Sustainability in the

Meetings Industry

• Guy Bigwood , MCI Group Sustainability Director

• Amsterdam ,Oct 09

Is our market

transforming?

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Hello, My name is Guy Bigwood

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If there is no action before 2012, it’s too late.

What we do in the next two to three years will determine our

future. This is the defining moment.”Dr. R.J. Pachauri, Head of the IPCC and Nobel Peace Prize winner

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MCI Group

Sustainability

DirectorLargest integrated global event and association

management company

250 Million Euros Turnover

37 Offices

800 People

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Advisors to

CONVENTION CENTERS

HOTEL CHAINS

ASSOCIATIONS -NGOs

DESTINATIONS

CERTIFICATIONCOMPANIES

Manage MCISustainability

Services

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The premier dedicated global

community for sustainability

education, research, policy and

standards for the meetings and event

industry

I’m incoming president of the

LessConversationMoreAction.com

You can find this presentation on

Agenda1. Why the meetings industry needs to change

2. Look at trends for 2010 - Is the industry transforming?

3. How do we accelerate the transformation

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Climate Change is longterm and its effects are only just beginning

1850 1900 1950 2000

CO2

Meetings and events account for an estimated

1% of global emissions

1850 1900 1950 2000

CO2

13468

50% world’s tropical and temperate forests are gone

Some Facts

•90% of the large predator fish are gone.

•75% of marine fisheries are overfished or

fished to capacity.

Its m

ore than an

ecological issue

2050100005 000 bef. JC10 000 bef. JC

5 million250 million in 1

1 billion in 1800

3 billion in 1960

5 billion in 1987

6.5 billion in 2005

2 billion in 1930

9 billion in 2050

The world

population

is increasing

Some Facts287chemicalsin the cord blood from newborns in the USA

Some Facts• 35% of cancer deaths are directly

attributable to diet

• 50% of western health care costs are

attributable to health risks that can be modified

by lifestyle behaviours

826 million people are hungry

1.6 billion People are over-nourished and overweight

Sources: United Nations WHO

ASustainable

Future

Current Reality

Declining resources

Increasing resource consumption

Living beyond our means

Source:The Natural Step

Sustainable Supply

Sustainable Demand

Finally – the message is starting to

get through…

The global meetings industry

is starting to think differently,

innovate and get into action

Will our industry

really transform

through

sustainability?

But what about 2010?

AND TRENDS

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Passing beyond the

tipping

point

.

Corporations realise that

sustainability is good business

sense and opportunity

Save energyFly LessPrint LessWalk MoreReuse MoreEliminate waste

Have a purposeBuild Brand

Good Business Sense

Oracle OpenWorld 2008

$1,500,000 - reducing water bottles

$235,850 – Printing 75% less.

$60,000 - Saved by cutting shuttles.

Source: Meeting Strategies Worldwide

MASSIVEOpportunity

LOHAS

Renewables

Alternative Health

Personal Development

Sustainable Products

Organic Food

Wellness

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability

Paradigm

SHIFTin how people select, buy and organise meetings and events

2. FROM

GREEN T

O

INTEGRATED S

USTAINABIL

ITY

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Understanding that its all connected

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Triple Bottom Line

SUSTAINABLESUSTAINABLE

Equitable

BearableViable

PROFIT

PLANET

PEOPLE

3. From Confused to

AWARE Consumers

4. From nice

marketing to

taxes and

LEGAL

requirement

5. Standard part of the purchasing

decision process

Sustainability Indexing

6. From creative labels

to trusted global

certification brands

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Boom and consolidation of certification labels

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Environment Social Economic

Management Systems(Process)

Performance(checklists)

Growth International Event Standards

BS8901 > ISO

ANSI - APEX

ReportingGRI

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Understanding Standards and CertificationsSustainable Meeting Standards

� BS8901

- Management System

- Only international standard in use

- Developed for Olympics in 2012

- ISO by 2012

- Used in US, Brasil, Denmark, Australia

- Google, Microsoft, UN, MPI…

� APEX ANSI

- Performance Standard

- Launched end 2009

- Will be used by US Govt

Standards are complementary

Share people on technical teams

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Environment Social Economic

Management Systems(Process)

Performance(checklists)

HOTEL/VENUE Standards and Certifications

BS8901

GreenGlobeSwan

GreenKey

ISO14001

EMAS

EUFlower

Key international programs in Europe

Bold highlighted are top performers

ReportingGRI

7. Pressure toMeasure and Report

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Growth in Reporting

� Annual and CSR Reporting

- Strategy - Commitment, vision, principles

- Analysis of the management system performance

- Data measurement of impacts

- Interpretation into meaningful comparisons

- Benchmarking with industry averages

- Lessons learned and improvement actions

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Introduction new tools and software platforms

ACCOMMODATION

VENUE

DESTINATION

TRANSPORT

MARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS

EXHIBITION

A Sustainability platform that

helps to increase the

performance of your suppliers

and event

Analyses the event in 8 key

areasFOOD ANDBEVERAGE

EVENT OFFICE

MeetGreen was created and based on the Convention Industry Council Green Meetings Task Force Report, 2004.

www.mci-group.meetgreen.com

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8. Rise of the eco-zones

Copenhagen –

goes really green

• ECO-Zone (10+ climate mtgs)

• Multi-Stakeholder Sustainability Taskforce

• Client green taskforce

• 7200 Certified Green Rooms in CPH Area

• 20% Reduction in CO2

• Organic Food at almost parity cost

9. Stabilization

Virtual

Meetings

10. Acceleration in Innovation

Making decisions and being green easier

2010 Trends1. Passing beyond the tipping point

2. From green to integrated sustainability

3. From confused to aware consumers

4. From nice marketing to taxes and legal requirement

5. Standard part of the purchasing decision process

6. From creative label to trusted global certification brands

7. Pressure to measure and report

8. Rise of the eco-zones

9. Stabilization virtual meetings

10.Acceleration in innovation

Will our industry

really transform

through

sustainability?

But what about 2010?

50% of SALES

ThatThatThatThat’’’’s good s good s good s good

but is good but is good but is good but is good ––––

goodgoodgoodgood enoughenoughenoughenough

????

How do we accelerate the transformation?

Understand the

RISK!

MAXIMISEOpportunity

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The business case for sustainable events

Brand Reputation

Staff Motivation

Brand ConsistencyAlign and support corporate CSR messages

Competitive Differentiation

PR Exposure

Industry Leadership

Better place to work

Cost SavingsOperational Efficiencies

Obligation& ResponsibilityPeople - Planet

Profit

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Include sustainability in your event strategy

LeadershipCommitment

Goals, Priorities

Vision

PoliciesPrinciples

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� MCI Sustainability Framework

STRATEGY

OPERATIONALPROCESS

EDUCATION

COMMUNICATION

MEASUREMENT

STAKEHOLDERENGAGEMENT

CERTIFICATION

Use existing frameworks and systems

THE ENDalmost

“It is not the

strongest of the

species that survive,

nor the most

intelligent, but the

one most adaptable

to change.”

- Charles Darwin

You have thepower

to influence change

What is your role?

LessConversationMoreAction.com

For more information

Guy.bigwood@mci-group.com

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