Dubai, UAE: Cvent, a leading provider of meetings, events, and hospitality technology, announced the successful reduction in environmental impact at the Company’s recent Cvent Accelerate Dubai conference. The company effectually reduced the event's carbon footprint, resulting in a remarkable 25% reduction in carbon emissions compared to similar events in Dubai. With just 200 attendees, the event generated only 12 tons of carbon emissions, a stark contrast to the 40 tons typically produced by one-day conferences in the region.

Further, Cvent also took proactive steps to reduce its environmental impact through making climate contributions by planting trees in a mangrove reforestation project in Kenya and supporting a renewable energy wind farm project in Satara district, Maharashtra, India. These efforts are part of Cvent's ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, and they will undoubtedly strengthen environmental awareness in the region.

Sandeep Nagpal, Cvent Vice President, Marketing said, “Delivering more sustainable events is a critical need in the industry and it’s heartening to know that 55% of organisations have set CO2 reduction targets, with 9% specifically targeting event-related emissions. At Cvent, we continue to prioritise sustainable practices and we're proud to lead the way in using technology and creative event planning to enable a more sustainable MICE industry. We hope that our efforts will inspire other organisations to also take concrete steps towards reducing their environmental impact.”

Key Ways Cvent Reduced Carbon Emissions at Accelerate

  • Registration/Check-in:
  1. Streamlined registration with event technology, eliminating manual paper check-ins.
  2. Used recyclable lanyards and badges without plastic sleeves.
  3. Provided recycling bins and encouraged attendees to deposit badges and lanyards before departure.
  • Branding:
  1. Exclusively utilised fully digital directional signage.
  2. Customised kiosks made from Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) were reused and recycled.
  3. Reduced flex usage by 70% by incorporating LED setups in the ballroom.
  4. All event details and materials accessible through the event mobile app/website, eliminating printed materials.
  5. Selected an AV/Production vendor with a sustainability focus.
  • Venue selection & partnership (CSN):
  1. Cvent Supplier Network was used to find a centrally located venue which is accessible by public transport, reducing car travel
  • Food and Beverage:
  1. Onsite water bottling plants and filtration systems provided safe drinking water in glass or reusable bottles.
  2. Curated sustainable menu option.
  • Community Education and Awareness:
  1. Installed an LED screen in the pre-functional area with a video on sustainability and its importance.
  2. Hosted sessions and panel discussions on making events more sustainable.
  3. Shared an informational video to illustrate the impact of events on the environment and provide inspiration on how to create a more sustainable future.
  • Measure, Manage and Mitigate
  1. Cvent’s Attendee Tracking software recorded and tracked attendee data and calculated the carbon footprint using the Trees4Events carbon calculator.
  2. 72 trees were planted in a mangrove reforestation project in Kenya.
  3. Plus, each tree was backed up with a United Nations Certified Emission Reduction renewable energy project. 

Nico Nicholas, CEO Trees4Travel & Trees4Events said: ‘’We are delighted to be Cvent’s sustainability partner, supporting their mission to educate, reduce and mitigate impact, inspiring positive change through leadership and action. Our values are clearly aligned for a better, safer, more equitable world, as together we strive to support up to 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’’.

Looking ahead, Cvent is excited to embrace even more sustainable practices at future events, including the upcoming Accelerate 2024. The company recognizes the critical need for more sustainable events and aims to lead the way in using technology and creative event planning to enable a more sustainable MICE industry.

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About Cvent

Cvent is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with 4,800+ employees and ~22,000 customers worldwide as of December 31, 2023. Founded in 1999, the company delivers a comprehensive event marketing and management platform and offers a global marketplace where event professionals collaborate with venues to create engaging, impactful experiences. Cvent is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C., and has additional offices around the world to support its growing global customer base. The comprehensive Cvent event marketing and management platform offers software solutions to event organizers and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event marketing and management, virtual and onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. Cvent’s suite of products automate and simplify the event management lifecycle and maximize the impact of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Hotels and venues use Cvent’s supplier and venue solutions to win more group and corporate travel business through Cvent’s sourcing platforms. Cvent solutions optimize the event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world to manage millions of meetings and events. For more information, please visit cvent.com.

About- Trees4Travel/Trees4Events

Trees4Travel is an award winning environmental ‘Tech for Good’ company enabling the travel and events industries to calculate and compensate emissions impact, translating trips and events into trees, one of the most powerful absorbers of carbon emissions. Restoring forests, ecosystems, biodiversity, transforming the lives of indigenous communities. Reforestation will help reverse climate change, but trees can be fragile and take time to grow, so to ensure emissions are removed as quickly as possible, each tree is backed up with a United Nations Certified Emissions Reduction renewable energy carbon credit, a hybrid package, supporting up to 13 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals creating a more sustainable, ethical, and equitable world.

For photos & info email elkie@trees4travel.com