Beyond Events is committed to delivering exceptional environmental management and resource sustainability in order to minimise the impact of our operations on the natural world. We work in a responsible and thoughtful manner when delivering events and give full consideration to the people and materials we work with.

When planning your event we’d like you to support our environmental and sustainable agenda by considering the following:

Location and venue

Beyond Events is located to the west of the city of Hull, with excellent public transport links from the city centre. How will delegates travel to and from your event? Why not consider shuttle buses, car-share, public transport and incentivising those living within one hour of the venue to use only public transport?

We use only 100% recycled toiletries, helping to reduce plastic and chemical waste.  However, have you considered bringing your own toiletries from home? Help us promote our sleep green agenda.

We use our own bed linen and towels. Bedrooms are serviced every day, however to prevent towels being washed unnecessarily, rather than our housekeeping staff automatically replacing, for longer stays would you consider requesting new towels from reception?

For the best Beyond Events welcome, we encourage the use of human signage – the personal touch. We actively discourage the use of paper signage across the campus and venues. We can assist you in wayfinding your event.

Transport

Despite the myth, Hull is very easy to reach. Did you know that Hull is just two-and-a-half hours from London direct, with six trains daily? There are direct train services to Leeds (one hour), Manchester (two hours) and Sheffield (one-and-a-half hours). Group-save tickets are available nationwide, offering up to a third off travel – why not promote this to delegates when planning your event? Visit www.thetrainline.com for details. Cheaper tickets are available if you plan your event even further in advance – a typical single from London to Hull can be from as little as £15 – that’s cheaper than a tank of fuel in the car!

Did you know Hull is very flat? Explore the city by bike – it’s so easy with an abundance of cycle routes.  If your delegates have time, why not cycle to the coast for some refreshing sea air? We have our own bike hub on campus where you can hire a bicycle.

Regular buses operate between the city centre, University and our Cottingham halls of residence, with a bus every five to seven minutes at peak times. Journey times from the city centre are just 15 minutes to campus and 25 minutes to The Lawns on average. Visit www.eyms.co.uk or www.stagecoach.com for details.

Food and drink

The University works to enhance understanding about Fairtrade across the local community, raising awareness of Fairtrade issues and increasing Fairtrade consumption. We have therefore introduced a number of Fairtrade products to our brochure.

We use BRITA Vivreau’s Table Water Bottling Dispense Systems, providing pure, chilled still and sparkling water. This eliminates the need to purchase environmentally unfriendly pre-bottled waters. In doing so, using this system reduces our carbon footprint in terms of deliveries and eliminates storage issues.

We give preference to products and services that are manufactured, and can be used and disposed of, in an environmentally and socially responsible way.

We promote our commitment to sustainable food and the environmental and the social impact of the products our customers buy.

We source local and seasonal produce where possible to minimise energy used in production, transport and storage and help sustain the local economy.

Promote health and well-being is important to us. We offer generous portions of vegetables, fruit and starchy staples like whole grains, cutting down on salt, fats and oils, and cutting out artificial additives.

Delegate/guest information

We live in a digital world. We send as much communication digitally as possible. Send emails, tweets, LinkedIn. Consider this when sharing pre-event information to your delegates.

If you have to provide a delegate pack or brochure we can assist using our central print services. However, instead of printing delegate packs why not load them on a USB stick? Think – do you really need paper?

In an effort to go paperless we actively encourage delegates to use our new online accommodation booking service.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle. We have the means to segregate waste at source. But we need your delegates’ help to support this by using the recycling for the right purposes.

Make sure all promotional event giveaways are made from a sustainable and ethical source. Think about the giveaway purpose…are they really necessary or will they be just thrown away?

Collecting lanyards and badges at the end of the event to re-use not only saves money but avoids them finding their way into landfill. Are your lanyards and badges made from recycled or compostable materials?

Technology

Is a face-to-face pre-event meeting needed? Consider skype calls or desktop video calls (e.g. i-meet).

We offer digital signage. This not only reduces paper but allows the flexibility of instant changes bespoke to the venues you are using – giving that professional edge.

We live in a world of smartphones, tablets and apps. How can you introduce these into your event rather than printing delegate packs, schedules and speaker materials?

Consider delegate feedback. Use online mechanisms such as Survey Monkey or on the day feedback such as pulse kiosks.