Everyone wants greener events—planners, attendees, and even city councils. But they also want events to be affordable, high-impact, and easy to organise.
Convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are under growing pressure to make their destinations more sustainable, but you’re doing it while juggling tighter budgets, rising costs, and sky-high expectations. Sustainability doesn’t have to be a money pit. In fact, when done right, it eases financial pressure for planners and destinations.
This blog is about practical, budget-conscious strategies that let you lead on sustainability without burning through your resources. From smarter supplier partnerships to low-waste venue packages, here’s how to make sustainable event planning more doable, more visible, and way more valuable for everyone.
What we mean when we talk about sustainability in events
Sustainability in events means making smart choices that reduce waste, protecting the local environment, and supporting the long-term health of your destination (without sacrificing the event experience).
For CVBs and DMOs, sustainable event planning means looking at the full picture:
How people travel to and from your destination
What kind of energy and materials do local venues use
Whether suppliers are local and responsible
And how much trash is left behind when the lights go out
It’s all part of sustainable tourism for events. This is a growing priority for destinations that want to stay competitive. When a city earns a reputation for hosting green meetings and events, it doesn’t just attract eco-conscious planners. It draws in travelers, earns media buzz, and shows locals that tourism can work with the community, not against it.
That’s crucial because today’s events can have a big footprint. From long-haul flights to single-use staging materials, the event industry’s environmental impact adds up fast. CVBs and DMOs, however, are in a perfect position to turn that around with clear plans, strong partnerships, and the right local know-how.
Why CVBs and DMOs hold the power
Planners don’t always have time to scout every vendor, cross-check sustainability claims, or figure out which venues actually compost.
This is a huge opportunity for CVBs and DMOs to step in as the connectors. You know the local hotels, venues, and service providers. You influence which spaces planners see first, which vendors they trust, and what kind of experience they expect from your destination.
And when it comes to pushing sustainable practices, you have real influence:
If you want more green meetings and events in your city, show planners where to find sustainable event suppliers.
If you want to reduce the waste events leave behind, work with local venues to build smarter packages.
If you want to make sustainable tourism in DMOs more than just a slogan, start making it easy (and affordable) for planners to choose better.
6 ways CVBs and DMOs can lead the way in sustainable event planning
Sustainability needs to be baked into the way events are sold, supported, and celebrated, rather than an afterthought. Here’s how CVBs and DMOs can take the lead without breaking the bank:
1. Partner with sustainable event suppliers
One of the biggest challenges for planners is finding suppliers they can actually trust to do things sustainably.
Take the guesswork out of the process by curating a list of sustainable event suppliers. Think caterers that use local ingredients, A/V teams that use energy-efficient gear, printers that offer compostable signage, and decorators who recycle materials.
Go a step further and work out preferred pricing or perks when planners book through your CVB or DMO. It saves them time and money and positions your destination as serious about eco-friendly event management.
Bonus move: Feature these suppliers on your website with a “green spotlight” badge so they’re easy to find.
2. Promote venues with real green credentials
Greenwashing, when a company or organization pretends to be environmentally friendly without actually making meaningful changes, is everywhere. Cut through the fluff by championing venues that walk the talk.
Promote venues with certifications like LEED, Green Key, or EarthCheck. Look for places that use solar panels, have robust recycling and composting programs, and track their energy and water usage.
Develop your own “green meetings and events” rating system or seal of approval that makes it easier for planners to choose better options..
Pro tip: Offer short sustainability snapshots for each venue (e.g., "90% waste diversion rate, LED lighting, filtered tap water stations") in your RFP tools or guides.
3. Build bundled sustainability packages
Planners love anything that saves them time and stress, especially if it helps the budget too. Create easy-to-book packages that include green venue options, hotel blocks within walking distance, shuttle partnerships with hybrid or electric fleets, and digital signage instead of printed banners.
These bundled deals cut costs for planners while reducing transportation emissions and single-use materials.
Try this: Promote these bundles as “low-waste, low-stress” options and highlight exactly how they reduce the event industry's environmental impact.
4. Educate planners and local partners
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to sustainable event planning. Many planners want to do better. They just need a little help getting started.
Host webinars, lunch-and-learns, or city-wide events focused on DMO sustainable practices and CVB sustainability initiatives. Bring in speakers who’ve planned successful green events in your area. Showcase local vendors and sustainable tourism case studies.
Create a digital guide or toolkit that helps planners understand what’s possible in your destination, from public transit options to recycling rules at venues.
Bonus tip: Include a short, visual, and easy-to-share checklist for “green events in [City Name].”
5. Incentivize sustainable choices
Everyone loves a deal, and if you want to drive behavior change, incentives work. Offer discounts, bonuses, or added exposure for events that meet certain sustainability goals. For example:
Reduced CVB service fees for zero-waste events
A social media feature for events that source 80% of food locally
Free marketing support for planners who use 100% digital materials
Even small gestures go a long way. You’re encouraging good behavior and showing that your DMO backs a sustainable future with real action.
6. Track and share the results
Don’t just say your destination is sustainable. Show it. Help planners calculate their impact and celebrate their wins.
Offer templates or simple reporting tools they can use to track waste diversion, emissions saved through public transit, or dollars spent on local vendors. Help them tell a better sustainability story to their stakeholders.
Then, gather this data across events and use it to promote your destination’s progress toward sustainable tourism for events. Make the numbers part of your pitch.
Think: “[City Name] events saved 1.2 million plastic bottles in 2024. Be part of the change.”
Case study spotlight: Sustainable tourism examples that worked
Tourism Victoria’s IMPACT Sustainability Conference
In January 2018, Tourism Victoria partnered with event organizers to run Canada’s first IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism conference. With 170 delegates from across Canada, the destination built a green event from the ground up:
They turned a waterfront seaplane terminal into a closing-night venue showcasing a green roof and honeybee hives. This was perfect for a low-waste, high-impact finale.
Swag bags were upcycled from city street banners.
They mixed hands-on field trips with digital tools (like live audience polling). So instead of PowerPoint bloat, they created lots of real engagement.
This was a conscious effort by Tourism Victoria to demonstrate what sustainable event planning looks like—on budget, on brand, and with real local flavor.
Aarhus DMO’s Green handbook for events
Aarhus, Denmark, took a hands-on approach. The city’s DMO teamed up with Aarhus University, the municipality, and local event planners to publish a free, user-friendly .Green handbook for Events and Conferences Key highlights include:
Tested and practical tips: from energy, transport, and waste, to choosing local food and supplies.
Designed to make the sustainable choice the easy choice, not a chore.
Meant for everyone, including event organizers, venues, even hotels and caterers.
That collaborative strategy drove home a critical message: sustainability shouldn’t be optional. It’s part of the destination’s DNA.
Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
Singapore is setting the standard for sustainable event planning in Asia. In 2023, the Singapore Tourism Board trialled green tech and low‑waste solutions at major showcases like Food & Hotel Asia:
A zero‑waste booth prototype, 100% recyclable carpet, and waste‑wood recycling pilot developed in partnership with sustainable tech firm Miniwiz.
The “Better Stands” award spotlighted exhibitors using eco‑solutions.
At the 2023 MICE Forum, STB and SACEOS hosted a sustainable innovation marketplace: 13 green‑solution providers and 400+ attendees
They turned big events into green innovation hubs, created repeatable roadmaps using toolkits and measurable benchmarks, and demonstrated that eco upgrades can go hand-in-hand with large-scale event success.
Sustainability doesn’t have to break the budget
Event costs aren’t going down anytime soon and you are stuck in the middle, expected to deliver standout experiences while juggling tighter planner budgets and growing environmental concerns.
But the good news is, sustainable event planning is about smart choices that stretch dollars and protect your destination’s future. When you focus on local sourcing, reduce waste, and build strong partnerships with hotels, venues, and sustainable event suppliers, you’re giving planners what they want: value, trust, and impact.
You don’t need to be a giant city or have a huge green budget to lead on sustainability. You just need to start. Share your standards, build community partnerships, offer guidance planners can actually use, and tell your sustainability story clearly and consistently.
Next up, find out why experience-led marketing is the future for CVBs.
