State of Sustainability Study: Planners Demand a Change in Business as Usual

During last week’s IMEX America, CIC announced the results of a new research project, "Sustainable Meeting and Event Practices: The State of the Industry."

The research, originally commissioned by the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), now a part of the CIC, and conducted by the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, reveals that meeting professionals prefer that their suppliers include sustainable practices at the RFP stage without having to ask about them. Additionally, planners don’t want to pay for sustainable practices, but expect their suppliers to absorb the costs because, ultimately, most of the actions will save the supplier money. "This suggests that both sides of the discussion can work on quantifying and communicating the financial as well as the non-financial benefits of sustainable practices to the company, the environment, and to society," said Roger Simons, CMP, Chair, GMIC Leadership Committee.

The wide-ranging study surveyed global end-user meeting professionals, third-party meeting professionals, and suppliers to arrive at the state of sustainable meetings today. More than 150 responses were received, with participation from 5 continents. The study found that suppliers engage in more sustainable practices than their customers. Planners listed the top 11 most requested sustainable practices as sorting recyclables; donating leftover food to charitable organizations; diverting food waste from waste stream; linen and towel reuse programs; using water glasses and filling stations (in lieu of bottled water); offering vegetarian menus; offering allergy-friendly menus; sourcing local food; using event apps (to reduce paper usage); requesting energy-efficient lighting; and planning give-back programs for the local community.All types of survey respondents expressed confusion around the multiple standards and certifications that are prevalent in the sustainable events industry. They also voiced a desire for common, simplified metrics to measure sustainable practices.

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau and Las Vegas Sands Corporation are sponsorship partners of this study.

To learn more about the study findings, please find the executive summary of the report and registration links for the live webinar to be held on November 17 on the GMIC website at www.gmicglobal.org. The webinar is eligible for 1 CE towards CMP certification or recertification.