“One barrier for event planners is not knowing where to start. How many changes have to be made before an event constitutes as ‘green’?” Martensson says: “Most people think
management specialist MCI’s largest 50 clients showed that although 100 per cent wanted to implement more sustainability to their events, they were stopped by either a lack of knowledge, a failure of the suppliers to communicate their sustainability offering, or the perception (or reality) of sustainable events being more expensive. Martensson believes it’s also partly down
to a lack of accountability. “Sustainability is not a KPI [key performance indicator] for event planners. It’s only a few pioneers and enthusiasts who will suggest it to their client, and have the courage to actually do it. Also, a lot of people think that somebody else is taking care of it. As long as people see sustainability as someone else’s responsibility, it’s going to be very hard to implement.”
MAKING A START One barrier for event planners is not knowing where to start. How many changes have to be made before an event constitutes as ‘green’? And how much time, cost and obstacles are these changes going to create – and can they be justified if a client hasn’t even asked for an eco-friendly event in the first place? And finally, how do you get your client on board? Some might argue that we can’t afford
not to make these changes at a time when the world is currently throwing away half the food it produces every year. But it’s more common for people to see things from a short-term perspective, and feel overwhelmed by the challenge at hand.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
it’s limiting to have sustainable barriers when planning an event. But actually, it makes things more efficient when deciding which suppliers and venues to use. It makes you think outside the box, and not go with typical solutions for everything. This is also a great way to inspire delegates, because they can see you’ve made an effort, and it’s not necessarily more time-consuming.” Freelance event director Hannah
Luffman is a huge advocate of sustainable events. “Sustainability for me is not just about the environment,” she says. “It’s about creating an event that supports the local land, people and small businesses.
This includes avoiding taking all your UK suppliers abroad, and using local staffing. Accreditation in sustainability can be expensive and time-consuming, but just because someone isn’t accredited, it doesn’t mean they can’t help make small changes. It’s about opening up the conversation.” It may not always be possible to go
green with every element of an event, and local idiosyncrasies will always apply. But by asking the right questions, event buyers may find sustainability to be more attainable and affordable than they think. “What we see is that when you ask a
Six small changes to make events more sustainable
• Ask suppliers to provide locally- sourced food, coffee and beverages.
• Avoid over-ordering food, to eliminate waste.
• Use recycled paper and card for printed materials.
• Provide shared transfers for delegates rather than individual ones.
• Instruct hotels not to change bedding or towels during the event.
• Give guests the option to separate their waste for recycling.
supplier to deliver food, for example, that is organic or locally produced at the same price level as the regular stuff, they actually come up with solutions,” says Martensson. “You, as a meeting planner, have the power to change behaviour – you have this buying power due to the amount of food you purchase, and can make a real difference.” There’s also the added value of being seen
to be green, conveying the message that a company is conscientious, innovative and forward-thinking. If buyers can make the case for eco-friendly events to their clients, citing reputational value might be a way to persuade them – not to mention meeting CSR requirements. “Communicating to clients and delegates about these small but impactful policies will get them on board, plus do wonders for the brand’s reputation – even more so when it is the smaller companies making a stand and doing it because they care.”
BBT November/December 2016 87
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98