Sustainability to Flourishing

Over the last few months a dedicated group of event professionals has been working with the Event Industry Council’s Green Meetings Industry Council to refresh the APEX ASTM sustainability standards. The goal is to create a framework of understanding and to strengthen the standards event professionals can agree to live with and work towards across 8 key sectors of our industry. This process has been thoughtful and thorough, is multi-phase and involves people from around the globe, as sustainable choices have an impact everywhere.

The question is, why aren’t we already making these choices with every event we do? The business case for sustainability is strong, and in this age of transparency and digital media arriving in the hands of every participant to share the story of our events well beyond its walls it is an imperative. It involves every planner and every supplier thinking about taking the best care of the people who have arrived for the experience, from choosing destinations, accommodations and venues either with strong practices in place, or being a catalyst for change through education in areas that are not yet thinking this way. It means every part of our supply chain from production to trade show, swag and gifting to food and beverage is prepared to know where their products and services are coming from, who is making or growing the products, how they are being transported and used and what their end of life plan is from return and reuse to recycle / compost, as examples. It is each of us taking responsibility.

The reality is if we struggle with sustainability taking into consideration what is best for the people and the planet with the choices we make, how can we expect to grow, or flourish even? Every time we host an event, we set objectives, and these typically include making a profit from the event either immediately or in the near future. This profit means a stronger economy, jobs remaining intact or increasing, a higher standard of living with healthier team members, in short, making our world a better place for the people in it. Isn’t this what we want? We host events to bring people together to learn and connect, to grow professional and personally, and to leave feeling their time spent with us was the best use of their limited resources of time and money.

So, the next time you have an event to plan, ask yourself with every decision, is this sustainable?

• Is it adding value to the experience?
• Do my supplier partners share my same sense of responsibility to the planet, the people attending, and a fair and reasonable profit? If you can’t answer yes, reconsider that component or the partner.

Events are an investment, and no matter how long your planning cycle, the event is a temporary experience which must be intentionally designed to create lasting memories, and in some way, transform the participants. Every piece of an event requires a commitment and if the energy you are investing does not just sustain you and your organization, what’s the point? If you want to move beyond just sustaining what you have now and indeed create spaces where you can nurture and be nurtured and ultimately, flourish, the time to start is right now.