Large Events, Small Footprints!

Since Béline Falzon began working at the King Center on Global Development (Center) in 2022, she has transformed the processes that go into planning and hosting events, specifically around sustainable food choices and waste reduction. 

As a senior event planner at the Center (now assistant director for events at the Precourt Institute for Energy), Béline had the responsibility to host large numbers of people, which came with the opportunity to influence behavior and expand their knowledge for the better. Event planners wield a unique power for advancing sustainability, in that they understand the actions and behaviors of people, especially en masse. For these reasons, Béline hopes to influence people’s actions and encourage them to create permanent, sustainable habits that stick with them once they leave the confines of the boardroom or after a fun day of curated programming. 

Improving the Center’s sustainability required various approaches from different angles, from changing methods of food purchasing and choice of caterers, to implementing new infrastructure, to hiring bin monitors to ease event attendees’ waste sorting experience. 

Béline recalls that food is often the most challenging hurdle for hosting entirely sustainable events. It requires clear and constant communication with all parties about what materials and ingredients should be used and what goes in which waste sorting bin. 

Some of her biggest successes include hosting events using reusable plates and cutlery, significantly reducing the amount of single-use plastics as a result, and coordinating with a colleague to collect leftover salads to take home as a treat for their farm animals!