Tactic A1.4

Encourage ‘Zero Waste’ Meetings and Events

Meetings and events are an important part of Sedona’s visitor industry. More can be done to engage hotels and meeting planners to limit the waste generated by meeting delegates and guests.

Led by the Sustainability Alliance, a mix of recommendations and educational/outreach efforts will be directed to businesses hosting meetings and events.

'Zero waste' can become a Sedona theme in marketing to meeting planners.

The Sustainability Alliance will work with the SCC&TB to encourage signature events that embrace 'zero waste' initiatives. Sedona will decrease waste, create awareness among thousands who attend these events, and burnish a reputation as an environmentally conscious destination.

---

IMPACTED PILLARS

TIMEFRAME Short-term (12-18 months)

LEAD PARTNER Sustainability Alliance

SUPPORTING PARTNERS SCC&TB, Sedona Event Organizers, Sedona Events Alliance, Sedona Lodging Council

ALIGNING RESEARCH Resident Survey, Nonprofit Focus Group, Public Input, Industry Best Practices

TARGER / STATUS TO DATE

1.  Percentage of Sedona annual events pursuing zero waste practices - TARGET = 20% / STATUS = 6%
(4 out of 63 events in calendar year 2020)  

PROGRESS TO DATE

Zero Waste Meetings & Events

Encourage 'zero waste' meetings and events.

FY22  Face-to-face events have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels and interest or demand for Zero Waste events and meetings has dropped commensurately. We have refined the criteria for Zero Waste Ready Venues and the survey and application process for Zero Waste events is in place online. Any event, large or small, can learn to be zero waste by using the online Zero Waste Tool kit at www.sustainabilityallianceaz.org/zw-tools.

FY21: The pandemic resulted in events being cancelled or postponed for most of the fiscal year, curtailing efforts to certify venues as zero waste. The Sustainability Alliance is encouraging venues to get certified as "Zero Waste Ready" as conditions for public events improve. 
In October 2020, the Alliance helped organize a local pre-school fundraiser as a zero-waste event, despite the pandemic.
The Sustainability Alliance finalized the Zero Waste-Ready Venue questionnaire in FY21 and should have the first venue certified in the first quarter of FY22. Additional publicity will be critical to raising the Zero Waste profile and encouraging venues and events to participate.
 

FY20: The Sustainability Alliance made organizing zero-waste events easier with a streamlined Zero Waste Events Checklist. The SCC&TB and the Alliance contacted event organizers to promote the zero-waste concept and offer help in developing and publicizing their event as zero waste.
Using the Zero Waste Events Checklist, the 2020 Veg Fest diverted more than 90% of event trash from the landfill, achieving the international standard of zero-waste. The festival’s 750 attendees generated just 32.6 lbs. of landfill-bound trash and diverted 341.5 lbs.
The Alliance worked with five other annual events to reduce their waste profile: RunSedona, the Keep Sedona Beautiful Native Plant Workshop, the Yavapai Apache / Camp Verde Earth Day Celebration and the Verde Valley Birding and Nature festival. The Alliance engaged six non-annual events in waste reduction, including the Steps to Recovery Gala, SCC&TB Mixer/Arabellas and Sedona Showcase.
The SCC&TB assisted in outreach by creating the Zero Waste logo. Events who earn the designation may use the logo for promotion, enhancing Sedona’s reputation as committed to waste reduction. The SCC&TB also uses the logo in their marketing materials to promote Sedona’s commitment.
Prior to virtually all face-to-face events being halted, the partners assigned this tactic made significant progress