4 service providers to help you plan a sustainable event in Nantes Saint-Nazaire

Event Professionals: Thinking About the Event as a Whole

For a company seeking support in the planning and execution of its event, choosing the right event agency is often the first step. In this regard, Gens d’Événement is a top choice. Based in Nantes and led by Gilles Poussier, the agency specializes in a variety of event formats, including seminars, conventions, trade shows, corporate events, conferences, and more.

The agency operates on the premise that its mission is to support changes in organizational practices, particularly in the context of climate change.

Gens d’Evénement strives to take an approach to event planning based on researching and measuring positive impacts—for employees and partners as well as for society and the environment. Whether in content production, logistics, technical operations, or coordination, the staff at Gens d’Événement will pay special attention to the social and environmental aspects of event projects.

This approach is structured around several standards and certifications: Gens d’Événement is ISO 20121-certified and has also earned EcoVadis Gold certification, as well as an approach based on ISO 26000. The agency states that it offers sustainable, low-carbon solutions, accompanied by metrics to measure progress.

>Advice from Gilles Poussier, founder of Gens d’Evénement:

If the event is organized for internal communication, the first step is to clearly define the challenges and objectives. Otherwise, the event will yield a lower return on investment.

Zebulon Régie: Using Technology as a Tool for Social Responsibility

Long before the planning and coordination of service providers, an event takes shape during the planning and technical design phases.
It is at this early stage that Zebulon Régie’s engineering department steps in to design, analyze, and optimize each project and implement all engineering solutions.
Based in Nantes since 2015, the firm provides technical direction, compliance oversight, and general production management for shows and events. The company currently has nine full-time employees and also relies on approximately fifty regular contract workers. The company has made environmental and social responsibility a key focus of its operations.
As the first technical management agency in France to receive the PrestaDD certification in 2017, it demonstrates that thorough planning enables the management of environmental impact: electrical sizing, logistical resources, responsible procurement, workplace conditions and safety, eco-design of sets, and more.
Since 2024, the organization has been a mission-driven company. It has thus incorporated social and environmental objectives into its operations, “with a purpose centered on the eco-responsible, sustainable, and long-term project management of events,” emphasizes Samuel Brouillet.

> Advice from Samuel Brouillet, Technical Director at Zébulon Régie: 

If you want to organize an event with simpler technical requirements, start by calling a technical director who is truly trained in CSR as it applies to their field! 

Parade: From Furniture to Set Design, Prioritizing Reuse and Creativity

Furniture and set design play a major role in an event’s visual identity. They can also result in significant material consumption when each event involves the construction of temporary sets.

Specializing in the rental of designer and contemporary furniture, Parade provides support for events, exhibitions, corporate parties, photo shoots, film shoots, and pop-up stores. The agency also offers support with set design. Decor, plants, signage… Everything must be planned from the very beginning of the event’s conception. One of Parade’s unique features is its furniture design and production. Some of the furniture available for rent is designed in-house by the agency. For example, Parade crafts daybeds from production scraps and reclaimed wood, using jute straps. Renting and reusing these items thus allow for a different approach to set design: rather than systematically manufacturing elements intended for a single event, the goal is to create sets and furniture that can be used multiple times—or even reused in different ways.

>Advice from Constance Mouchel, CEO of Parade:

Reuse is ultimately beneficial in every way. It avoids the need to purchase new items that already exist somewhere—especially within one’s own company. Costs are kept to a minimum, as is the environmental impact.

Le Carré des Délices – La Maison Hebel: Committed to Event Catering

Finally, “last but not least,” catering has become one of the essential elements of events, especially when it comes to reducing their environmental impact. In Nantes, Le Carré des Délices – La Maison Hebel supports companies with their receptions, from conventions to major events, including gala evenings and conferences.

This caterer’s hallmark is creative cuisine that prioritizes high-quality local producers. For several years now, the caterer has championed a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. It is strongly committed to waste reduction and combating food waste, which it achieves through a long-standing partnership with two organizations dedicated to recovering unsold food from events.

ISO 20121-certified, its approach is based on several concrete actions: nearly 10 metric tons of compost produced each year, a partnership with the Chamber of Agriculture and the “Bienvenue à la ferme” label, which promotes a network of local producers through direct-to-consumer channels, as well as a partnership with the restaurant “Le Reflet” to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities at events and within the staff.

This approach extends to production processes and logistics, including the transport of food in natural gas-powered refrigerated trucks, the generation of green electricity using a 40-megawatt solar tracker, and the distribution of meals to charitable organizations.

>Sébastien Payen’s advice:

For a company that wants to make its event more sustainable, the choice of caterer allows it to influence the origin of the products, waste, logistics, energy use, and the social aspect of the service. A positive shift doesn’t mean giving up on enjoyment… even if changing habits can be a bit of a challenge!