Stunning events for companies with active corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and corporate governance considerations. All the joys of a corporate event, only so much more.
The key to the success of an event lies in its legacy within an organisation. It could be the solution of intractable problems, having freed minds in an inspiring meeting venue. Or else the company folklore written by clients lost amongst the mayhem of après ski, the team member who defied the odds and leapt off mountains, the shared wonderment as the sun sets above a sailing regatta. A sustainable event aims to deliver these post-event moments in spades, but what if the legacy extended to the destination – its people and environment? Those are the very noble goals of sustainable development, and they are a requirement of many organisations, codified in their CSR and ESG frameworks.
Broadly speaking, both corporate social responsibility and environmental, social, and corporate governance are frameworks concerned with social, economic, and environmental justice, whereby corporate actions are made under the lens of an impact assessment. In the case of corporate events, these impacts focus on the legacy left behind in the destination. As the events industry responds to the opportunities (some would argue lifeline) afforded by sustainable behaviour, corporations have an increasing range of event solutions which align with their CSR and ESG frameworks.
CSR & ESG FOR EVENT PLANNERS
Corporate social responsibility is the management principal that requires an enterprise to consider the interests of the environment and society when making business decisions. Whilst CSR is a framework to plan sustainable behaviours, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG )is an assessment which quantifies the sustainability of a company’s actions. In essence both are mechanisms to achieve the same goal – tangible sustainability, however, one guides and the other measures. Many event destinations are acutely aware of the fragility of the environment, as well as the challenges of the job market, both of which are key areas for sustainable development. As such, many destinations offer, or are in the process of developing, sustainable policies and suppliers. For event planners needing to deliver a CSR or ESG compliant event, there are a fantastic range of options to choose from.
There is some debate amongst business ethicists regarding the role that charity or philanthropy plays in CSR and ESG. The guiding principle of both CSR and ESG are for lasting change and charitable donations are distinct from long term, profitable business relationships. Charity is a noble cause, but the concept of sustainable development is that consumers and suppliers of event products can engage in mutually beneficial commercial relationships, which positively benefit the destination’s ecology, society, and economy. For the purchasing enterprise, not only are they fulfilling CSR or ESG criteria, but they are also likely experiencing some of the true highlights that the destination can offer – authentic regional cuisine, electrified transport and wonderful sustainable & eco-hotels.
SUSTAINABILITY - THE 3 PILLARS
Social, economic, and environmental factors make up the 3 pillars of sustainability. For an event, sustainability translates to mitigating environmental damage, ensuing supply chains are local & benefit the locality, and promoting gender equality.
For corporate event planners, there are a range of truly exceptional event programmes that fulfil the internal CSR or ESG frameworks of an enterprise. More information on the specific pillars of sustainability can be found below.
TRAVEL, STAY & ENTERTAINMENT
CSR or ESG considerations in relation to a corporate event would generally focus on the means of travel, the hotel, and the activities / entertainment in the destination.
Specific information on these 3 categories of event supplier can be found below.
Organise a sustainable corporate event with us.
Email or call us on +44 (0) 20 8123 7817.
Provide a little information as to your trip / event needs and we can begin to develop some initial ideas for you.