Minimising food waste and single-use plastics are the top two priorities for companies when planning a sustainable event. Photo Credit: Club Med
Minimising food waste and single use plastics are the top two priorities when planning a sustainable event.
This is one of the key findings from Club Med’s inaugural Meetings and Events Sustainability Report. The premium all-inclusive holiday experiences provider commissioned a survey on 200 key opinion leaders from a range of different businesses to understand the shift in sentiment towards sustainable events, their key drivers for implementing sustainable initiatives and their challenges when achieving these objectives.
Of those surveyed, 90% cited implementing sustainable initiatives when planning an event as important and two in three (65%) chose minimising food waste and single use plastics as top priorities. One in three (33%) of those surveyed said that aligning with corporate values and missions was their biggest driver for implementing sustainable initiatives, while more than one in three (35%) of companies do not have a CSR policy to follow when organising an event. Less than one in five (15%) also said they are unsure if their company has a CSR policy in place.
Michelle Davies, general manager for Club Med Pacific said the supplier is seeing a desire for sustainable practices, in particular ‘give-back’ sessions.
The research also found that that evaluation of the impact of sustainability events is vital so strategies can be reviewed if necessary. The most common way corporations measure the success of their sustainability events, according to the report, is through feedback from attendees. Almost three in five (59%) of those surveyed use this method, while almost half (49%) rely on industry benchmarks and over one in three (32%) look to compare their success with what is showcased in the media.
Julie Voultepsis, head of meetings and events at Club Med Pacific Markets said: “Measuring the success of sustainable events is essential to ensure that companies are making a meaningful impact while minimising their environmental footprint. With over half of survey respondents looking to the impression they have left on guests to analyse their success, it’s evident that the companies are putting stakeholder needs and values at the forefront.”