Sustainability Essentials for Technical Events
Welcome to Your Sustainability Journey
The events industry is at a crossroads. Climate change, resource scarcity, and growing stakeholder expectations are reshaping how we plan, execute, and measure success in technical events. This core course provides every technical professional with the essential knowledge and practical tools needed to contribute meaningfully to sustainable practices—regardless of your current role or experience level.
Why This Course Matters: The technical events industry contributes significantly to global environmental challenges, but it also has unique power to drive positive change. From the rigging crew choosing reusable hardware to the warehouse manager optimizing inventory, every role has the potential to reduce environmental impact while often improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Course Modules and Contents
Module 1: Sustainability Foundations (30 minutes) Explore the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—and discover how they apply specifically to technical events. Understand the global environmental crisis, how the events industry contributes to climate change and pollution, and why urgent action is needed. Learn how events influence behavior at scale and why every role—from admin to rigging—has power to create change. Test your knowledge with practical scenarios and discover specific actions you can take in your technical role to make events more sustainable.
Module 2: Practical Solutions (10 minutes) Master the “Big Three” impact areas: energy efficiency, waste reduction, and transport optimization. Get role-specific quick wins, implementation strategies, and a 30-day action plan you can start immediately.
Module 3: Sustainable Procurement (10 minutes) Learn to choose suppliers and products that align with sustainability goals. Develop skills in supplier evaluation, contract negotiation, and avoiding greenwashing while maintaining quality and budget requirements.
Module 4: Implementation & Action Planning (10 minutes) Transform knowledge into lasting change with goal-setting frameworks, stakeholder engagement strategies, and accountability systems. Create your personal 90-day implementation roadmap with specific milestones and success metrics.
Who is it for?
Primary Audience:
- Technical event professionals at all levels (riggers, lighting technicians, sound engineers, warehouse staff, project managers)
- Administrative staff supporting technical operations
- Recent graduates entering the events industry
- Professionals transitioning from other industries into events
Secondary Audience:
- Event managers seeking technical sustainability knowledge
- Procurement and operations staff
- Health and safety coordinators
- Anyone interested in practical sustainability applications
Learning outcomes
By completing this core course, you will be able to:
- Explain sustainability principles and their relevance to technical events work
- Identify key environmental challenges and the events industry’s role in addressing them
- Recognize opportunities for environmental impact reduction in your specific role
- Implement practical solutions for energy efficiency, waste reduction, and transport optimization
- Evaluate suppliers and products using sustainability criteria while maintaining quality standards
- Create action plans with realistic goals, stakeholder support, and accountability measures
- Communicate sustainability benefits to colleagues, managers, and clients effectively
Skills development
Technical Skills:
- Basic environmental impact assessment for events
- Energy efficiency evaluation and LED lighting selection
- Waste stream analysis and reduction strategies
- Sustainable supplier evaluation using weighted criteria
- Simple carbon footprint calculation methods
Business Skills:
- Cost-benefit analysis for sustainability investments
- Stakeholder mapping and engagement planning
- Goal setting using SMART criteria framework
- Business case development for sustainable alternatives
- Performance measurement and progress tracking
Communication Skills:
- Explaining sustainability concepts to diverse audiences
- Addressing common objections and resistance to change
- Building coalition support for sustainability initiatives
- Reporting on sustainability performance and achievements
Problem-Solving Skills:
- Systems thinking to understand interconnected impacts
- Creative approaches to resource efficiency challenges
- Collaborative solution development with diverse stakeholders
- Continuous improvement mindset and adaptation strategies
Time Investment and Certification
Course Duration: 60 minutes of focused learning
Format: Self-paced online modules with interactive elements
Assessment: Knowledge checks and practical exercises throughout
Completion Certificate: Professional certificate recognizing sustainability competency