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How to plan a sustainable event
Experience how Greater Victoria sets the stage for sustainable conferences, meetings, and tradeshows, blending exceptional event facilities with a destination-wide commitment to green practices and responsible tourism. As a Biosphere Certified destination, Victoria empowers planners to create meaningful events that resonate with today’s values and contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future.
Why host a sustainable event?
Hosting a sustainable event, meeting, or tradeshow is a powerful way for event planners to lead with purpose and create lasting value. Sustainable events minimize environmental impact, appeal to socially conscious attendees, and help organizations reach their corporate social responsibility goals. By prioritizing sustainability, planners enhance event reputation, foster industry goodwill, and set a standard for future gatherings.
Sustainable Events Guide
Sustainability in Greater Victoria
Did you know that Greater Victoria is a Biosphere Certified Destination? It’s true, but what exactly does that mean? It means that sustainability is at the core of our values as a destination. It’s a pledge of environmental, economic, and socio-cultural balance certified by the Responsible Tourism Institute, where our region is on a path of continuous improvement towards the Horizon 2030 sustainability objectives of the United Nations. It’s a commitment to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +20.
Sustainable Tourism
Support sustainable businesses
As part of Greater Victoria’s Biosphere commitment, you’ll find a wide array of Biosphere Certified and Committed businesses throughout the region, ranging from hotels to restaurants, whale watching, attractions, and more. Whether you’re planning for team building, offsite events, or even extra days in the destination, you can be certain that it’s easy to find and support businesses that put sustainability at the forefront of their experience. Sustainability is so ingrained in in the culture here that you might be supporting sustainable initiatives without even knowing it, whether that’s staying in a Biosphere Certified hotel, dining at a farm-to-table restaurant, or experiencing a world-class attraction.
Sustainable Greater Victoria
Sustainability at the Victoria Conference Centre
The Victoria Conference Centre operates at the platinum level of BOMA BEST Building Environmental Standards, measures and offsets all carbon emissions with varied carbon offsets purchases through Ostrom Climate, and is itself, Biosphere Certified. The Victoria Conference Centre works hand-in-hand with the City of Victoria to achieve sustainability goals, including committing to the Zero-Waste Victoria Plan and working with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to create an inclusive and accessible experience that has achieved Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, Sensory Inclusive Certification, and more.
Sustainability at the Victoria Conference Centre
Plan your on-site operations
The key to hosting a low-impact event is planning your operations ahead. The team at the Victoria Conference Centre are well versed in our local sustainability scene and a great resource for making your next event a sustainable one. There are many ways to make your next event a zero-waste event. It all starts with creating a goal and sharing that with your partners and attendees. These might include achieving a 90% diversion rate or having no single-use water bottles on site. From there, you can undertake a range of initiatives from prioritizing the use of reusable items over single-use items to partnering with local non-profits to increase the positive impact and legacy of your event.
Impact & Legacy Programs
Destination Greater Victoria proudly partners with local organizations to offer opportunities for your event to create a positive impact and lasting change to our community by contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Your event may choose to partner with Aunty Collective, FED Urban Agriculture, Peninsula Streams Society, Power To Be, Soap for Hope Canada, or Wear2Start, who offer a range of initiatives spanning everything from empowering and promoting the social and economic inclusion of all, to ending hunger, restoring out aquatic habitats, and more. The Impact & Legacy program offers many ways to support these initiatives spanning from direct financial donations to hands-on workshops, allowing you to choose a commitment level that works for your event.
Impact & Legacy Program
Accommodations
Many of Greater Victoria’s best hotels promote a responsible stay through a range of initiatives from Biosphere Certification, certified carbon offsetting, and more. With 12 Biosphere Certified hotels hotels throughout the region, most being within the downtown core, it’s easy to find accommodations that match the sustainability goals of your next business event, while remaining connected to the urban amenities of the city. 75% of hotels in Victoria hold a third-party sustainability certification, and many other hotels hold Green Key or Green Step.
Sustainable Accommodations
Getting around
Victoria’s walkable scale makes getting to and from your events as easy as can be. Many of the city’s top hotels are located within short walking distance of the Victoria Conference Centre, and an array of world-class dining, shopping, and attractions are within footsteps of the venue. If you’re looking to explore a little more of the region, Greater Victoria is one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America, with our communities and downtown core stitched together by a network of bike paths that make getting around a breeze. For those moments when you need to travel further afield, you can opt for electric or hybrid transportation providers.
Carbon neutrality at the Victoria Conference Centre
The Victoria Conference Centre first began measuring its carbon footprint in 2009, purchasing verified carbon offsets through Ostrom Climate to achieve carbon neutrality in 2019 and has maintained it since. Between 2012 and 2019, positive action taken by the Victoria Conference Centre resulted in a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and the VCC is committed to reducing energy and GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 and shifting to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Offsets from the VCC’s carbon help protect the Great Bear Rainforest. Many of the initiatives taken by the Victoria Conference Centre will help reduce the GHG impact of your event, helping to achieve your carbon reduction goals.
Energy & water
Between 2012 and 2019, the Victoria Conference Centre has reduced energy use per delegate by 51% through actions such as real-time energy management systems, adding LED lighting throughout the building, and using 100% renewable natural gas. During this window, the VCC has also reduced water use per delegate by 55% from the installation of low-flow water fixtures, on-site water bottle refill stations, and air-cooled refrigeration units. The Victoria Conference Centre offers a state-of-the-art meeting facility without compromising on sustainability, meaning your event will have a big impact on delegates without having a big impact on the environment.
Food & beverage
The exclusive catering provider of the Victoria Conference Centre is the Fairmont Empress. This legendary hotel located on Victoria’s Inner Harbour, and connected directly to the Victoria Conference Centre, provides a menu rooted in locally sourced options, with a wide range of organic and seasonal ingredients. The Empress’ on-site beehives and urban gardens provide catering at the VCC with zero-mile honey, as well as homegrown herbs and vegetables. Opt for vegetarian catering during your event, choosing as little as one service to be vegetarian can have huge impacts on the carbon footprint of your event.
An inclusive venue
The team at the Victoria Conference Centre works hard to learn from the lived experience of individuals who use the space and seeks out input to guide accessibility improvements at the venue. From these learnings, the VCC has developed an array of key initiatives to improve accessibility and visitor experience, including Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, GoodMaps Navigational App – which assists visitors with cognitive and learning disabilities to navigate the space, Sensory Inclusive Certification, Welcoming Sticker Program – a pledge to diversity and inclusion, and Capacity Development & Engagement with People with Lived Experiences – which provides training to VCC staff on inclusion and accessibility.
Accessibility
Destination Greater Victoria
600-765 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1E2
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