Earth Day 2019 is over, but meeting planners inspired to act have a new set of tools help them transform the industry. Manchester, U.K.-based Positive Impact, a nonprofit aimed at creating a sustainable events industry, and the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau in California have partnered to provide education and resources to remove single-use plastics from meetings and events. Fiona Pelham, Positive Impact CEO, explained in a release, “We now have the resources in place to identify how plastic is used in the event industry, and the opportunity to work with experts to find alternatives that will not have a negative environmental impact.” The workshop materials are available to download here, and Positive Impact and MCCVB are participating in the 24-hour global Corporate Social Responsibility tweet-a-thon under the hashtag #CSRshareDay, each hosting a one-hour discussion on the topic. For additional information, the MeetingsNet guide to #CSRshareday and sustainable event ideas is available here.
Sherrif Karamat, the president and chief executive officer of Professional Convention Management Association, has announced that the organization has signed a commitment with Positive Impact and MCCVB to reduce plastic waste in the industry. “These actions are the right thing to do,” Karamat said. “They not only improve our world, society, and communities but also allow our industry to continue the important work of driving global economic and social progress. As our economies evolve, it is important to know that doing good is good for business.”
Other organizations interested in signing the pledge can do so here, and there is an app to help meeting planners develop sustainable events that can be found here.
