Articles, surveys and webinars, oh my!
In 2023, Smart Meetings released a stream of multimedia resources for planners to learn about sustainability in the world of events. This year, sustainability was just as much about education and how-to’s as it was about why it’s important to be sustainable.
We know sustainability is important. We know attendees want the events they take part in to make a positive impact, and that they don’t want to contribute to excess carbon emissions. You don’t need to be convinced that sustainability is important; rather, you want to know what actual steps to take and changes to make to achieve your sustainable event goals. This year has been all about the how.
Read on for a list of the best of Smart Meetings’ sustainability publications from the past year.
You Can Go Net-Zero
You want to pave the way for green meetings. You know it’s more important than ever. But where do you start? This article, which appeared in the January 2023 issue, breaks down the NZCE Roadmap, a comprehensive document offering meeting professionals guidance in their journeys to achieving net-zero carbon emissions in their workplaces and events.
Get down to the basics so you know the terminology of sustainability and have a solid understanding of how you can organize events with lower—and eventually zero—emissions.
Year of the Sustainable RFP
A February survey of 367 meeting professionals revealed how much thought they give to sustainability in their sourcing process. Their responses led to a comprehensive conversation about sustainability from all sides: planners, venues and suppliers.
When planners shared what they look for in a sustainable partner, CVBs answered with how they can assist in this search. This article appeared in the March 2023 issue and includes a comprehensive white paper of the survey that dives deeper.
Better Than Before
As you seek ways to make your meetings more sustainable, consider the idea of regenerative meetings.
In this article from the September/October 2023 issue, learn about what a regenerative meeting really is and the wealth of positive impacts it has in the community that is hosting your meeting. CVB partners are vital players in organizing a regenerative meeting, as they offer valuable insight and key connections as locals who care deeply about their destination.
The Overlooked RFP Asks That Could Save the Planet and How to Master the New Green RFP Webinar
In the September Smart Chat live, “How to Master the New Green RFP,” Smart Meetings hosted Emily Scheiderer, senior director of education, sales and services at Destinations International (DI), Michelle Moore, senior director of meeting sales and services at Experience Kissimmee and Rory G. Archibald, senior business events manager at Visit Scotland, to discuss how planners can create sustainable RFPs from the start, and prioritize sustainability in every step of their sourcing process.
The article reports on the conversation, and you can view the entire webinar on demand on Smart Meetings’ Webinars page.
Sustainability as a Practice
In an exclusive interview with Impact XM’s Vice President of Marketing Heather Griffin, Smart Meetings uncovered the nitty-gritty details of the company’s recently released list of Seven Sustainable Action Areas.
The list is based on the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has condensed them to reveal where the SDGs cross over and how meeting professionals can tackle multiple sustainable goals by taking just one action in their planning.
