Welcome to the latest edition of Huddle’s Event Industry News. This week we focus on sustainability, with exciting news about some new partnerships, flagship events and trends in the industry. Plus some new data that shows the sector bouncing back as RFP activity surges. Check out our quick rundown to stay informed.
EIC Barometer Optimistic about 2022
The newly launched Global Business Events Barometer from the Events Industry Council has shown an upsurge in global group travel demand during the third quarter of 2021. Unfortunately, it also finds that overall business meetings and events activity is still only about half of what it was before the pandemic. This testifies to the many organizations that are still not able to put on the sort of events they want, despite the great strides we have made as an industry.
RFP activity rose 124% during Q3 of 2021, while group room nights were up 68% compared to the prior year. The most robust RFP growth was in Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Caribbean.
The barometer, created Oxford Economics, reminds us that there is enormous pent-up demand for meetings and events that can be conducted in a safe and covid-compliant manner.
Green Tourism and MIA partner for Sustainability
Green Tourism and the Meetings Industry Association have announced a five-year sustainability partnership. The agreement is aimed at making it easier for MIA members to become certified by Green Tourism’s long-standing accreditation system.
The partnership focuses on the three ‘pillars’ of People, Places and Planet, and will let members access state of the art sustainability support resources for event managers and meeting professionals. We at Huddle are delighted to see more people committing to see more businesses recognize the opportunities of sustainability.
‘Green Eating’ and Dietary Requirements to reshape event menu
By 2030, 40% of attendees could have specific dietary requirements, according to research from Lime Venue Portfolio. To put that into perspective, the current level amongst delegations is around 20%.
Much of that change is predicted to be people requesting vegan, plant based or gluten free options. But there is also a broad upsurge in enthusiasm for so-called ‘green eating’. The research also indicated that 72% of attendees would be willing to pay a premium for a genuinely sustainable menu.
London to host Eco Summit in 2023
The British capital has been successful in its bid to host the Ecocity World Summit in June 2023. Held every second year, the summit is a landmark global conference on sustainability bringing together stakeholders from across the world.
The 2023 conference from June 6-8 will be a hybrid experience, taking place both online and at the Barbican Centre. Representatives will include communities from across London, academics, trade associations, investors and more.
Sustainable Events organization isla tops 100 members
In a sign of the growing interest in sustainable events organization isla has welcomed the 100th member to its network of partners. Members commit to increasing the pace of change to a net-zero future for the industry, across all sectors from suppliers to agencies.
The 100th spot was occupied by tech giant Twitter, joining CNN International and others. According to co-founder Anna Abdelnoor “2021 was a monumental year for climate change and with the return of live events there’s been a huge shift towards sustainability for event businesses across the sector”
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