
How to Make Event Participation More Sustainable: Lessons from DrupalCon 2024

Being a certified Drupal partner and long-time supporter of the Drupal community, we at Factorial understand the responsibility that comes with sponsoring and attending events across the globe. After being awarded the runner-up of the Sustainability Award at DrupalCon Barcelona 2024 and, we want to share some of the practices and insights that helped us to reduce our environmental footprint—and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
Why sustainability is important
Setting aside the usual arguments, this topic deserves special attention, as the Drupal community is accustomed to events such as DrupalCon Europe, which take place in a different location each year. This makes it all the more important to consider environmentally friendly ways of travelling, staying and using event-related materials for catering or marketing purposes.
"With an event that changes place and country every year, we as sponsors and members of the Drupal community have a special responsibility when it comes to our climate. We're happy to inspire others to make lower-emission choices so that the CO₂ impact of DrupalCon remains as low as possible."
— Niklas Franke, Marketing & Community Manager at Factorial
How we reduced our ecological footprint
A Modular, Reusable Booth: We developed a modular booth concept that can be reused and resized for any event—from 2 to 10 square meters—without needing new construction. Every element of our booth—from the screws to the frames and printed panels—is reusable, foldable, and easy to transport. This approach helps us minimize waste while staying flexible and cost-efficient.
Sustainable Merchandise: As we welcome and actively promote climate-friendly alternatives, our T-shirts, tote bags, and other branded items are made exclusively from certified organic cotton. We work only with partners who align with our environmental and ethical standards.
Smart and Sustainable Travel: Several team members traveled to DrupalCon via public transportation, including one from the UK who traveled more than 2000 kilometers from Bristol to Barcelona and back. We also booked a hotel, certified for its sustainability efforts, right next to the venue, allowing the team to walk to the conference—eliminating the need for taxis or rideshares.
Work meets Vacation: During our visit to DrupalCon Barcelona, we encouraged our colleagues to combine vacations and private stays with the conference visit. In this way, we were able to reduce additional climate-damaging measures such as flights and contribute to reducing our team's carbon footprint.
Our Tips for Greener Events
As a second-place winner of the Sustainability Award in 2024, here are some practical takeaways for other companies looking to reduce their environmental footprint at events like the DrupalCon Vienna 2025:
- Design for reuse: A modular booth setup can grow or shrink depending on your needs—no waste, no fuss.
- Prioritize sustainable merchandise: Fewer, higher-quality items made with eco-friendly materials go further.
- Support public transport: Encourage slower, greener travel—and make it feasible by offering time or financial support.
- Choose walkable accommodations: Proximity to the venue cuts down on emissions and makes life easier for your team.
- Combine business and leisure travel: One trip, many purposes—less travel, more balance.
We’re honored by the recognition at DrupalCon—and more motivated than ever to keep improving. Sustainability is a shared responsibility, and together we can make our community events smarter, greener, and more future-friendly.
Let’s lead by example. See you at the next DrupalCon—with new ideas, and a lighter footprint.
About Factorial
Factorial is a software agency dedicated to creating state-of-the-art user experiences with open-source technologies. As active contributors to the Drupal community, our team of 50+ experts combines technical excellence with a deep commitment to accessibility, usability, and sustainability. We don’t just build digital ecosystems — we aim to build them responsibly.

Blog Author: Niklas Franke, Marketing and Community Manager at Factorial