Vancouver’s Leadership on Sustainable Event Organization

With its melding of a natural and urban environment, Vancouver is suited to a sustainable ethos and lifestyle.

Both locals and visitors have a host of opportunities to experience the city in a sustainable way, including accommodation such as the Fairmont Waterfront, which is designated as a “5 Green Key” hotel; an extensive public transformation system (TransLink) for getting around Vancouver’s various neighbourhoods; and an abundance of very accessible spectacular settings for getting closer to nature.

In addition to sustainable options for those traveling solo, as a couple, or in a small group, Vancouver is the ideal venue for hosting events and conferences for organizations and companies committed to sustainability.

BrandLIVE, an event production company based in Vancouver, operates Green Effect, an Event Sustainability Consultancy that “is dedicated to transforming the standards of sustainability and green operations within the event industry.” In the past, events and conferences produced a lot of waste and carbon emissions, whether it be through accommodation or single use plastics for beverages. However, a consultancy like Green Effect is helping to change this previous status quo. Lilli Clark, Director of Creative and Strategy, says that applying sustainability to events means “ensuring you’re thinking about every piece of your programming, and how you’re going to do it in a more sustainable way. It’s a journey, for sure.”

She says that Vancouver is particularly noteworthy as an event destination because it is a leader in sustainability, citing the City’s vision to be Zero Waste by 2040. She adds that Vancouver is known not only for its pristine waters and mountains, but also for event venues, such as the double LEED Platinum certified Vancouver Convention Centre, that take sustainability very seriously. Clark says that locals—given their green outlook—expect a certain threshold of sustainability for events, while those outside of Vancouver are attracted to the city because it meets and often goes beyond their event sustainability commitments/targets. For example, 69% of attendees at the 2018 SKOOKUM Music Festival in Vancouver said they were influenced to attend due to the event’s sustainability initiatives.

Clark says that sometimes organizations are intimated by the idea of sustainable event planning. “I want it to be known that this is achievable. It feels daunting but once you get into it, it’s not,” she reassures. Clark says that BrandLIVE’s Green Effect makes sustainable event planning collaborative: “We can act as an extension of their team. We can work with their team to identify opportunities and challenges surrounding their sustainable event practices, and help them create a plan and move forward with it.” Green Effect performs an audit of a given event, aids them in moving forward on steps towards greater sustainability, and generates targets for future years. They also support in effectively communicating an event’s sustainable initiatives and goals to others beyond the organization.

Clark emphasizes that becoming more sustainable doesn’t have to be costly: “That’s why we talk about the journey. It can be small steps, and you can grow your plans year over year.” Green Effect works with a client’s budget to come up with actionable changes that can be very impactful. These intentional small steps that view sustainability as a long-term process prevent “greenwashing,” which only presents a façade of eco-friendliness. “We want to make sure we can execute on what we’re promising; otherwise, we run into ‘greenwashing’ territory,” cautions Clark.

Small (and large) steps in operations can be achieved related to waste management, food and beverage, single use plastics, transportation and accommodation, fabrication and signage, and promotional materials. For example, an event can commit to reducing or eliminating all single use plastics, replacing plastic signage, and/or sourcing sustainable crew meals.

These steps are made possible by the incredible sustainable venues, suppliers, and service-providers that are located in Vancouver. “We love the Vancouver Convention Centre and what they stand for,” says Clark. She adds that they work with numerous caterers who are all doing fabulous work on the sustainability side. They also partner with Growing City, which focuses on recycling and waste management services, for outdoor public gatherings, and with Ostrom Climate Solutions for tracking carbon emissions.

BrandLIVE’s Green Effect has consulted on numerous events in Vancouver, including the 2018 SKOOKUM Music Festival in Stanley Park. Initiatives included achieving an impressive 98% waste diversion rate, using 100% compostable food and beverage containers and cups on site, banning single use plastics, installing water refill stations, becoming the first Ocean Wise Life Event Partner, and setting up a free bike valet option for those wanting to get to the festival in an eco-friendly way.

They also have supported the External Development Summit (XDS)—a games industry event at Parq Vancouver (Green Key certified)—since 2022, with initiatives like printing summit badges on 100% recyclable, FSC Certified paper board, serving a vegetarian meal at the Welcome Party, and donating leftover snacks from the Summit cafe to the Vancouver Food Runners, which delivers food to worthy non-profits.

The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival in Stanley Park has been a huge success on the sustainability front. BrandLIVE’s Green Effect has worked with the nation-wide festival since 2023, aiding them in creating a Sustainability Field Guide to guide their event practices, earning the designation of a Climate Friendly Event, offsetting carbon emissions, and supporting them with many other initiatives, such as having only certified compostable containers and cutlery from Vancouver food trucks.

Overall, Clark is incredibly excited and hopeful about the present and future of sustainable event organization in Vancouver. Ultimately, it comes down to continuing to make steps—both small and big—towards a greener event industry. “This is a long-term journey for everyone. It’s never going to be perfect. There’s always room for growth in the sustainability world,” she says.