Green team: Swansea University events team with their award - (L-R) Melissa Ferreira, Charlotte Rees, Michelle Dene, Gwyneth Thomas, Beth Morgan.
Swansea University Events team have won a prestigious Green Tourism Award, reflecting their achievements in making their operations more sustainable.
The Green Tourism Award is an internationally recognised certification, demonstrating excellence in sustainability within the hospitality sector. A Green Tourism certification is tangible evidence of the work an organisation is doing.
The Swansea University events team co-ordinate events activity across campus. For example they work with customers who wish to hire the University’s facilities, for anything from a major conference or exhibition to a dinner or a small meeting or reception.
To be considered for an award, the team had to provide evidence to Green Tourism of the actions they have taken under 15 Sustainability Goals. Every assessment is verified by Green Tourism’s expert assessors, helping to make the award a trusted benchmark in the industry.
Their evidence was judged to have met the criteria and the team were informed by Green Tourism that they had received a Silver level Green Tourism award.
Initiatives the team introduced that they cited as evidence of their commitment to sustainability include:
- Keep Mug campaign – encouraging the use of reusable mugs throughout their events.
- Reusable lanyard scheme – reducing waste by offering a discount on all lanyards that are returned at the end of the day.
- Water stations – promoting the use of refillable bottles to minimise single-use plastics.
In addition, the wider sustainability efforts of the University significantly contributed to the success of their entry. These include solar panel installations, monthly beach cleans that the events team has actively supported, decarbonisation strategies and using eco-friendly cleaning products.
As further evidence of their commitment, all team members have also completed a City and Guilds Level 2 Green Environment and Sustainability Training course.
Michelle Dene, Head of Campus Operations at Swansea University said:
“We’re thrilled to have been presented with a prestigious Green Tourism Award! This reflects all the hard work the team have put into making events more sustainable, from reducing waste to greener planning and eco-friendly initiatives. A big part of this success comes from their great collaboration with the University’s Sustainability team.
This award is a fantastic recognition of their efforts and Swansea University’s shared commitment to a greener future.”
Swansea University has an extensive range of meeting and event spaces which are all located within a short walk of Swansea’s sea front.
Find out more about hosting events at Swansea University
Conference and event venues in Swansea include the flagship £32 million Great Hall complex on the Bay Campus, housing three large lecture theatres, a range of versatile flat floor spaces and the 700-seat Sir Stanley Clarke Auditorium, complete with flexible staging, international-standard acoustics and state-of-the-art audiovisual technology.
Delegate packages offer excellent event catering and event support services from a team of experienced event professionals. Compact campuses provide delegates with a range of on-site amenities including cafés and bars, supermarkets, banks, sporting facilities and affordable and convenient on-site accommodation from July until September.