Study Gives Guidance for Event Planners, Event Sustainability

The Global Reporting Initiative released sustainability guidance and standards developed specifically for meeting organizers to assess and report the impact of their events.

The Event Organizers Sector Supplement included the usual environmental impact such as waste produced, water used and local factors such as use of local workers.

For event organizers and meeting planners, there is growing pressure from facilities to attendees to reduce the environmental impact of conferences, meetings and trade shows.

The study and guidelines are designed to cover the event from bid and planning, event and post-event activities.

The guidance contains options for reporting such meetings management aspects as site selection, recruiting and training of the event workforce, sourcing of materials and services and “managing impacts on communities, natural environments and local and global economies associated with the event.”

Providing best practices and improved guidelines brings awareness and education to the meeting planning profession at large.