Skift Take
Getting rid of plastic straws is nice, but the biggest positive impact will come from cutting back on plane trips and the use of gas-powered cars. At first, these changes may seem overly inconvenient, but that feeling will lessen once attendee expectations start to shift.
Events and corporate travel go hand in hand. When a large conference takes place, masses of business travelers will be racking up their airline miles, boarding planes as they journey from one state to another. Even in the age of Skype and FaceTime, companies understand the power of in-person connection, and year after year, they will set aside a large chunk of their budget to make those connections happen.
The fuel cost associated with business conferences is immense, however. It's not only the multiple flights, which may carry hundreds to thousands of employees depending on the event — but also the Ubers, the Lyfts, and the rental cars, which ferry attendees, planners, and speakers alike from the hotel to the convention center and back again.
"Event organizers have an opportunity to reduce our climate impact through responsible transportation choices," said Mariela McIlwraith, director of industry advancement at the Events Industry Council, an organization of certified meeting professionals. "These can include selecting destinations in consideration of air travel requirements, coordinating shared transportation options, encouraging the use of public transportation, and sharing information about safe, accessible walking routes."
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