Skift Trend Report:
Making Meetings Green

The sustainability movement has become a major focus in the global business community. As a consequence, business meetings and events have come under increased scrutiny. This trend is likely to pick up momentum in the coming decade as environmental concerns figure more prominently in political and cultural circles worldwide.

In the meetings and events industry, there’s near universal agreement that embracing sustainable practices is both the smartest and the most responsible course of action. Meeting planners are responding to the challenge with increasing vigor and are training their sights on practices that can produce measurable results. They are eager to counter claims that events are wasteful by using proof points that eliminate any concerns about “greenwashing.”

Of course, the drive to integrate sustainable practices isn’t happening in a vacuum. Event planners are also under pressure to make meetings more compelling for attendees and to contain costs. These goals present natural conflicts, and event planners must continually strive to bring them into balance.

Luckily for meeting planners, more and more venues are taking proactive steps to integrate sustainability initiatives into their operations and event-related offerings. The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is at the forefront of this trend, having introduced a robust, standards-driven program called the Sands ECO360 Global Sustainability Strategy. ECO360 helps the resort reduce its own environmental impacts while helping clients address their specific sustainability goals. Planners can leverage ECO360 to create greener events that also increase attendee engagement and enjoyment.

This Skift report describes the various ways meeting planners are addressing sustainability demands and how The Venetian is enhancing and amplifying those efforts.

In this report

• Analysis of the boom in sustainable practices in the meetings sector
  
• Details on the market-leading ECO360 program at The Venetian Resort
  
• Interviews with meetings experts, including Chandra Allison, senior vice president, sales, The Venetian Resort
  
• Actionable advice on ways to “green” your next meeting, regardless of venue