Total number of dinners served.
à Total number of breaks served (snacks).
à Total amount of square feet of meeting space per day (should be an average).
à Total number of days (length of event).
r Request a report before the event to estimate the environmental footprint and after the event actualizes for accuracy. Use this number to determine the total emissions generated by the event.
r Choose to make the event “carbon neutral” (where available at participating Hiltons) with high-quality, third-party validated and certified carbon credits.
r During the event, project the Meeting Impact Report on screen. It will provide impactful data points.
à Email the Meeting Impact Report and the carbon credits projected to the person at your organization who leads the preparation of its annual ESG report.
r Request responsible sourcing solutions for commonly purchased event items. For example:
à Name tags or badges can be printed on seed paper (paper can be planted to grow wildflowers), made from recycled or recyclable material, or even cornstarch, without a plastic holder.
à Lanyards for name tags can be made of recycled materials and recycled afterward, including QRCoded business cards.
à Consider booths that are either reused or made of recycled content, and/or plan to reuse them afterward or donate locally.
à Instruct companies with booths in an exhibit hall to be paperless, and use QR Codes to deliver more information electronically.
à When decorations are necessary, use reusable ones that can be donated. Try using strings of lights, potted plants, and cloth banners and garlands as decorations instead of disposables such as balloons.
r Gather a list of sustainable attributes at the property, such as certifications or technologies (e.g., 100% LED lighting, water-efficient showerheads, recycled vinyl flooring, etc.) or the role of renewable energy in powering the building (if applicable).
Include this information in the MC script and/or conference app. Where applicable, draw parallels to your company’s ESG goals or guiding principles.
à Eliminate giveaways or offer only consumable, reusable giveaways or local sustainably made gifts that can be used more than once to reduce waste. Consider donations or “experience” amenities such as bike coupons or having coffee with a senior leader at your organization.
à Limit the packaging of materials when ordering giveaway items.
Create meals with delicious foods with smaller climate footprints. Feature locally sourced, sustainably grown and plant-rich meals curated to delight attendees and minimize leftovers.
r Request the environmental impact anticipated for the event from your Hilton sales representative. The Meeting Impact Calculator Report can be generated using the data points below to calculate the energy, water and waste generation, and the carbon emissions anticipated:
à Consider interactive buffets with smaller plates.
à Consider offering smaller portions. Attendees can always have seconds!
à Consider cage-free eggs and organic or certified produce, where available.
à Consider seafood sourced from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) fisheries and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) farms.
à Evaluate attendee menu dietary preferences, and consider meatless and dairy-free meal options.
à Use beverage stations instead of preset and prepoured beverages during meals and breaks.
r Avoid offering plastic water bottles. Instead, provide infused water stations or pitchers, and encourage attendees to bring reusable bottles (or offer them at arrival as a giveaway).
IMPACT
r Announce waste disposal options in the conference app.
r Eliminate plastic straws.
r Use reusable or recyclable serving items. Only use compostable dishware if the property has a commercial composter on-site.
r Avoid individually wrapped items. Request snacks served in bulk to reduce plastic waste.
r Serve condiments and dressings in bulk.
r For breaks, request food that does not require utensils (e.g., sandwiches or wraps, veggies, dips, etc.). Serve bite-sized or finger foods to reduce dishwashing needs.
r Request food buffet-style rather than a “boxed lunch” form, when available , to reduce packaging waste.
r Request that all leftover food be donated, where allowed by law. Notify attendees via the app about the number of meals donated to a local charity.
r Talk to your event manager about menu matching.
Leave the community better because you are there!
Travel can bring adventure and new experiences, including the ability to support local economies and positively impact host communities. Event attendees on travel can discover local cultures, immerse themselves in their uniquenesses, and contribute to their enhancements.
r Social impact activity examples and ideas:
à Identify local organizations that offer volunteer opportunities, and allocate time to the event agenda to contribute to the surrounding community’s well-being.
à Connect with a company that delivers virtual volunteering opportunities that align with your customers values and ESG goals. Host a climateconscious cooking workshop, and donate the food to a local charity
Prepare an assembly line to pack hygiene kits, books for students and food donation kits. Consider organizing the attendees into teams with a contest for the most kits. Summarize the total kits prepared and the anticipated impact, as well as the beneficiary, and post results on the app.