There’s a certain list of words people often use to describe memorable events.
Amazing. Elegant. Incredible. Over-the-top. Extravagant.
Looked at in a vacuum, the idea of extravagance seems like a valuable tool for event professionals. What better way to create a positive impression on your guests than to wow them with extravagant food, decor, and entertainment?
However, events aren’t planned in a vacuum. They’re planned on a planet with finite resources, and that’s where the concept of extravagance can become a problem.
Every lavish detail of an event has an environmental impact. Whether it’s the natural resources required to produce supplies, the energy used to power equipment, or both, the earth provides something to make each event element possible. And the earth will also have to house the waste and pollution yielded by the process.
With the consequences of climate change and plastic pollution making frequent headlines, the community of event professionals has a responsibility to adapt how we do business.
So how do we continue to produce memorable events without going overboard on extravagance? I have three tips:
1) Understand the purpose of each element of your event.
Remember the law of diminishing returns: That first decadent brownie is delicious, the second one is pretty good, but the fifth one is way too much to handle. In the same way, having across-the-board extravagance at your event can lead to none of your elements standing out as much as you’d hoped. Choose a few key dramatic elements with purpose in order to create meaning for your guests, and scale back other areas that aren’t central to your desired impression.
2) Focus on creating a feeling of abundance rather than extravagance.
Event professionals may cling to the idea of extravagance because we want our guests to feel well-taken-care-of and see that we have all of their needs and desires covered. However, extravagance inherently means “too much” or “excessive,” with a connotation of waste. I encourage you to make a mental shift from the word “extravagant” to the word “abundant.” Abundance inherently means “more than adequate” and “well supplied,” but without the connotation of waste. This simple vocabulary change puts the focus back on making sure guests have everything they need, while also understanding there’s a point where everyone has plenty and no more is needed.
3) Have a plan to responsibly manage energy and waste.
The beauty of responsible waste management is that it has no impact on how rich and abundant an event feels to your guests. While providing an amazing experience in the front-of-house, you can establish a system in the back-of-house to wisely manage energy, use green sources of power, and separate waste for recycling, composting, and donation. And after the event, you can share your sustainable results with your guests to further deepen their positive impression of the event.
I challenge you to shift your mindset and your vocabulary when it comes to describing what makes an event successful and memorable. Extravagance represents an old-fashioned way of planning that ignores the global awareness possessed by many of today’s attendees. By respecting the environment in which you’re planning your events (i.e. our planet), you can create events that are positive, meaningful, and abundant, without extravagance for extravagance’s sake.
By sharing sustainability results with your guests, you’ll deepen their positive impression of the event and your client, making you look like a hero. My team will help you achieve and measure the results you need >>