August 12, 2024. Events and conferences are a chance to connect. Meet new people, share novel ideas. But running these events also takes a lot of work—and generates a significant amount of waste, especially when you consider the single-use resources needed to keep attendees, organizers, and staff hydrated throughout a multi-day experience.
To tackle this need for better hydration solutions, organizers are turning to water cooler rentals that are capable of delivering the same fun hydration experiences consumers have come to expect from bottled and canned beverages—such as interesting flavor combinations, functional ingredients, and sparkling options—without the single-use bottle or can. That means less waste and more memorable moments for attendees between talks, breakout sessions, and end-of-day socials.
Curious how it works in action? Here are three events made better with the help of a Smart Water Cooler machine.
TED2024: (No plastic) ideas worth spreading
At TED’s 40th anniversary, week-long conference, TED2024, the Bevi water dispenser delighted guests and staff while limiting the need for single-use bottles and cans, according to Rachelle Collete, senior manager of food and beverage at TED.
1. Why was the Bevi water cooler your rental choice for the event?
Rachelle Collete: Our conference program is jam-packed every day from the get-go until the evening. A personalizable water refill station is a really fun and engaging way for attendees to stay hydrated between sessions. We were excited to give our attendees the option to add caffeine or vitamins, select their level of carbonation, and mix and match new and fun flavor combinations. We’re always looking for ways to transform the mundane into something delightful and memorable!
2. What was the overall sentiment or reaction to the water cooler at the event from attendees?
RC: Our community just loved the Bevi water stations. Attendees enjoyed creating their own unique flavor combinations and I overheard on more than one occasion attendees talking about their favorite blends amongst one another! Adding caffeine and vitamins to their water was a huge success and people sought the machines out throughout the week in an effort to find their own perfect formula.
3. How did the water cooler rental help your event achieve its environmental goals?
RC: Bevi was instrumental for sustainable onsite hydration. We encouraged attendees to refill their reusable water bottles to stay hydrated between talks. We saw a decrease in the amount of bottled and canned water consumed onsite.
GumGum: Good vibes and better tasting water
In the GumGum booth at the 2024 POSSIBLE conference in Miami, Florida, attendees were treated to a lounge- and mindset-themed setting that encouraged those to relax, recover, and connect. That included getting hydrated at the Bevi machine. According to Elaine Tripoulas of Sequence Events, the event planning agency who put on the GumGum booth at POSSIBLE, the Smart Water Cooler® machine saw great traction throughout the day.
Need to rent a water cooler for your event?
1. Why was the Bevi water cooler your rental choice for the event?
Elaine Tripoulas: GumGum decided to sponsor Bevi stations throughout the event, and of course we had to include one in their booth as well. Event attendees LOVED filling up their GumGum reusable water bottles—playing with different flavors, the vitamin boost enhancement, and other features of the machine.
2. What was the overall sentiment or reaction to the water cooler at the event from attendees?
ET: It was a hot couple of days, but our Bevi machine kept the team and the attendees hydrated and in good spirits. The booth as a whole was a hot spot for attendees to congregate and chat, and the Bevi machine certainly contributed to the welcoming and relaxing environment.
Hollywood Climate Summit: Practicing what you preach with water cooler rentals
The fifth annual Hollywood Climate Summit brought together industry leaders and environmental advocates to discuss climate action, with a focus on ethical dining and local flavors. They also decided to practice what they preached, using only compostable or reusable service wares, zero-packaging snacks, and locally-produced vegan options and ethically-sourced meats. This included Bevi as the water beverage provider.
1. Why was the Bevi water cooler your rental choice for the event?
The founder of the Hollywood Climate Summit was introduced to a Bevi machine at another event and knew immediately that it was something she wanted to showcase here for a wider audience to see. She knew that adding Bevi units to the event would support our ongoing goals of having less packages and more reusable items in our food and beverage program. And that people would have a lot of fun using it to stay hydrated.
2. What was the overall sentiment or reaction to the water cooler rental at the event from attendees?
It worked out better than we could have ever imagined. From the literal moment these units were installed they were a complete hit. The setup team and Academy workers were all enthralled with the options—I was excited to see people excited to drink water.
Once the doors opened and attendees started coming in, the Bevi machines were the absolute star of the show. We even have a photo of Bill Nye using one. It was really amazing to be able to offer something innovative, tech-forward, sustainable, accessible and just plain fun.
3. How did the machine help your event achieve its environmental goals?
By partnering your machines with reusable R-Cups we significantly reduced our need for any bottled water. (Recyclable or not, it’s all resource heavy). We went through 9 cases total of RAIN water for our backstage area—all other water on-site came from people using the Bevi machines! This also reduced the work of recycling, since we had zero plastic water bottles going into our recycling bins.
Ryan Daly
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