Reducing Your Food Footprint: You've Got to Start Somewhere

6 steps that can make an impact on climate change, attendee health, and your F&B budget.

Special Events

November 8, 2023

1 Min Read
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It's important to take time to understand the role event professionals can play in slowing the climate crisis. While many elements of the planning process should be considered, food and beverage decisions are critical.

Based on 2016 figures from the Events Industry Council’s Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy, food and beverage is, by far, the top planning and production expense for events: $48 billion per year (15 percent more than audiovisual costs). If you add in the $16 billion spent on food and beverage by participants and organizers getting to and from the 1.9 million meetings held annually, total F&B spending climbs to $64 billion

Reducing your events’ food footprint may seem daunting, but you have to start somewhere. Here are six strategies that can make an impact on climate change, attendee health, and your budget.

  1. Count, count, and recount

  2. Understand food needs and preferences

  3. Service style matters

  4. Consider plant-based menus

  5. Reduce portion sizes

  6. Recover Leftover Food

To learn more about each tip, read the full article from MeetingsNet.

About the Author

Special Events

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