Downloads

Explore our recommended resources, from event greening basics and sustainable procurement to carbon, waste, venues and certification.

Looking for something else? Browse the categories below or explore our latest articles and webinars.

Back to Basics of Event Greening (2022, 1.93MB): A presentation by Greg McManus, Director of Heritage Environmental Management Company.
Draft Environmental Vision Statement template (14.5KB): A critical first step to running a more sustainable business is to create an environmental vision statement. Use this template to help you get started, shared by Greg McManus, the Director of Heritage Environmental Management Company.

The Story of Stuff (20min, 2007): A fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues and calls for all of us to create a more sustainable and just world.
Gauteng Green Events Guidelines (68p, 2012, 3.9MB): Sponsored by the Gauteng Tourism Authority, this handbook is aimed at industry role players and provides practical information for hosting events in a more sustainable manner.

The Green Event Guideline Hosting Green Events in Durban (36p, 2011, 1.94MB): This publication was prepared by EThekwini Municipality’s Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department to support hosting the COP 17 / CMP7 event in an environmentally sustainable way.
Smart Events Handbook – City of Cape Town (51p, 2010, 4.35MB): This handbook is a legacy project of Green Goal 2010 of the FIFA World Cup, created to address South African needs while taking international best practice into consideration.

Your Green Venue Checklist (178KB): A simple tool to help you identify which venues are truly embracing sustainability.
Accommodation Questionnaire (415KB): Share this simple questionnaire with potential accommodation venues to help you identify the more sustainable options.
The Green Venue Workshop (10 November 2019): An in-person and on-line workshop unpacking the relationship between organisers and venues when hosting sustainable events:

Eco Chef: Sustainable Foodservice Evaluation Checklist (2013, 327KB): A quick checklist to assess the sustainability of a foodservice’s practices, and covering aspects such as the food, the packaging, the preparation tools, communication and fiscal responsibility.
Nedbank Green Event and Catering Guide (2010, 612KB): A short and easy-to-use local guide.
5 Stept to Manage Food Waste (2026, 685KB): The five steps to minimise food waste, and how to responsibly divert it from landfill. (For more on this, watch our 30 minute webinar Food Waste: What Events Can Do Differently, Better.)
Understanding the Waste Hierarchy (2020, 1.36MB) presentation by Gavin Heron of Earth Probiotics.
Reusables Hygiene at Events: Global Best Practice Guidelines (First edition, released October 2020, 4.33MB): These guidelines provide information on globally applicable hygiene practices that will ensure consistent, safe and hygienic reusable food and beverage serviceware (‘reusables’) in event settings.

Make Smarter Material Choices for Exhibition Stands (2026, 388KB): A table of commonly used material options in South Africa for exhibition stands, graphics and flooring, highlighting characteristics such as re-usability, end of life and any health concerns, for each.
EGF Event Wood Waste Research Report (2018, 2MB): The EGF contracted the University of Pretoria to conduct research into: ‘The production, re-use and disposal practices of custom-built wood-based exhibition stands – in South Africa and abroad’. Further research is being planned to delve into waste more generally – should you have any feedback please contact us at info@eventgreening.co.za.

From Build to Breakdown: Sustainability in Exhibitions (2024): Share your email to download sustainability guidance developed by the EDPA, ESCA, and EIC.
Greening Your Expo Stand (2019, 5.9MB): A presentation by Justin Hawes, MD of Scan DIsplay, at Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba event greening exhibitor training day.

Event Carbon Footprinting Tool: Use Sustainable Travel International’s free online Event Carbon Footprinting Tool to calculate emissions from your event, including venue energy use, meals, and attendee travel and accommodation.
IELA Sustainability Guidelines (2019, 1.88MB): IELA, the International Exhibition Logistics Association, has put together these sustainability guidelines for the exhibitions industry in order to urge all of its members to integrate the suggestions into their operations and culture.

EGF Eco-Procurement Questions (2019, 83.2KB): A short checklist to highlight key sustainability questions you should be asking your suppliers and service providers (and even yourself!), in order to make more informed procurement decisions.
Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba exhibitor training presentations (2019 & 2020):
- Social Sustainability & Your Procurement(1.25MB) by Nomaswazi Tinus, African Mamas Crafts.
- Procurement (3.6MB) by Catherine Morris, Green Home
- Procurement (1MB) by Greg McManus, Heritage Environmental Management Company

Greenwashing (37 pages, 2012, 2.6MB): A presentation which Grace Stead from Steadfast Greening presented at Markex 2012 on the behalf of the EGF.

Six Sins of Greenwashing (15p, 2007): Discover the 6 different tipes of greenwashing – which is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.