How AI Technology is Transforming Sustainability in the Events Industry

In our next blog in collaboration with MeetEngland, we explore the critical need for the events industry to take action on sustainability. With pressure mounting on businesses to make real change, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key tool to reduce environmental impact and create greener events.

Technology-driven solutions, such as the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index, isla’s Trace tool, event:decision and SHE, are already leading the way—but more needs to be done, and fast. The time for small improvements has passed; the events industry must embrace new technologies to achieve meaningful sustainability goals. Let’s dive in to see where you can get started.

1. Optimised Transportation Planning

Transportation is one of the largest sources of emissions for events, and it’s an area where AI can make a significant impact—quickly and efficiently. AI offers a way to radically reduce this by analysing attendee data to recommend low-emission travel options like public transport, ride-sharing or electric vehicles. For example, Event Decision's carbon footprint tracker leverages AI to assess the environmental impact of attendee travel and offers tailored recommendations for low-carbon options. Platforms such as Google Maps and Citymapper, platforms many use, can be integrated into event apps to offer attendees real-time routing and eco-friendly transit options based on their location, promoting greener travel choices.

Cities such as Copenhagen and Gothenburg are already leaders in sustainable event hosting according to the GDS Sustainability Index and have already implemented AI solutions to prioritise eco-friendly transportation for major conferences and events.

Actionable Insights:

Begin integrating AI-driven transport solutions like Citymapper or You.Smart.Thing at your next event to reduce emissions.
Work with transport platforms to create seamless low-emission travel options, powered by AI.
Prioritise carbon offset schemes for attendees who travel sustainably.

2. Energy-Efficient Venue Management

Venues are often significant energy consumers, particularly during large-scale events. With rising energy costs and increasing environmental pressures, the demand for smarter, more energy-efficient venues is growing. AI-powered systems offer a solution by monitoring and adjusting lighting, heating, and cooling in real time, minimising energy waste and reducing the carbon footprint of events.

Tools like isla’s Trace have been pivotal in helping venues track and optimise energy use. By providing real-time data, Trace allows for immediate adjustments, ensuring venues operate as sustainably as possible. event:decision, another key player in this space, supports event planners in measuring and managing energy consumption effectively, offering a clear path toward greener event operations.

Some Hire Space venues such as BMA House and Evolution London are already leveraging smart technologies such as carbon calculators and energy monitors to cut attendee emissions and energy use, setting a benchmark for sustainable event management for venues. Destinations across England can further their leadership in sustainability by adopting AI sustainability tools and promoting their efforts as part of a broader commitment to carbon reduction. Those who embrace these innovations will be well-positioned as leaders in sustainable events, while others risk falling behind in an increasingly eco-conscious industry.

Actionable Insights:

Use AI-based energy management systems such as isla’s Trace at events to eliminate energy waste.
Choose sustainable venues that are already utilising these technologies as a priority.
Work towards equipping all public event venues in the UK with AI energy management systems with a goal year set, e.g. by 2030.

3. Waste Management Optimisation

The environmental toll of improper waste management is staggering, and events play a major role in this. AI-powered systems can revolutionise waste management, ensuring materials are correctly sorted and recycled, drastically cutting down on landfill waste.

In the UK, AI is already transforming the waste management sector. Companies such as Greyparrot use AI-powered robots to identify, sort and process waste, increasing recycling rates by up to 50%. The technology has been trialled in local councils such as Cambridge and large-scale waste facilities, with significant results in reducing landfill waste and improving the efficiency of recycling streams. Events can learn from this success, applying similar AI-driven processes to streamline waste sorting on-site.

In addition to waste management, AI can also support event organisers by automating the communication of key sustainability metrics like EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) ratings to clients. This technology can provide real-time insights into the energy efficiency of event venues, ensuring organisers are fully informed and able to make environmentally conscious decisions. By integrating AI into venue management, EPC ratings can be displayed alongside booking information, helping clients assess the sustainability of their venue choices.

English event destinations have the opportunity to take proactive steps to integrate AI waste management systems, ensuring they stay ahead of tightening waste regulations and sustainability requirements. Simultaneously, event organisers can use AI platforms to seamlessly communicate EPC ratings and sustainability credentials, empowering clients to make greener choices.

Actionable Insights:

Implement AI waste management technologies such as Greyparrot at your next event to minimise landfill contributions.
Collaborate with local waste management companies that use AI to streamline recycling efforts.
Make AI-driven waste management and EPC rating communication mandatory for all large-scale events.

4. Audience Footprint Tracking

Knowing your carbon footprint is the first step to reducing it. AI provides an opportunity to track attendee movements and calculate the environmental impact of their travel and participation, giving organisers actionable data. Without this, the industry will continue to operate in the dark, with no real accountability for the damage it causes.

The Sustainability Hub for Events (SHE), developed by Gevme, is an AI-powered platform that helps event organisers reduce their environmental footprint. SHE offers actionable insights on carbon offsetting, eco-friendly travel and event legacy planning, making it easier for planners to implement sustainable practices. The platform has already had the contribution of Global destinations such as Germany and the Netherlands which played a key role in enriching the platform with extensive data to enhance its capabilities, including IMEX Frankfurt.

“We’re excited to open up access to a tool that has been tested and refined with input from global users in over 25 countries,” said Alexander Alles, Executive Director of JMIC. “The new features and data contributions make the platform even more impactful for event professionals looking to reduce their environmental footprint.”

Actionable Insights:

Use AI tools such as SHE, You.Smart.Thing. and TravelPerk, to measure the carbon footprint of attendees and assess the overall impact of events.
Encourage attendees to make more sustainable choices by offering real-time data on their personal carbon footprint using tools such as Troop. Attendees can view detailed data on the environmental impact of choosing different transport methods, such as flying versus taking the train.
Create green initiatives that challenge attendees to reduce their carbon footprint by offering reward systems for those who opt for low-carbon travel options like biking or public transport. Incorporating an eco-leaderboard can add a competitive element, encouraging broader company participation. AI-powered tools like Travelperk’s Greenperk can track and monitor all travel emissions, making it easier to measure and reward sustainable choices.

5. Sustainable Vendor Recommendations

AI has the potential to revolutionise how event planners select their vendors, particularly when it comes to sustainability. By evaluating suppliers based on sustainability criteria, AI tools such as IntegrityNext and EcoVadis assess vendor sustainability and can recommend eco-friendly alternatives that align with your event’s green goals. This helps organisers easily identify vendors who prioritise sustainability, whether through local sourcing, ethical practices or reduced carbon footprints.

At Hire Space, AI is used to prioritise green venues and vendors in search algorithms, streamlining the discovery phase and enabling organisers to quickly find sustainable options. This approach is becoming increasingly critical as regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) push companies to meet higher sustainability standards.

AI has already been used to select local, sustainable suppliers for events, helping to minimise emissions by reducing the need for long-distance shipping. By recommending vendors close to the venue, AI can optimise your event’s carbon footprint while supporting the local economy.

Actionable Insights:

Evaluate AI Tools for Vendor Selection: Research AI platforms such as IntegrityNext and EcoVadis that assess vendor sustainability.
Prioritise Local Suppliers: Use AI to shortlist vendors within a certain distance of your event location. This reduces transportation emissions and supports local businesses.
Request Sustainability Credentials: Ask vendors to share their sustainability practices and certifications. AI can help you track this information and compare vendors based on their environmental impact.
Track and Report Emissions: Use AI to measure the environmental impact of your vendor choices and report on how local suppliers have helped reduce overall emissions for your event.

6. AI-Assisted Sustainability Reporting

AI is transforming post-event sustainability reporting by automating data collection and analysis. This allows organisers to generate detailed reports on metrics like energy use, waste production and carbon emissions, helping them evaluate the environmental impact of their events.

For example, tools such as You. Smart. Thing's travel management platform can reduce the carbon footprint created by travel, offering actionable insights for businesses that enable organisers to make more sustainable decisions for future events based on carbon emissions.

For example, the CN Sustainability Summit 2023, hosted at 15Hatfields by Mash Media Group, successfully leveraged You. Smart. Thing.’s travel assistant service to reduce carbon emissions from attendee travel. YST provided personalised, low-emission travel plans to delegates, resulting in 65.5% of attendees using public transport and 14.9% choosing to walk or cycle. The platform also captured valuable data for Scope 3 emissions reporting, giving organisers actionable insights to improve future sustainability efforts.

With the growing importance of regulations like the CSRD, AI-powered reporting ensures transparency and compliance, while also helping planners set and achieve sustainability targets. Destinations and venues can leverage these tools to showcase their commitment to greener practices and promote continuous environmental improvements.

Actionable Insights:

Use AI tools like You. Smart. Thing. to track energy use, waste and travel emissions during your event.
Incorporate AI-generated reports to identify sustainability improvements for future events.
Align your reports with CSRD standards to ensure compliance and transparency.
Leverage sustainability data in marketing to highlight your commitment to greener practices.

The future of the events industry depends on its ability to rapidly embrace sustainability—and AI is key to unlocking the urgent changes required. With rising environmental pressures and the very real threat of climate breakdown, adopting AI-driven sustainability practices is no longer optional. English destinations, venues and organisers now have the opportunity to step up and lead the way by harnessing AI technologies to create greener, more responsible events. The actions we take today will determine whether the industry thrives sustainably or continues contributing to environmental decline.

By acting now and adopting AI-driven sustainability solutions, the events industry can meet the urgent challenges of our time while paving the way for a greener future.

Resources

GDS Sustainability Index: A benchmarking tool that measures and compares the sustainability performance of destinations, helping event planners choose eco-friendly locations.
isla Trace Tool: A carbon measurement platform tailored for events, tracking energy use, waste and transport emissions to align with sustainability goals like CSRD
Sustainability Hub for Events (SHE): An AI-powered platform designed to help event planners implement sustainable practices through tailored recommendations and resources on carbon offsetting, eco-friendly travel and event legacy planning.
Event:Decision: Tracks real-time sustainability metrics like waste, energy, and travel emissions, offering actionable reports to reduce event impacts.
Greyparrot: AI-powered waste analytics platform that automates waste sorting and provides real-time data to improve recycling efficiency.
You. Smart. Thing.: Travel management platform that offers personalised, low-emission travel plans to reduce the carbon footprint of events and venues.
Hire Space’s Sustainability Hub: A comprehensive resource that offers event professionals tools, tips, and best practices for organising sustainable events.
Citymapper: An urban navigation app that helps users plan efficient/sustainable travel routes across cities using public transportation, cycling, walking and ride-sharing options, with an emphasis on real-time data.
TravelPerk / GreenPerk: is a business travel management platform that simplifies corporate trip planning, while GreenPerk is its sustainability feature that allows companies to offset their travel carbon emissions and make eco-friendly travel choices.
Troop: Troop is a travel planning platform that uses data-driven insights to help organisations plan meetings and events by identifying the most sustainable, cost-effective and convenient locations for participants, focusing on reducing travel emissions and optimising attendee logistics.
IntegrityNext: IntegrityNext is an AI-powered platform that monitors and assesses supplier sustainability and compliance with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria, helping companies identify risks and ensure responsible sourcing across their supply chains.
EcoVadis: EcoVadis is a leading sustainability rating platform that uses AI to evaluate vendors and suppliers across various sustainability initiatives, including environmental, social and ethical performance.