Are your brands green? Your corporate meetings should be too!

People are social animals. We want to meet and build communities. Hence the success of many meetings, events and conferences.

This May, a fabulous cross-industry and international gathering will be organized by Sustainable Brands ’17 Detroit.

Many international companies and innovative thinkers will come together to ask and discuss how to ‘Redefine the Good Life’. This is particularly relevant in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the need to create sufficient opportunities for all within our planetary boundaries.

When looking at ‘The Good Life’ in all its dimensions, our business meetings and events merit to be looked at more closely from a sustainability point of view. All too often, companies who take the lead on responsible business forget to apply these principles to their own business meetings and travel planning.

The efficiency and necessity of face-to-face meetings was recently reinforced by an Oxford Economics study, which found clear evidence that business travel directly leads to an increase in both corporate revenue and profits. The study found that every dollar invested in business travel results in $12.50 in added revenues and $3.80 in new profits.

So, how to make meetings & events green? Consider all aspects of the event: the meeting location (does the hotel or venue have green certifications?), transportation connections, responsible food & drinks, etc. Why not try to make the event paperless (give your delegates a challenge!) and showcase some innovative startups like GroCycle.

When you do this, you’ll make a natural link to your company’s corporate responsibility program and the sustainability aspects of your brands. Ask your meeting location for creative engagement – you’d be surprised how hotel companies can weave in sustainability into your event’s program.

Make meetings memorable and responsible and learn how to do so in the special Green Meetings Track at SB’17 Detroit. Plus, register to earn your Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Sustainable Practitioner certificate at the conference.

See you there!

Inge Huijbrechts
Vice President Responsible Business
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
May 11, 2017