Global
Meetings and Events: A Case for Green Stamina
Sustainable Meetings
As awareness of climate change has grown, meetings and events suppliers have been quick to
demonstrate their environmental credentials and develop services to help their customers to “go
green.” Uptake among meeting planners may have slowed during the economic downturn, but many are
showing their “green stamina” and pushing ahead with sustainable meetings policies.
Over the last few years, environmental champions have shifted their focus from convincing
people of the need to act to showing them how and, more recently, keeping motivation levels up. “
Green fatigue” has become a real phenomenon among consumers faced with information overload and the
sheer scale of action needed to combat climate change. It is tempting to think a similar wave is
hitting the corporate world. In-depth research carried out by the CWT Travel Management Institute
in 2009-10, Meetings and Events: Where Savings Meet Success, showed sustainability featuring low on
the list of key concerns for meetings and events. Surveyed attendees ranked environmental
friendliness 10th out of 11 criteria for evaluating a meeting or event, rating it more “nice to
have” than “important.” Similarly, M&E planners and requestors placed health, safety and the
environment 7th out of 11 criteria for selecting M&E agencies.
