One of the most important topics in the web conference industry and the world in general is that of the environment. Studies show that the Earth is getting warmer and that we have influence on the pace at which this happens.

Because of this, many tools are being used to halt the deteriation of our planet. Renewable energies, environmentally friendly products, and energy efficient solutions to many of our traditional problems all massively help. 

The web conference industry is also doing its part in promoting a more green environment. Holding virtual events instead of physical events comes with plenty of benefits for the environment. Let us look further into just how this works. 

The environmental drawback of physical events

On the surface, physical events might not seem like a factor that contributes a lot to our carbon footprint. But upon closer inspection there are a lot of things that add up negatively. 

Some physical events make an effort by using eco-friendly products. These include recycled paper for pamphlets or wooden cutlery for food. However, they still fail to become carbon neutral. 

Most eco-friendly products still need to be manufactured and transported. Carbon dioxide emissions from machinery, trucks, storage facilities and recycling plants all constitute a pretty extensive emissions chain. 

 

Some aspects are out of the hands of physical event management. For example, many people will have to travel to attend the event. 

This happens by car, boat, train, and plane. All of these modes of transportation, especially planes and cars, have significant emissions. And post event, these people will need to go back home as well. 

To ensure a great event experience, plenty of props and equipment will be needed. We’re talking merchandise, lighting, speaker-systems, screens, heating and much more. The production and running of all these things emit plenty of carbon dioxide.

Virtual events present solutions of the Digital Age

The digital age has shown us that networking opportunities don’t only exist in a physical sphere. With a proper virtual event platform, you can give your web conference the virtual component it needs to ultimately benefit the environment. 

Virtual events greatly help reduce your carbon footprint both as an event organizer and attendee. This goes for both virtual and hybrid events to an extent. 

Virtual and mobile events do not need to produce any physical materials such as merchandise, pamphlets, posters and the like. Everything can be produced and published online, costing no resources except for electricity. The production of electricity does of course still entail emissions. But as we produce more and more renewable energy, this problem shrinks daily. 

Attendees, speakers and organizers will also not need to do any kind of traveling for a web conference. They can remain at home, avoiding cars, planes, you name it. This significantly reduces emissions. 

We saw this working out very well during the Covid-19 pandemic, where people also had to begin working from home. The skies had never been clearer thanks to the halting of most needs for transport. 

Marketing for a web conference is also very carbon neutral. For example, advertising can be done through email marketing, costing nothing in terms of physical resources. It can also be done as ads on social media or websites in general. 

The environmental benefits of a web conference

As we’ve discussed earlier, there is no doubt that virtual events are eco-friendly by nature. While not entirely emissions-free, they are still the best and decent option when it comes to event hosting. 

If the event industry is to become carbon neutral in the foreseeable future, amazing virtual events are the way forward. Here are the known environmental benefits of virtual events contra physical events:

• Improved air quality
• Significant reductions in health risks
• Stable and reliable climate
• Balance in nature
• Sustainable agriculture and food choices

Truth be told, we could add plenty of extra things to this list. It is not without reason that the virtual event industry is growing rapidly. It promotes a green environment, and that’s hard not to be on board with. 

Additional practical benefits of a web conference

The environmental benefits of virtual events are many. However, there are also plenty of very practical benefits that affect both event managers and attendees. 

Event managers get to skip out on renting a venue, transporting and accommodating speakers, providing food, drink, heating, physical products and more. This makes organizing the event much more simple and cheaper.

Attendees won’t have to travel or find and pay for accomodation. They get to be in the comfort of their own home, attending in the way they want in real time. 

Some claim physical events have their charm when people are buzzing around each other.

However, the amount of flexibility and comfort virtual events give organizers and attendees is invaluable and hard to pass up. 

Green gatherings are the future of live events

The popularity of virtual events and their environmental benefits is growing. There is no doubt that the future of events, meetings, and potentially work is going online. 

At this moment in time, potentially thousands of virtual meetings are held right now. Ideas are shared, aspirations exchanged, business connections established and much more. 

People don’t have to endlessly manage their calendars to attend. It’s all very simple with just a few clicks. No extra hours of commute. Just comfort and reliable flexibility. 

People who are already conscious of how physical events are affecting the environment are pushing hard for things to go virtual. It is hard to argue against, so we’ll likely see this trend grow continuously in the future.