At the start of a new year that is always full of good resolutions, what place do managers MICE to the sustainable development in their approach to events? Find out for yourself, CICA surveyed 248 international decision-makers - half of them in Europe (49%) and a third in North America - the majority of whom work for large associations. Their testimonies have been compiled in a report International Sustainability Report which provides valuable insights into the reality on the ground. Starting with the emerging consensus on the challenges of sustainable development. For 29% of those surveyed, sustainability is considered extremely important. To this figure must be added the 42% of managers for whom it is considered very important. This increase in awareness (+6%) compared to the previous survey is in response to the awareness of participants in these events. In 61% of cases, the organisers reported an increase in their demand for eco-responsibility.
As for the measures adopted to make their events more responsible, waste management is the focus of attention. The reduction of waste (63%) and the rejection of single-use supplies (57%) are most often cited. The choice of a responsible event venue is mentioned by only 4 out of 10 managers (41%).
Although event organisers seem determined to take action, the financial aspect often remains the most sensitive. In fact, when it comes to listing the challenges to which they are confronted during the organisation of a sustainable event, the question of costs is the one that comes up most often (60%). The economic aspect comes well ahead of educating participants (38%) or promoting responsible modes of transport (30%).
However, if the ICCA report is to be believed, organisers are well aware that they will have to put their money where their mouth is if they are to make progress towards responsible events. Half of those surveyed (48%) said that their organisation was prepared to pay a little more for responsible events. And 5% even mentioned a significant increase in investment. In 31% of cases, maintaining costs remains the preferred option.
Finally, another strategic focus in this sustainability dossier: the measure carbon footprint still seems to be a problem. On this point, there is still considerable room for improvement, according to the ICCA study, since 45% of those surveyed simply do not calculate this footprint...
