I believe we’ll look back on 2006 and say one of two things. “That was the year we began to change things for the better” or “The catalyst for change was there, but we did too little and failed”. I’m referring to our responsibility towards the environment. I’ve noticed more and more that climate change is on the news agenda and is being debated in a more realistic way than it has before.
Pardon the pun, but there is a climate of change, big business has begun to shift its position and is showing signs that it is starting to take carbon emission reduction seriously. I’m beginning to believe that action to avoid severe climate change will happen, as long as we don’t allow this new enthusiastic and proactive approach to wither out.
As an industry we have a moral obligation to continually examine our effect on the environment, and aim to reduce it. View it as a burden and you’ll get nowhere, I prefer to think of it as an opportunity.
I don’t believe a sound economic policy is something that should be used as a basis for competitive advantage by individual organisations; that’s a short term strategy and unethical. The opportunity is for us to pool our resources and share our ideas, working together to progress our industry. And the MIA is the perfect medium from which to do so.
It’s a core part of the MIA’s corporate social responsibility, and the reason the MIA was a keen supporter of this year’s National Meetings Week, with its Green Agenda.
Being socially responsible to our communities and making headway into the reduction of our carbon emissions is a great way to raise the industry’s profile. Let’s continue the debate started by NMW and demonstrate how the meetings industry is prepared to act together to ensure a sustainable future.
So, what do you think? How are we going to achieve environmental stability for the meetings industry? Are you already making a difference? Post your thoughts and ideas here.
Please use this BLOG to share your ideas on how to achieve environmental stability for the meetings industry.
Jane Evans
Chief Executive MIA
Pardon the pun, but there is a climate of change, big business has begun to shift its position and is showing signs that it is starting to take carbon emission reduction seriously. I’m beginning to believe that action to avoid severe climate change will happen, as long as we don’t allow this new enthusiastic and proactive approach to wither out.
As an industry we have a moral obligation to continually examine our effect on the environment, and aim to reduce it. View it as a burden and you’ll get nowhere, I prefer to think of it as an opportunity.
I don’t believe a sound economic policy is something that should be used as a basis for competitive advantage by individual organisations; that’s a short term strategy and unethical. The opportunity is for us to pool our resources and share our ideas, working together to progress our industry. And the MIA is the perfect medium from which to do so.
It’s a core part of the MIA’s corporate social responsibility, and the reason the MIA was a keen supporter of this year’s National Meetings Week, with its Green Agenda.
Being socially responsible to our communities and making headway into the reduction of our carbon emissions is a great way to raise the industry’s profile. Let’s continue the debate started by NMW and demonstrate how the meetings industry is prepared to act together to ensure a sustainable future.
So, what do you think? How are we going to achieve environmental stability for the meetings industry? Are you already making a difference? Post your thoughts and ideas here.
Please use this BLOG to share your ideas on how to achieve environmental stability for the meetings industry.
Jane Evans
Chief Executive MIA
8 comments:
Bit of a burden in my view. Meetings require travel and travel brings the CO2 problem so I guess we have to find ways to compensate and I'd like to read what anyone has to offer in the way of good ideas Peter Darnell, Chartridge Conference Company
I agree with Jane Evans that companies need to have a social responsibility. I run my own event management company and have always made ethical values and environmental policies a priority rather than an afterthought. I believe that anyone in a position of responsibility should use that role to lead as an example and encourage others to do the same. We have always supported environmental policies in the office including recycling, travelling by public transport to meetings etc. I think the best idea I have come across recently for making organising more ‘environmentally friendly’ meetings is using event management software as it completely cuts out using paper for the purposes of registration. We advertise using bulk emails with a link to an online registration page and programme, so we are no longer wasting natural resources by sending out thousands of pieces of paper.
We have to promote the benefits of holding meetings and conferences in the UK rather than in overseas resorts. Air travel is a significant contributor to carbon emissions. The simple fact is that aviation is the fastest growing cause of global warming. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by air travel doubled between 1990 and 2004. The quantity and quality of UK meeting and conference venues continues to improve. Stop flying? No - but consider holding your event in the UK rather than overseas. That's an opportunity!
I think a venue will have an edge in considering this point, as it is such a key issue to the clients we are appealing to. I sell Conferences & Events for a Cinema Chain and last year hosted 8 events throughout the UK with a Satelite Link. Not only did we cut the clients budget by a third as there was no overnight accomodation or entertainment required, but they also used the concept to support their Green Policy as no-one had to fly or drive in, as the events were all local to their offices.
I agree with Peter Darnells view - travelling is a necessity if people require face to face meetings but where possible, in my previous employment we looked to use public transport where possible.
I also agree with the comments on using online booking and trying to use email where possible to cut down on the posting of documents.
I have seen more and more conferences post papers and presenetations on websites for people to print if they want rather than send out a hard copy to everyone.
Lionel Smith, Freelancer
Using fewer resources is clearly part of the solution, but we seem to hear very little about approaching the problem from the other side: namely, making sure that meetings deliver their maximum potential value. In my experience meeting planners could do much more to ensure that speakers’ design and deliver presentations to give delegates maximum return for their attendance. And having secured great live presentations, planners’ could also make much better use of technology to ensure that the content is delivered more deeply, post event. Paper handouts should be frowned upon. Online notes and PowerPoints are an improvement, but they are not usually that helpful to the non-attendee. Solutions such as Podcasting and online PowerPoint with audio are far more valuable in driving home the true message of the event. The National Venue Show is already doing it and Confex will Podcast and publish full audio and synchronized graphics from every conference session in 2007. The technology works - maybe the MIA has a role in helping members understand and exploit it. Mike Foren
As with most things, the green question provides as many opportunities as it does challenges. If the UK meetings industry approaches this issue in the correct way, it can, in the long term, help its members improve business whilst doing its bit for the environment. We are already seeing major corporate companies selecting suppliers on the basis of their environmental and CSR policies and the meetings industry cannot afford to ignore this shift.
Remember that sustainability is about more than just the environmental impact. It also encompasses the need for industry to be profitable (or else why will private or public companies manage, develop and safeguard heritage attractions with meetings facilities for example), for the delegates to be satisfied (or they won't come back) and for the local community to be fully on board (or the product offering and welcome will be too poor). Yes, we do have a responsiblity to take account of our environmental footprint and impact, by being wiser about our meetings decisions, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that our venues are sustained and developed for future generations.
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