Cassie Brown, CEO and owner of TCG Events, comments on how AI is being used in the industry.
By Connie Lannan
March 3, 2025
By its very nature, rental is a sustainable industry. For an event, almost every item, from tents to tables, chairs and glassware, can be rented over and over again instead of ending up in the landfill. However, event rental is unique in that most of its business customers are looking for more customization to offer each event its own personal flavor. Can artificial intelligence help in making this part of the industry even more sustainable?
“I think that we, the newer generations, are focused on greener solutions and more sustainable events. And I think the consumer, if marketed to properly, will latch onto that and begin to implement it into their events because the desire is there. But we need to take that next step in terms of how to show the clients it is sustainable,” says Kristi DePew, CWEP, co-owner, Eclipse Event Co., Austin, Texas.
“There are sustainable options, but you have to get creative. And, again, that’s something you can throw into AI and say, ‘I need some creative ideas for how to cut down waste at my events and how can I implement technology to make things efficient and greener?’ Maybe only one of the suggestions is a good suggestion, but sometimes you only need one,” she says.
AI-integrated technology also can be of assistance, particularly in the area of lighting, DePew adds.
“I would love it if people would invest more in full lighting options that only come on for the dance portions of weddings. I can’t tell you how many glow sticks and wands we throw away, and they’re Styrofoam — they are going to be here forever and they’re just horrible for the environment. There’s a lighting technology called projection mapping. And what I’ve seen done at a wedding is a full wall of floral is projected. The effect is the same, but the environmental footprint is minimal. While still an investment from the business side, it saves hundreds to thousands of dollars of flowers that are getting cut and just going to the garbage instead of being composted,” she says.
Cassie Brown, CSEP, chief experience officer, TCG Events, Charlotte, N.C., agrees that the tech side of the industry is helping lead the way. “We’ve had some clients ask for solar generators. We’re also not using as much power as we used to because of the tiny LED lighting that doesn’t need a lot of power,” she says.
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