Give examples of the things you have seen at events that you would consider eco-friendly
A number of sporting events take place in the world, for example, the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, and Commonwealth Games. The size of these world games is so huge that it is difficult to establish its extent and scope (Masterman, 2009). With the resources becoming scarce and the world becoming threatened by global warming, technologies have been developed in the sporting industry, for example, in the design of stadiums to take care of the environment and energy use. This is due to the fact that during this period, there is mass movement of people to the events centre. Eco-friendly advancements and efforts, which have been made, include the following:
Relocation of air polluters: Before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the Beijing cooking chemical plant was moved from the city to the outskirts of the Beijing Village. This was mainly aimed at creating a cleaner environment for the Olympic Games, which were to be held later during the year. Technological advancements that were eco-friendly were also evidenced during these games whereby the stadium was designed using a creative technology that emphasized on both sustainable use of energy and environment friendly.
Designed in the shape of a nest, it was built in a way that all the water collected from the roof was pumped by use of drainage pipes into tanks then directed to the reservoir where it was used after being treated. Further, eco friendly efforts were noted where an advanced solar system was installed into the roof of the National Stadium, which was also hosting the Olympic Games. Several solar panels were placed in the roof, where the solar energy was converted to electrical energy.
In China there has also been the construction of the “sun chaser” generator as it is commonly known. The generator, which is located in Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Court, is designed in a way that it shifts and changes positions according to sun’s position up to 270o. The shifting ensures that it maximizes sunlight absorption.
Much credit has been given to China the way it prepared for and hosted the Olympics whereby according to the United Nations Environment Program, it set new records for eco-friendly mass spectator world event by observing many of the environmental standards that had been set. The games not only met the standards but also exceeded some (UN News Centre, 2009). We can conclude that with the development of such technologies in the facilities that host both big and small sporting events shows, there are efforts of going green even in the sports.
What do you think that sport event managers can do to help the environment and to run events that are eco-friendly
To help the environment and run events that are eco-friendly, event managers can practice what has been described of late as Sustainable Event Management. This is usually the process of designing and organizing events that follow sustainable development principles in order to achieve goals that serve both the economic and environment interests of the organizers and event participants.
During large sporting events like the just concluded FIFA World cup in South Africa there were major greenhouses gases released through electricity, heating, and air conditioning. To help run events that are eco-friendly, event organizers have realized that larger events do not have to be global warming contributors. The following are some of the things they need to check into:
The need to identify emissions associated with the event, for example, in the event of a city hosting the Olympic Games, transport services are likely to contribute to carbon emission and energy usage thus reducing the emissions should be the next highest priority. To reduce the emissions, the event organizers can plan the destination, venue or accommodation near the hosting city, which should have a well built transport network to reduce the emissions.
If after all the conservation and emission reduction strategies have been extensively used and there are others that cannot be eliminated, Renewable Energy Certificates can be used during the event. If as the event organizer the carbon credit you purchased represents the values that could not have been offset by the conservation measures, then you have succeeded in organizing an eco-friendly event.
As the event manager, you can also engage the participants in the initiative. The events website, press releases, and other forms of public relations can do the job quite well. The participants can offset their emissions through the registration and issuance of tickets. Whichever option one chooses, the event organizer should make the participants aware that he is trying to make an environmental friendly event. Electronic marketing, ticket issuance, using shuttles or buses to reach the place the event is taking place are among other strategies that event organizers can use to run events that are eco-friendly.
Reference List
Masterman, G. (2009). Strategic Sports Event Management: Olympic Edition, 2nd Edition. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.
UN News Centre (2009). Beijing Olympics Raises Bar on Eco-Friendly Sporting Events – UN Environment Agency. Web.