I work for an award winning sustainable events venue. AMA

Thank you very much! We had a few inquires for weddings at BMA House, so that would be great to work more closely with you! We’ll be in touch further!
As a business, we are constantly trying to find innovative ways to be more sustainable, such as sourcing locally grown flowers and recycled containers etc, and we would be the first to admit that at the beginning it was an arduous task, but we have come to embrace it in our day to day running, and actually feel proud of our achievements. Are you finding that other companies within the industry are coming around to the idea or is it still a battle to try to be more sustainable in events ?

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Thank you for such a detailed answer! Very useful and sounds like you are doing so many amazing things

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Hi Jonny!

A very good question, it’s certainly proving a challenge, but we love a challenge!

We have put together some virtual and hybrid event packages so event can take place online minimising travel. We are also educating ourselves on sustainable technology as although events are moving online, the technological impact on the environment can still be high! Therefore we are looking into ways of minimising this too.

We require staff and guests to follow COVID procedures and bring their own reusable face-coverings to minimise waste of disposable ones.

We are looking to serve pre-made catering such as breakfast and lunch in reusable boxes/bags (such as bento-boxes) so we can still adhere to regulations and keep our delegates safe, but minimising the waste created along the way. We know we need to re-look at options and we still continue to encourage food recycling and ordering the correct amounts so as not to create unnecessary waste.

We have two outdoor spaces at the venue and encourage guests to use these wherever possible and we are continuing to collaborate with suppliers where we can to share knowledge and ideas.

Any ideas you have please do send our way :slight_smile:

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Thank you so much!! :herb:

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Hi Lau!

Thank you for asking this great question!

We had to submit lots of evidence as to why we are a sustainable venue, it was no mean feat! However, I would say the key points were;

  • Clean-air walking route from Kings Cross
  • Zero landfill status and extensive recycling facilities/processes
  • Responsibly sourced ingredients/produce
  • Training and knowledge-sharing
  • Thames Water - water saving device resulting in us saving 5.4 million litres a year
  • Reduced delegate carbon footprint by 69%
  • Single-use plastic removal and take-away containers (biodegradable) carrying a 20p charge

Hope that helps!

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Hey! Thanks for a great question!

Yes actually, we are always looking to improve our sustainability wherever we can! One thing we wanted to do was purchase an up-cycled push bike for guests to have at their events to make healthy smoothies for their refreshment breaks!

This encourages a healthy alternative as a snack and gets the guests to do a bit of activity and get their legs moving after being sat down for a while, whilst having fun doing it!

However we have brought our virtual and hybrid event packages which has been encouraged and sped up by COVID. This is something we have never had so extensively before and means that in the future we can encourage guests to join virtually rather than travelling to the venue which helps reduce carbon emissions!

Watch this space though… more to come :smiley:

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Time is up I’m afraid! Thank you Victoria for your detailed responses and thank you all for taking part and for your great questions.

If you’d like to ask Victoria anything else, or discuss the BMA House virtual and hybrid events package, you can contact her on here @BMAHouse or at events@bma.org.uk. BMA House are always happy to share their knowledge to promote a greener future and more sustainable events.

Do stick around, browse the forum and feel free to contribute to the other conversations.

We look forward to seeing you next week, on 15th September 2020, for our next Ask Me Anything session all about sustainable waste management for events! Feel free to start asking your questions now and then join us next week for a live chat.

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Thank you! I just know you’re going to love it :smiley:

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Thank you Legacy Team for having me! It was great fun and thank you all for your fab questions! :smiley:

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That sounds like a great healthy incentive! Look forward to hearing more

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