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September 2008
Marketwatch: Green Event Practices
Events are going green, but most planners admit they’re just getting started
By Heather Kirkwood
Going green has arrived, and the majority of event planners will tell you it’s here to stay. Eighty-three percent of respondents to a recent industry survey, published by the Event Marketing Institute, a think tank for the face-toface marketing industry, say they’re either already engaging in eco-friendly event practices or plan to adopt such practices within the next 12 to 18 months. Sixty-five percent say the move to go green is just warming up, while another 24 percent believe the movement is barely out of the gate.
The survey, titled The Green Event Imperative: The First Annual EMI Insights Report on the State of Green Event Marketing, polled more than 900 event directors, planners, show organizers, corporate event marketers and CEOs.
Among the findings: Most event planners have yet to move beyond recycling in their green practices; only 21 percent “always” or “often” require suppliers to demonstrate green initiatives as part of a request for proposal (RFP); 37 percent are incorporating sustainable practices into their events “whenever possible,” while 35 percent are “trying” to incorporate such practices.
One stumbling block may be the myth of cost. Seventy-one percent reported they believe eco-friendly options cost more although in reality they sometimes cost less. Fifty-one percent said they didn’t think their customers would pay more than a 2 percent difference to go green.
The full 23-page report is available free to EMI members. For more information, visit www.eventmarketing.com.
Heather Kirkwood is Senior Editor of EXPO. She has written about the exhibition industry since 1997. She can be reached at hkirkwood@red7media.com.
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