Sustainability at The Art Of Catering Food
The Art of Catering Food is proud to continue our Sustainability Program for 2024. We recognize our event has an impact on the environment. Through our Sustainability Program, we are striving to identify, understand, and address these impacts to achieve continual improvement year after year.
By attending an event hosted by the Austin Convention Center, The Center of Hospitality, attendees support one of the most innovative, large-scale sustainability programs in the United States. The Austin Convention Center has demonstrated industry and community leadership by pioneering pathways for large venues to achieve continuously improving levels of sustainability stewardship.
Supporting our Sponsors and Exhibitors
More than 80% of our attendees tell us that they care that our events are run in a responsible manner. That's why we're working more closely than ever with our sponsors and exhibitors to ensure we all commit to doing the right thing for our customers, colleagues, and the communities we serve.
Every exhibiting sponsor is provided with a 10 point checklist to help plan their presence at the event including information on donating to local and industry charities and how to engage with attendees on their stands without prize giveaways or hard copy flyers/leaflets/brochures being handed out. Instead, delegates can use our digital show bag to download information from our partners and sponsors
Renewable Energy
In addition to ensuring our venue is using energy efficient lighting, this year our event will also be fully powered by Renewable Energy.
How Are We Building a Sustainable Event?
Social Responsibility
We want The Art Of Catering Food to be run in a socially responsible manner. To do so, we are focusing on:
- Doing business safely and ethically
- Considering wellbeing and accessibility
- Creating a positive impact on our host cities and measuring our impacts
- Supporting sponsors and partners in donating to local and industry-related charities
Environmental Responsibility
The Art Of Catering Food will be run in an increasingly environmentally responsible manner, focusing on:
- Reducing carbon emissions
- Designing our events to eliminate waste
- Considering sustainability credentials for every item sourced for the event
- Designing our events to eliminate waste, including removing carpet from the trade show floor
Sustainable Development
Our aim is for The Art Of Catering Food to promote long-term sustainable development - in the way that we run the event but also in how it's implemented in the market as a whole. We are committing to:
- Using our content to support the sustainability of the catering and events industries
- Developing close partnerships with relevant charities, companies and associations and giving them a platform to promote their work in the field
- Facilitating discussions on pertinent topics including diversity & inclusion, gender balance, sustainability trends, the impact on the environment & more.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at The Art Of Catering Food
For The Art Of Catering Food to remain relevant for the next generation of leaders, we must push diversity hard at every turn, changing established thinking. And giving access to opportunities where you can learn more about each other and topics that drive change is our goal. Everything we do goes towards creating the ultimate experience: making a safe, inclusive space for people to gather and celebrate together. AOCF is the place to discover, celebrate and belong.
FASTERFORWARD TO ZERO
FasterForward is Informa’s approach to sustainability, moving faster to become a zero waste and net zero carbon business.
A series of activities and commitments carried out between 2020-2025 will ensure our events become ever more sustainable, delivering a truly positive impact to the markets we serve. We will also actively help our partners, customers and wider markets to achieve the same.
Our FasterForward commitments include:
- Become carbon neutral across our events by 2025
- Halve the waste generated through our events by 2025
- Embed sustainability inside 100% of our events by 2025
See the full list of commitments and find out more >>