Coming to our Dezeen Day conference on 30 October? Here's what we're doing to lessen its impact on the environment, and ways you can help.

Dezeen Day will explore topics including the circular economy and new materials that could replace plastic. We hope delegates will leave feeling inspired about how they can make a difference in future. We've also worked hard to minimise the impact of the conference itself.

Encouraging public transport, walking and cycling

Our conference venue, BFI Southbank, is located on London's pedestrianised riverfront and is close to several Tube stations, the closest being Waterloo (200 metres) and Embankment (600 metres). Numerous buses stop nearby. This makes it easy for delegates to use a combination of public transport and walking to get there.

Bicycle parking can be found at Southbank Centre Square, and there are cycle hire stands on Concert Hall Approach, both a short walk from the venue.

For delegates coming by train, there are four mainline stations within easy walking distance: Waterloo, Waterloo East, Charing Cross and Blackfriars.

Speakers have been encouraged to travel by train and to offset their flights if coming by air. Just three of our 18 speakers are flying, all of them from the USA, with the rest of the speakers who are not based in London travelling by train. Dutch speakers Richard Hutten and Nienke Hoogvliet are coming by Eurostar.

For full travel details, see the Southbank Centre website.

(Almost) no single-use plastic

We have tried to eliminate single-use plastic entirely. Conference lanyards will be printed on recycled card and feature unbleached cotton cords. We have minimised the number of display vinyls we are using, instead placing posters throughout the venue, printing reusable flags and using digital screens for information.

However we have reluctantly used a limited amount of vinyl signage on the exterior of the venue. We have not been able to control single-use plastic used by suppliers including caterers.

We are not providing bottled water for delegates. Instead we have arranged for a plentiful supply of delicious London tap water to be served from the bar. It's important to remain hydrated so please use the supplied glassware or bring your own reusable water bottle.

Meat-free catering

We've asked caterers Benugo to provide a plant-based lunch for delegates. We're sure meat-eaters won't notice the difference! Those with a meat craving are free to visit nearby restaurants and kiosks.

Ticketless entry

There are no paper tickets for Dezeen Day. Instead attendees will access the event with a digital ticket sent to their phone, rather than printing tickets themselves or receiving tickets in the post.

Environmental audit

We've been working with sustainability expert Sophie Thomas, who will summarise the impact of the event at the end of the day and suggest how we could do better next time.

She's given us a list of tough questions about our decision-making and will also be asking delegates questions about how they travelled, what they ate and what they did with their waste. But the idea is not to make us feel guilty, but to highlight ways to improve.

Dezeen Day 2019 is sold out!

All 450 tickets for the event have been sold. If you managed to secure one, we'll be emailing you later today with final details. If you missed out, join the Dezeen Day mailing list to be first to hear about Dezeen Day 2020!

Illustrations are by Rima Sabina Aouf.