Anyone who has tried to get sustainability on the agenda knows all too well some of the barriers as to why someone may not feel able to give much thought to sustainability, but today we are going to debunk some of those myths, and hopefully these can support you when dealing with tricky stakeholders on your events, or in your business.
“We don’t have the budget”
The truth is, sustainably-minded changes to your processes don’t tend to cost more money than what you already have in your budget! A few quick, and dare I say money saving, tricks include packing trucks more efficiently, switching to plant-based catering, and cutting out unnecessary giveaways that add no value to attendee experience.
“We don’t have the time to think about sustainability”
Thankfully, sustainability consultants exist that can make the time concerns non-existent. For example, when we work with our clients, our goal is to become an extension of their team. We provide the tools for team training, we do the research on your suppliers and have the conversations to support positive changes being made. Because we are external, our voices are often listened to more than those already in the business trying to shout for change.
“We don’t want the changes we make to cause a negative delegate experience”
With a bit of storytelling and bringing your delegates on your sustainability journey, sustainable practices will actually add value to guest experiences at your events. All it takes in some inclusive messaging in attendee communications, maybe a dedicated webpage all about your efforts, and some visual storytelling on-site at your event to keep them engaged, and hopefully take some of those learnings home.
“Sustainability is not a priority for us”
Well, I hate to be the one to break this news, but if you don’t make it a responsibility for your business to change, then the World will change around you, and your business will be left behind. Did you know that a local temperature rise of just 1 degree Celsius has been shown to lead to a 2% sales decrease in just 1 year? Global warming is happening, and it’s changing customer habits quickly.
If you are ever in a position where someone is giving you any resistance against making sustainability a proactive part of your business or your events, just drop us a line, and we will work with you to find the best way possible to nudge the perception change.
Comments