Event Planning, Without Amazon
Earlier this year, I deleted the Amazon app off of my phone.
In the months before I quit, I noticed that I had been making increasingly impulsive purchases. Not only that, but I was spending money on things that I either already had in some shape or form (like skincare, decor, or household essentials), could get relatively simply from a local establishment, or—and this was a big one—didn’t need in the first place.
What I’ve Learned Since Going Amazon-Free
Urgency is Manufactured. You can find many of the products you see on Amazon either directly from the manufacturer’s website or in a local store, you just have to be willing to wait a little longer in some cases. In 100% of cases, I found that there was no real and true urgency to have the item in-hand; it was manufactured by the algorithm and sense of ‘Buy Now!’ urgency Amazon is built upon.
Local neighborhoods have so much, and shopping keeps them Small. I am fortunate to live near many local shops and a city with phenomenal small businesses, but even if I did not, there are so many small businesses accessible online and within 25 miles of your house, that won’t result in trees being cut down to build more warehouses or data centers.
I Didn’t Need It. A new moisturizer would arrive at my doorstep, and I’d place it near several half-empty bottles in my cabinet. By intentionally purchasing only my true necessities, it’s helped me see more clearly what that word means.
Event Industry Carbon Footprint
As a strategic event consultant, I’m always looking for ways to save my Clients time and money. In that vein, it’s so easy to default to Amazon for things like decor, swag items, or organizational and administrative items. The reality is, when we’re looking at an event from a strategic perspective, we can plan our way out of this default. It turns out, it is better for our future when we do. According to Green.Earth:
Understanding the environmental impact of events is crucial for sustainable practices and reducing global emissions. The events industry collectively contributes up to 10% of worldwide carbon emissions—that is equal to all the carbon emissions of the United States! This substantial environmental impact stems from various factors, including the materials employed, energy consumption, and transportation needed for attendees to reach the event venue.
This figure will also increase as the trillion-dollar events industry is expected to grow 11.2% for this decade.
How Strategic Event Planning Can Help
Plan Ahead: One of the biggest things we can do as host organizations, companies, associations and event planners is to plan ahead. Event timelines used to be twice as long, at least, as we expect today. Before we work together, many of my Clients wind up working on 6-month cycles, condensing 1 year’s worth of work into 6-8 months. This results in last-minute decisions, usually out of convenience or budget needs, as budget is also affected by a timeline crunch.
Develop a Budget Before You Plan: Event Planners are often expected to build the train as we’re navigating it to the station, with a weather delay and an excess of passengers to pick up along the way. Oof, did I get carried away with that metaphor? But seriously, make a plan ahead of time. If you don’t have real numbers, pad the numbers and add contingency. My 1:1 Catalyst Calls help Clients create budgets with more accuracy, which leads to more successful outcomes.
Make a Commitment: Commit to not buy from Amazon, to find the products that you see on Amazon either directly from the manufacturer or locally, or to at least condense deliveries into one so that you are considering the planet’s resources as well as your own.
Do Not Support Big Sales: Where possible, if you have to use Amazon, try not to pile on to the Amazon Day sales, which report terrible conditions for workers and contributes to negative outcomes for our communities and the planet we live on
Have Checkpoints: Check in not only on your budget, but how your budget can achieve your Client’s goals. Schedule at least 4 budget check-ins to navigate items that you may need to search for locally, so that you aren’t finding yourself searching Amazon for last minute sales right before the event.
The last few months of every year are critical to set foundations, including event planning systems, project management templates, and budget spreadsheets. I help Clients do just that with my Catalyst Calls. Catalyst Calls are 1:1 calls designed to ignite the spark on planning your next great, big, impactful event. Get in touch below!