A great event can change how you see a problem, make connections in your industry, and how you do business. However, many of us don’t focus enough on an event’s environmental impact.
It’s hard to know where to begin in making an event more sustainable. Between travel, food, accommodations, and supplies, events can use a lot of resources. But they don’t need to – that’s where we can help.
As a Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO) in Canada, Explore Edmonton has made event sustainability a top priority. We are looking at events differently. From the way we plan, prepare for, and deliver an event, we can use less energy and reduce the overall impact it has on the environment.
It’s important to point out that, as a DMMO, we market and also manage events at our two signature venues – the Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC) and the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
This gives us an advantage in knowing what people want at their events, and subsequently, meeting those needs at our venues. Increasingly, large international conferences and events want to host their events at facilities that demonstrate leadership in sustainability.
Edmonton is the second sunniest city in Canada with an average of 2,344 hours and 325 days of bright sunshine a year, and we are taking full advantage. The ECC is home to Canada’s largest building-integrated solar photovoltaic roof. This creates about 227,000 kilowatts of solar energy every year — enough to power about 31 average homes.
Atop the EXPO, we have been installing the largest urban rooftop solar array in Canada. It is expected to produce 2.8 gigawatts of solar energy annually, equivalent to about 375 homes or about one third of the venue’s annual energy consumption.
Inside these venues, we are taking steps to reduce and offset our carbon output. For example, we have partnered with Ostrom Climate to measure and offset event footprints through our Carbon Neutral Events program. As part of the program, our Sustainability team provides complimentary consulting and guidance to both reduce carbon emissions at events and offset unavoidable emissions.
Since launching in January 2022, we have hosted six carbon neutral events. With nine more upcoming, a total of 2,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent will be prevented or sequestered.
We also launched our Responsible Events Program (REP) in August 2022. The REP provides options for visiting planners to give back either socially or environmentally.
We have a variety of different Giving Projects that planners can choose from, so that they can give back in a way that aligns with their event’s objectives. For example, events can donate to Period Promise through the United Way or support reforestation efforts through partners like Wild + Pine.
The REP also includes an option to participate in the Carbon Neutral Events program.
At Explore Edmonton, we know planners are busy. The Responsible Events Program was designed to help make giving back possible for all event sizes, types, and budgets that choose Edmonton. What helps make Edmonton’s offering special is that we offer expert support every step of the way.
On 27 September, World Tourism Day, an international docuseries called Sustainable Travel: Where Next? was released.
This series highlights leaders and influencers in sustainable tourism – and we are proud to be featured for our efforts to meet sustainably in Edmonton. You can watch the Edmonton episode and discover how we’re making events more sustainable here.
For more information, contact:
Tessa Vriend – Marketing Account Manager, Business Events, Explore Edmonton
tvriend@exploreedmonton.com
