With sustainability at the top of everyone’s agenda in 2024, event professionals are taking on more responsibility than ever to ensure the planet is cared for and our environment is considered at every stage of the process.

How have venues changed to fit environmental needs?

Venues across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have made many adaptations and completed renovations over the years to improve their sustainability factor and make their space work better in our ever – changing environment. One of these is Nottingham Venues, who had their renovation in 2020 which you can read more about here on our website.

One way in which venues have become more feasible for the planet is by making use of energy efficient bulbs in their lighting. According to TreeHugger.com, LED bulbs are incredibly worth investing in as they have the capacity to reduce energy consumption by 80 – 90% and last approximately 10,000 hours, making them the perfect choice for larger venues with long opening hours.

Another way in which venues have adapted to healthier and more sustainable environment, is by using locally produced food or cutting down on wastage. Venues such as The Island Quarter, consisting of both Cleaver & Wake and Binks Yard, are proud to say they are working towards zero waste by reusing ingredients wherever possible to create new and exciting dishes to add a twist to their typical menu.

Another incredible way to reduce the energy use of a venue, specifically restaurants or cafés, is to use locally sourced produce and ingredients. According to Lunchbox.io’s ‘Trends in Sustainable Restaurants and Dining’ piece.  Restaurants around the world have made a conscious effort to source their products and ingredients more locally as a method to minimise waste and reduce energy use.

What do venue teams say?

Motorpoint Arena and National Ice Centre, recently sat down with local publication Left Lion to talk about their sustainable impact. “We’re a flagbearer for arenas on green issues. Some of our successes include installing 1,000 solar panels – enough to power thirty arena shows, becoming the first venue of our kind to introduce eco-friendly reusable cups and encouraging visitors to use public transport”.

How have larger businesses adapted to addressing environmental concerns?

Many organisations have made the decision to go paper free, for receipts, note taking and information sharing. This allows venues and their teams to cut down on both print cost and environmental damage, meaning that they can make events and conferences both sustainable and cost effective.

Nottingham has also been doing its bit as a city to look after our environment. With the goal of CN28 making us the UK’s first carbon neutral city, Nottingham City Council have some great plans for the future of our environment. The council have outlined a number of themes including energy, transport, waste, nature and various others, as their main target points for this movement of change.

What do Visit Britain say about sustainability in events?

Visit Britain have released their eco credentials as well as some key insights into how to be a responsible event delegate in the current climate.

‘How to be a responsible delegate’ shares best practice on how you can cut down on your own non reusable and less eco-friendly products.

Visit Britain have also released the ‘Event sustainability guidance’ information to help those planning a conference or event understand the considerations which need to be considered when making arrangements. The guidance covers transport, food sourcing and waste, as well as the purchasing of products or equipment with the consideration of how these will be used long term rather than single use.

What do Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have to offer in terms of sustainability?

We are proud to say that many of our member venues have earned some excellent awards in recent years within the sustainability and environmental sectors.

Nottingham Trent University, one of our amazing educational facilities, has received a collection of sustainable achievements and awards in recent years. Beginning with winning the sustainability gold category at the Wharton- QS Reimagination Education Awards and Green Gown Awards both in the same year. NTU has also taken home the UI Green Metric ranking of second most sustainable university in the world, as well as the accreditation of First Class University for Sustainability in the UK, awarded by the People and Planet Lague.

One of our wonderful hotel venues, Park Plaza, is also a winner in the sustainability and environmental awards industry. After taking home Gold at the Green Tourism Awards, which celebrates sustainable tourism across the globe and puts venues such as Park Plaza in from of a wide range of potential business.

Taking us further into the county, Eastwood Hall has also got a few green successes under its belt, including the Silver Green Tourism Award at the East Midlands Chamber Nottinghamshire Business Awards where the venue was crowned the Environmental Impact Winner. Eastwood Hall has also been awarded the ‘Green Venue’ accreditation by the Green Tourism ‘Green Meetings’ standard, the world’s largest sustainable certification programme. However, on top of these accreditations, the venue continues to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly perks to their guests, including electric vehicle charging points onsite which help to encourage the use of more environmentally friendly travel.

Can I travel to and from my event sustainably?

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire both offer a range of eco-friendly travel options. With transport links via bus, train, and tram; getting in and out of the city or county without damaging the environment has never been easier! According to changestarted.com, trams run on the electrical power fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line, or, operate on battery power. Both of these methods produce no pollution while in use which is fantastic for the environment.

Both trains and buses do their bit for the environment too, according to East Midlands Railways sustainability policy, through ongoing air quality monitoring and reporting, energy consumption and associated carbon emissions continue to be considered in the planning, design, procurement, and implementation of business activities. As for the NCT bus services, their website reads that they have recently invested £42 million to ensure every bus meets the highest emission standards. By launching their biogas double decker bus fleet in 2017, many of their vehicles reduce CO2 emissions by up to 84%.

Book your next sustainability minded conference or event today!

Our venues work hard to make their events and conferences as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. If you’re looking to book a conference or event in 2024 or beyond, then look no further than Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, where you’ll find the perfect venue.

Meet in Nottingham are the official convention bureau for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, providing a free venue finding service.

With a wide range of venue options available including conference hotels, academic venues, conference centres and historic houses, Meet in Nottingham can help you find the perfect place for your next event.

Contact us today by emailing conferences@visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk or by calling 0115 962 8320.

The image shows one of the community spaces at Nottingham Trent University. The image shows a white building with a glass rounded ceiling. There are two pink sofas with people chatting on each as well as two trees which have been planted next to each sofa. This image represents sustainability within a venue.