20 Questions for Event Organizers
As a follow-up to the one question posed below about what to do with a ton of cups, I thought I would share a list of 20 questions event organizers should ask themselves as they begin to develop goals, objectives and plans for a greener running event. Before I do, however, I should point out that these questions were originally written for the second edition of Road Race Management’s Guide To Greener Running Events, which you can now order directly from RRM’s Web site.
This new booklet provides more than just an inventory of the green initiatives running events are implementing, and I hope it demystifies a lot of things event directors could and should consider doing. It also explores opportunities for “green” certification, presents a summary of hundreds of race directors’ thoughts and opinions about the environmental impact of their events and offers far more “how-to” guidance and narrative than the sold-out first edition.
The booklet is being sold for $55, including shipping and handling. The price for Road Race Management Members is only $50.
OK, here are 20 questions I think you should consider carefully as you begin to plan your road race:
Pre-race:
- What are your goals and objectives for going green?
- Who is going to manage the greening of your event?
- How much are specific green objectives going to cost, and how are you going to pay for them?
- Who among your sponsors, vendors and civic partners will support your efforts?
- What is the strategy for building awareness for your green initiatives?
- What printing, if any, is absolutely necessary? Are there environmentally friendly printing options available to you for both paper and signage/banner needs?
- How can you minimize shipping distances and impacts?
- What alternatives to the ubiquitous goodie bag are available to you (consider both the bag itself and its contents)?
- What other traditional features of your event can be made more green (pasta feed, expo, t-shirts, race merchandise, etc.)?
Race day:
- How can you reduce the transportation impacts of your event?
- Do you have access to hybrid vehicles or those that burn alternative fuels like biodiesel?
- Are alternative sources of power (solar panels or biodiesel generators) a viable option for powering sound systems?
- Are you willing to purchase carbon offsets and/or renewable energy certificates (RECs) to mitigate your transportation needs and power use?
- Are there nearby sources for borrowing or renting race day equipment?
- What materials can be recycled in your community? What can be composted?
- What is the most efficient and least wasteful approach to providing water and/or sports drinks at aid stations?
- What options are available to you for providing more environmentally friendly food, beverages and awards to your runners in the post-finish area?
Post-race:
- Which of your green accomplishments are truly measurable and useful in developing your environmental scorecard?
- Which of your green accomplishments are noteworthy and worth promoting in a press release?
- How can you improve upon your efforts next year?
Tags: green event certification, green event management, green events, how-to guide to greener events, road race management