Our green events are being noticed!
Our innovative low-carbon green conferencing package has been shortlisted for two major awards.
We’re thrilled to be in the running for the 2025 Creativity in Conferencing, Events and Hospitality Award at the prestigious College and University Business Officers Awards (CUBOs). The green conferencing package was also shortlisted for the Sustainability Award at the national Public Sector Catering Awards.
It speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication that goes into planning and executing sustainable events without hurting the planet. Conferences and Events has dramatically transformed operations to support University of Birmingham’s net zero ambitions, and it’s fantastic to get this recognition during the University’s 125th anniversary year.
Rethinking events: sustainability at the core
The Green Conferencing Package was developed in close collaboration with Food Fellows, who manage all of our campus food and beverage services. Together, we’ve created a package designed to make our events more sustainable, thoughtful, and impactful, all while maintaining the high standards of service and quality you’d expect.
When you host an event with us and choose our Green Conferencing Package, you’ll experience a host of eco-friendly initiatives that make a difference:
- Seasonal and local ingredients: Every dish on our green events menu is carbon A-rated, ensuring that meals are both delicious and sustainable. This is expected to save over 25 tonnes of carbon in the first 12 months.
- Encouraged responsible travel: With our newly upgraded on-campus train station, delegates are encouraged to travel sustainably. For those unable to attend in person, hybrid conferencing options are available to minimize travel emissions.
- No single-use plastics: We’ve eliminated all single-use plastics, including water bottles and marketing giveaways, further reducing our environmental impact.
- Waste turned into green energy: All kitchen waste is converted into green energy via our anaerobic digestion bins, making sure nothing goes to waste.
- Eco-conscious green menus: While our menus are not exclusively plant-based, we’ve worked with suppliers to carefully consider the sustainability of every ingredient. Our green menus focus on reducing the carbon footprint of food sourcing, transportation, and packaging.
The success of the green conference package helped us secure the bid to host the Royal Geographical Society’s Annual Conference in August — a prestigious event known for its strong commitment to sustainability and global impact. It also won the Sustainability prize at last month’s Campus Services Awards.
Three times lucky?
Universities from all over the country submit their most innovative projects to the CUBO Awards which are one of the most important recognitions within the UK’s higher education sector. This is the third time in four years we’ve been nominated for the Creativity in Conferencing, Events and Hospitality Award at CUBO. In 2022 we won for our agility putting on hybrid conferences during the pandemic; and again in 2024 for our work making campus accessible for over a thousand visually impaired athletes and visitors attending the 2023 IBSA World Blind Games.
The 2025 CUBO Awards will take place on Wednesday, 11th June at Northumbria University. We’re looking forward to celebrating with other leading institutions and being inspired by their stories too. Stay tuned to see if we take home an award — fingers crossed!
Interested in hosting a green event?
If you’re inspired by our journey and would like to host your own sustainable event, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We’re here to help you create events that leave a positive impact on both your guests and the planet.
