Best practices for event carpooling

Best practices

The aim of these best practices is to encourage the implementation of an effective carpooling strategy, taking into account various elements such as organization, communication, and incentives or restrictions measures.

1. Organize and plan ahead

• Appoint a Carpooling manager:

  To ensure the success of this initiative, start by appointing a dedicated person to set up carpooling for your event. This person will be responsible for coordinating efforts, communicating with participants and resolving any carpooling-related issues.

• Set up a dedicated carpooling platform for your event:

  Be sure to specify the date, location, and carpooling arrangements, so that participants can organize themselves efficiently.

• Add trips before sharing your link:

  To encourage the adoption of carpooling, a good tip is not to share an empty platform. Prepare a few trips before the launch, proposed by volunteers or event organizers. This will help to launch a dynamic and engage participants in the research or proposal of trips.

• Anticipate coordination with other mobility solutions:

  Anticipate coordination with local public transport operators or other means of soft mobility. Contact public transport operators (bus, train, streetcar) to find out about schedules and frequency of trips on the day of your event. Include this information directly on your event page in the useful information section, so that your participants can easily plan a combined trip. If possible, ask operators to adjust or reinforce the transportation lines near your event. You can also point out nearby stops that would facilitate carpooling connections. If your city or region has bicycle or electric scooter rental services, let your participants know about available rental points near the event.

2. Communicate effectively to encourage use

• Draw up a communication plan:

  An effective communication strategy is essential to encourage participation in carpooling. It is recommended to launch the carpooling promotion campaign as soon as the event is announced. Here is a suggested schedule of actions for a successful campaign:

  • Step 1 - Announce the event (8 to 6 weeks before the event): Put the carpooling link directly on the site, along with the event information. It is recommended to highlight the information in the communications and not at the bottom of the page so that it is clearly visible. Send an initial email to participants with a clear mention of carpooling and a link to the platform. Publish a general post on your social networks to announce the event and mention carpooling.

  • Step 2 - Initial promotion of carpooling (6 to 4 weeks before the event): Make a weekly post on your social networks, encouraging drivers and passengers to sign up. Send an email reminder to all participants to promote the event and the possibility of carpooling.

  • Step 3 - Regular reminders (3 to 2 weeks before the event): Intensify publications by planning two posts per week on your social networks (do not hesitate to highlight event-related mobility statistics and GHG emissions to encourage awareness and gentler mobility). Highlight incentives such as preferred parking spaces or free spaces for carpoolers.

  • Step 4 - Final phase (1 week before the event): Send a final email with the latest event information and encourage participants to join or complete existing trips. Publish a final reminder post on social networks the day before the event, highlighting remaining places in vehicles if possible, depending on the size of the event.

  • D-Day - Final reminder: Send out a final reminder, mentioning the possibility of carpooling via the event's social networks if you have any. This will encourage latecomers to carpool on the day.

• Create fun content to promote carpooling:

  Habits and values play a central role in the choice of transport modes (1). Associating carpooling with a friendly, fun experience, rather than just a practical solution, can attract more participants. Leisure mobility is often done in groups (2) (3), which reinforces the idea of sharing a trip for an event as a social moment. Since 75% of carpoolers and drivers are under 30 (4), it makes sense to create dynamic and engaging content, such as challenges or competitions, to reach this young audience.

3. Implement appropriate incentives and restrictions

There are several types of measures that can reduce CO₂ emissions linked to the mobility of an event.

Transparent and positive measures:

These measures do not require any major changes in the way events are organized. The former are inexpensive and do not affect the budget, while the latter require external support, such as from public authorities.

• Offer incentives:

  To encourage carpooling, offer attractive incentives. This could include promotional gifts, discount coupons for on-site purchases, or exclusive privileges. For example, the provision of parking spaces reserved for carpoolers. These incentives can also be extended to those who use soft mobility (walking, cycling, public transport). As the value of time is generally less important in leisure mobility than in commuting (5), participants may be more inclined to choose eco-responsible options.

• Raising awareness:

  It is essential to make participants aware of the challenges of sustainable development and the advantages of carpooling. Promoting positive communication on low-carbon mobility, such as encouraging carpooling to reach an average of three spectators per car, can save around 717 tons of carbon equivalent for a large festival on the outskirts of town, and 1756 tons of carbon equivalent for a large festival in the city center (6).

Offensive and defensive measures:

What these measures have in common is that they involve transformations in the profession of event organizer. The so-called "offensive" measures involve structural reorganization, while the so-called "defensive" measures involve renouncing practices and opportunities. Both require major organizational changes and substantial support from public authorities.

• Promote alternatives to the private car:

  Implement restrictive measures for users of IMT (Individual Motorized Transport) to encourage gentler mobility. Charging for parking is one way of financing mobility-related eco-measures. In addition, encouraging carpooling and transferring long-distance trips to TGV and TER trains helps reduce CO₂ emissions. During a major festival, for example, this can save around 1,300 tonnes of CO₂ emissions (6).
  

• Easy access for soft mobility:

  Encourage the use of alternatives to the private car by selecting venues that are easily accessible by public transport and equipped with bicycle access. Communicate on the presence of charging stations for electric vehicles and secure bicycle parking near the event. Discourage individual car use by reducing parking spaces (especially for non-carpoolers). These solutions improve the travel experience for participants and encourage active and electric mobility.

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Sources

1. GRONAU W., KAGERMEIER A. (2007) Key factors for successful leisure and tourism public transport provision. Journal of Transport Geography, Transport at Tourist Destinations, Vol. 15, pp. 127-135.

2. SRINIVASAN S., BHAT C. R. (2008) Companionship for Leisure Activities: An Empirical Analysis Using the American Time Use Survey. Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings. Presented at the Innovations in Travel Demand Modeling Conference.

3. ETTEMA D., SCHWANEN T. (2012) A relational approach to analysing leisure travel. Journal of Transport Geography, Special Section on Theoretical Perspectives on Climate Change Mitigation in Transport, Vol. 24, pp. 173-181.

4. ADEME, & 6t-research office. (2015). Long-distance carpooling user survey - Final report. ADEME.

5. RAVALET E. (2013) The value of time. Dictionary, Forum des Vies Mobiles website. http://fr.forumviesmobiles.org/reperes/valeur-temps-593

6. The Shift Project (2021). Decarbonizing culture: a necessary transition for a resilient cultural sector. The Shift Project. https://theshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/211130-TSP-PTEF-Rapport-final-Culture-v3.pdf

- Mathilde for Caroster