Sarah Zarywacz explains why eventprofs should be partnering with ESG-committed venues.
A hot new bombshell enters the villa. That’s what ESG in venue finding once was – the edgy heartthrob, the latest fashion trend, a friendly new companion. Now, however, if ESG is not central to a venue’s value proposition, should planners even swipe right?
I adore venue finding. I’m continuously seeking venues which tick all my strategic vision boxes. However, venue ESG policies remain a predicament. With ESG higher up the agenda, selecting ESG-committed venues is vital for not only my events, but to influence wider industry change.
The search for ‘the one’
Tech-enabled venue finding services are fantastic. Yet, with the multitude of ‘green’ venue accreditations out there, how can planners distinguish between them all? While some spotlight venues with ESG policies, have they been pre-vetted or is it simply a profile tag? This ‘dating’ minefield needs simplification and impartial education around it for planners to make better decisions.
How to stand out from the crowd
Here’s a thought: Is your approach fantastic but not reflected in sales? Position your ESG strategy clearly via your marketing. Sure, your new refurb looks stunning, but educating planners on your ESG proposition is essential to convert those DMs into signed contracts. Make it top-level, highlighting current and future initiatives. Decision-makers will be forever grateful.
Already got that top-level ESG spiel ready? Why not start your proposals or site visits with this key information? Or, even better, provide planners with ESG data relevant to their event as standard. I’m not ignorant to the industry damage over the past few years, but let’s use this as a new approach to revenue growth. Feeding into wider business reporting and future strategy decisions, event impact and ROI data are imperative, so this would make a huge difference.
Matching criteria
So what data would turn planners’ heads?
• What is the DEI strategy? (For employees and delegates).
• How many kilos of food were saved from the bin from the event? Where did they go?
• How is water conservation helping the local environment?
• How many jobs are being created for the local community via the new venue?
• How was waste reduced during the refurb? Sure, this is the more granular detail, but it helps us determine who we should couple up with faster.
Let’s continue the pandemic-induced partnerships by aligning accreditations to simplify the education process. Let’s partner with venues doing incredible ESG work because those are the ones who deserve our real love.
