Blog

shine | raising aspirations and creating opportunities

MAKING YOUR EVENT MORE SUSTAINABLE

Here’s a quick guide that will help you make your event more sustainable

• Try to be as paper free as possible – add a web link to your presentation!
• If paper or handouts are used please look for the re-cycled paper mark when purchasing stationery – you can also look for FSC certification (Forest Stewardship Council)
• Use responsible suppliers – look for associations and recommendations
• Giveaway gifts are a good way to remind delegates about your organisation. Ensure gifts can be re-cycled and that gifts are useful and will be used and not thrown away. Even better buy gifts which are made of re-cycled material – try www.ec-ecogifts.co.uk
• Encourage delegates to car share, cycle and travel together. There are many sites that can co-ordinate car sharing www.liftshare.com / www.gocarshare.com / www.cyclestreets.net
• Try to be as accurate as possible with delegate numbers in order not to waste food
• Does your venue use fair trade and local suppliers? www.fairtrade.org.uk and check out suppliers
• Request re-cycled paper bins for your conference / meeting rooms
• Turn off lights during breakout times or when natural daylight can be used
• Choose a venue that takes sustainability seriously – ask for their sustainability policy!
• Pass on this information to your delegates, help them to make the right choice
• Finally – enjoy your event knowing you have gone that extra mile to make your event more sustainable!

Small steps………make a big impact!

New Year Challenge. Just before the light totally fades on the freshness of the new year, I have some thoughts on making the most of 2013 one small permanent change at a time.

Continuous improvement is hard work. It’s hard work because it’s continuous and it’s about change. Showing up everyday is difficult, really showing up. Not the attending or sitting in a seat type of showing up. That’s why consistently showing up, affecting change, is highly valued.

Make a commitment to do highly valued and innovative work. Engage with people who challenge you, get out from behind the screen, connect with your tribe, and pick a space to do your best work that is aligned with your commitment to do highly valued work.

Fab summary of mastering your domain by the founder of LinkedIn here. But, the main take aways are here:

1. Never stop practicing (there is no perfect)

2. Sweat the details

3. Keep chipping away

4. Work clean

5. Be passionate

We live by these principles at Shine through a combination of desire and situation. However, as we continue to grow, I realise how important these principles are, regardless your situation (good or bad). We don’t score anywhere near 100% on the first 4, but that doesn’t dishearten us because we are close on number 5:  Be Passionate. So, we use this passion to constantly improve our application of principles 1 through 4.

We also use customer feedback to spur us on. So next time you are in Shine, tell us how we are doing. A big part of continual improvement is getting and acting on considered feedback. While Shine might seem like a “big” place where feedback goes into a corporate head office, truth is – we are small group of people trying to change the world….so don’t be shy, tell us how we can be better.

Keep pushing. Be an Artist.