According to Slovenian ecologist Dr Dušan Plut, we would need 3.1 planets in Slovenia to reach the current material consumption. Meanwhile, the USA would need five planets to reach these numbers. Other reports on the situation are also extremely worrying. The corona crisis has shown that online events can replace certain live events. Our responsibility for the future is to organise events with the smallest possible environmental footprint. The time we have to react is inevitably shortening. The social damage caused by irresponsible event organising will affect later generations and our ecosystem. Our global ecological debt is continuing to rise, and it is our responsibility to try to reverse it.

Hope dies last, and before we find out what politicians have figured out, we must take a look at our industry. In actuality, we can do a ton for the environment ourselves. Rather than negotiating and debating our environmental sins, we should pay the piper and start by changing our events.

The organisers of Conventa have been aware of this since the project’s inception. Our green thinking was awarded by IBTM World in 2010. What we consider more important than the award is that our goals are systematic and transparent. We are firm believers that even in apocalyptic times, we can satisfy the needs of attendees whilst reducing our carbon footprint and other negative effects on the environment.

If we do not balance the organisation of Conventa with the environment’s bearing capacity, as event organisers, we will be co-responsible for the repercussions. Hence, Conventa will continue to offer the option of attending online due to its new hybrid nature. Consequently, the event’s negative effects on the environment will be reduced. Furthermore, we are implementing an array of other measures that will help preserve our planet. We find it fitting that instead of claiming to have the greenest event, we strive for a minimised carbon footprint.

The European Green Deal heralds that Europe will become an environmentally neutral continent. Event organisers must also play their role in this by implementing concrete measures.

I sincerely hope that other event organisers will follow our lead. That is why we hereby publish all our documents and thoughts transparently and openly.

Living green events is not that hard! You are invited to cooperate in our initiative.

Gorazd Čad

The activities and decisions of event organisers, attendees and partners leave behind traces that result in the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air at events. You can start reducing your carbon footprint by taking small steps.