A “Higher Purpose” for Your Next Event

I came across a great article in the latest Meeting Planners International (MPI) magazine of “Optimizing the Positive and Minimizing the Negative Impact of Large Events”.  When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility – helping the community where your next event is… eat at local spots, not just in the hotel, supports the local economy;  add post-conference tours to historical sites also add a “cash infusion” to the community that many conferences do not include, find local non-profits that donate flowers to hospitals and hospices (like Friends With Flowers in Bend), and of course using green products and recycle.

The NFL is a good example of this type of thinking… for about 15 years, wherever the Super Bowl is held, they give back to the community by building a youth center, which offers tutoring, career planning, sports, etc.  I just got back from the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, and they have free events throughout the week for “ohana” (families) and “keiki” (children) encouraging them to get active, have fun and they donate thousands of dollars to the local economy with scholarships.

This is a tough time for all of us, but “the beauty of this movement – event planners proactively working to minimize harm and enhance benefits to their host communities – is that it’s working from the grassroots up”, Dave Gazly, VP of Mtg & Convention Sales, Tourism Vancouver.

~ by Bravo! Publications on February 9, 2009.