Sustainable Virtual Events

Host net zero emission events online

We want to guarantee that there are no digital events that are more sustainable than ours. This is why we are partnering up with Plan A to account for our CO2 emissions and provide net zero emission events to our customers. We are aiming to reduce and compensate for our carbon footprint which is caused by our employees driving to the office, our servers, etc. Studies have shown that transitioning from in-person to virtual conferencing can substantially reduce the carbon footprint by 94% and energy use by 90%.

Together with Plan A we are sure to reach carbon neutrality. The green tech startup from Berlin is focusing on "carbon accounting" for businesses and will help us analyze our data to reduce and manage MEETYOO's carbon footprint and support decarbonization initiatives.

We will account and compensate for our carbon emissions

Step 1: Balancing our CO2 emissions with the help of Plan A's analysis.
Step 2: Reducing emissions with the help of the data provided by Plan A.
Step 3: Offsetting emissions in collaboration with certified environmental organizations.

We are using the sustainable AWS cloud servers

When organizing an event with MEETYOO you can rely on our sustainability guarantee. Our usage of AWS cloud servers means that we offer a green alternative that also stands for outstanding stability and scalability. Why this is good for the environment:

CO2 emissions are reduced by 88% because data centers offer scalable environmental economies
We use 77% fewer servers, 84% less power, and tap into a 28% cleaner mix of solar and wind power
AWS is committed to achieving 100% renewable energy usage by 2030

Taking your event online reduces your CO2 emissions

When comparing digital events to in-person trade shows, the amount of carbon emission is significantly lower. With our CO2 calculator, you can get a first estimate of much you can reduce your emissions by going virtual with your event. Just fill in some parameters to get an initial assessment. We have partnered up with sustainable experts from Plan A to be able to calculate detailed emission data which can then be compensated by planting trees or supporting other environmental projects.

Result:

If you hold this event online, you will save:
kg CO₂

Going digital to support the environment

Everybody knows that taking your event online is already a huge step towards achieving carbon neutrality. No business travel, no hotel stays, no catering, no large congregation of people at exhibitions – all of these reduce CO2 emissions (and costs) greatly. However, there are other things you can do to really create a digital and environmentally friendly event and to give your marketing campaigns a green twist. Here are some of our sustainable event management suggestions!

Save the oceans

Joining forces with organizations that clean our oceans and rivers is a great way to show that you care about the environment and all things that grow and live. It is no secret that plastic, oil, and other types of trash are destroying natural habitats and polluting our waters. You can work with reef conservationists, water clearing specialists, and marine wildlife organizations to help improve the situation. Documentaries and awareness campaigns about the true state of our oceans are on the rise, so it is a good idea to get informed and share this knowledge and ways to help with your community.

Plant trees

If you are looking for ways to do something good for our planet and responsibly plan large-scale, but sustainable events, collaborations with reforestation organizations are the way to go. There are numerous organizations out there that can't wait to work with companies that are looking to make a positive environmental impact. You can find ways to sponsor city parks and greenery, or contribute young trees to actual forests.

Stakeholders and attendants will enjoy this new talking point and you can use a tree campaign to spread the word about your event. Dedicating the trees by name to individual participants also is an enormous crowd-pleaser and a nice way to share the joy.

Protect wildlife

The extinction crisis is worse than ever. Global warming, pollution, poaching, and other factors are threatening the biological diversity of wildlife. Virtual events are a great opportunity to add a digital info booth to inform your audience and present a campaign that donates a set amount for each live event attendant or something along those lines. There are many well-known organizations that fight for the preservation of animals and their natural habitats. Use the global reach of your virtual event to share your values with stakeholders and viewers and offer them the chance to contribute to your donation or increase the amount you are pledging.

How to organize sustainable events

We are already implementing green initiatives into our own virtual events. We are aiming to become completely carbon neutral and help our customers do the same for their events on our platform by 2022 with the help of sustainable event solutions. Here are some concepts we already put into practice.

Planting trees for our community and compensating CO2

When we organized our "Future of Digital Events" Deep Dive event series, we wanted to do something for our environment – that's why we decided to support a reforestation project and plant trees in the name of all our live event attendees. We partnered with Tree Nation to sponsor 423 trees which were planted in the Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming. This means a total of 67.68t CO2 emission compensation! Our attendees received a thank you mail that let them know a tree in their name was planted. These messages were also shared the official page of our forest. We will add to it in the future and grow it further!

Planting trees is proven to be one of the most efficient solutions to fight climate change. Thanks to reforestation and conservation projects organizations like Tree can help restore forests, create jobs, support local communities, and protect biodiversity.

Collaborations with sea conservation NGOs

It is always nice to choose a charity that goes with the theme of your event or a cause that is dear to your heart. The "Future of Digital Events" Deep Dive had a virtual environment with a nautical theme, so we decided to use this platform to also raise awareness for the protection of the seas and looked into collaborations with NGOs in that field.

Over the course of 2021, we have collaborated with everwave, Coral Guardian, and Healthy Seas and donated several thousand Euros to support clean-up efforts in plastic-infested areas of the ocean. Additionally, we added a multimedia library with informations and materials pertaining to the preservation of the sea and its wildlife.

Event experts on sustainability

Keeping the discussion alive and educating people on topics such as sustainable events and avoidable carbon emissions is key to a greener future. We have summarized some advice and thoughts by the event experts that joined the panel discussion of our last digital event focusing on sustainability.

"Events as they are need to be rethought in a major way:

1. Businesses are part of the corporate environment and need to address the climate crisis.

2. Climate research is a source of knowledge and solutions, but we are not using it.

3. There is a need for a collaborative approach to address climate change worldwide.

Sustainability is a journey that cannot be achieved overnight. We need to commit ourselves to this journey and help educate people on the issue."

Lubomila Jordanova
Co-Founder and CEO of PlanA.Earth GmbH
Co-Founder of Greentech Alliance

"I would encourage event organizers and event attendees to be really intentional and cognizant of the sustainability issue.

As event organizers, what do you want people to take away from this? Does this require in-person attendance? If so, what can be done to make the event more sustainable? Can we do this as a hybrid event?

When we offer in-person attendance we have to ask if it is something that can/should be done virtually instead. A real strategic and intentional approach is important for all of us and for all the stakeholders: How can we maximize the efficiency there?"

Samuel C. Stephens
Chief – AB InBev Foundation

"We need to define a measurement method for the event industry to show how sustainable an event is. We need to shape a culture of transparency.

Clients and organizations are asking important questions, because they want to know how to measure the success, the quality, and the sustainability. Especially for the automotive industry, the pharma industry, and the IT sector.

So basically all the major sectors are aware of this and you cannot survive on the market in this particular moment if you don’t build into your event management model the sustainability aspect."

Gorazd Cad
Co-Founder at CONVENTA

"Sustainability will become more and more important. We will start to see bottom lines and businesses figures affected if they are not taking the sustainable approach, if businesses are not showing an improvement in this aspect and the way they do their events.

We have seen this happen in the construction industry already. There is massive pressure right now, so the event industry will not be far behind, because either the government will enforce stricter conditions or because there will be governmental goals for more sustainability in particular industries and services."

Adam Parry
Co-founder and editor of the event industry news (EIN)

Nice to "MEETYOO"

United Kingdom & Europe

Phone: +44 20 386 888 83
CET | Mon - Fri from 8AM - 8 PM

North America

Phone: +1 347 817 7620
CST | Mon - Fri from 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM

Singapore

Phone: +65 3129 5620
SGT | Mon - Fri from 9AM - 6 PM

Hong Kong

Phone: +852 5819 5888
HKT | Mon - Fri 9AM - 6PM