Sarah Zarywacz , event executive , ECI Partners , explains why eventprofs should be partnering with ESG-committed venues

hot new bombshell enters the villa . That ’ s what ESG in venue finding once was – the edgy heartthrob , the latest fashion trend , a friendly new companion . Now , however , if ESG is not central to a venue ’ s value proposition , should planners even swipe right ?

I adore venue finding . I ’ m continuously seeking venues which tick all my strategic vision boxes . However , venue ESG policies remain a predicament . With ESG higher up the agenda , selecting ESG-committed venues is vital for not only my events , but to influence wider industry change .

The search for ‘ the one ’

Tech-enabled venue finding services are fantastic . Yet , with the multitude of ‘ green ’ venue accreditations out there , how can planners distinguish between them all ? While some spotlight venues with ESG policies , have they been pre-vetted or is it simply a profile tag ? This ‘ dating ’ minefield needs simplification and

“ With ESG higher up the agenda , selecting ESG committed venues is vital for not only my events , but to influence wider industry change .”

Sarah Zarywacz

impartial education around it for planners to make better decisions .

How to stand out from the crowd

Here ’ s a thought : Is your approach fantastic but not reflected in sales ? Position your ESG strategy clearly via your marketing . Sure , your new refurb looks stunning , but educating planners on your ESG proposition is essential to convert those DMs into signed contracts . Make it top-level , highlighting current and future initiatives . Decision-makers will

be forever grateful .

Already got that top-level ESG spiel ready ? Why not start your proposals or site visits with this key information ? Or , even better , provide planners with ESG data relevant to their event as standard . I ’ m not ignorant to the industry damage over the past few years , but let ’ s use this as a new approach to revenue growth . Feeding into wider business reporting and future strategy decisions , event impact and ROI data are imperative , so this would make a huge difference .

Matching criteria

So what data would turn planners ’ heads ?

• What is the DEI strategy ? ( For employees and delegates ).

• How many kilos of food were saved from the bin from the event ? Where did they go ?

• How is water conservation helping the local environment ?

• How many jobs are being created for the local community via the new venue ?

• How was waste reduced during the refurb ? Sure , this is the more granular detail , but it helps us determine who we should couple up with faster . Let ’ s continue the pandemic-induced partnerships by aligning accreditations to simplify the education process . Let ’ s partner with venues doing incredible ESG work because those are the ones who deserve our real love . CN