Sustainability and CSR were key themes at inVOYAGE 2019, with John Kelly, senior director, marketing EMEA at BCD Meetings & Events, hosting both a panel debate and C-Suite session on the topic. We caught up with him on-site after the sessions to get the lowdown….

After hosting the panel and C-Suite, are you feeling more optimistic about our chances of becoming a more sustainable industry?

Absolutely 100% yes. I think we had, especially in the C-suite, some people in the room that can make a real difference and have committed to make a difference. And I think the next few weeks and months will see us break through a lot of the barriers that we have put in place ourselves and actually make some tangible actions that as an industry we can buy into.

Was there anything you found particularly surprising from either of the sessions?

There was nothing that really shocked me or surprised me. One of the things that we’re seeing is that suppliers are pushing the agenda, and certain corporates are pushing the agenda. I think sometimes it’s the agencies that are following a little bit and yet suppliers and corporates are looking to us for best practice and advice, so I think we just need to get that disconnect sorted out, and bring everyone together on this voyage for sorting out the problems we have an industry. It’s great that we are looking at these things and addressing this before it becomes a bigger problem.

Are millennials key to driving this forward?

Millennials are our workforce as well. It’s not just other companies and our clients employing them. If we are not getting this right in-house, then we will struggle to attract the next generation of talent. I know there is often a lot of negativity around millennials, but they are driving this. Them and generation Z. My generation had punk and New Romantics, they’re about saving the planet and that’s fantastic.

I feel more hope and more hopeful that we have a generation that can drive this movement.  I feel positivity that things will happen, and the right people are listening and talking and being part of that discussion.  

What more could we be doing as an industry to drive the sustainable agenda?

I think there are certain companies that are working in isolation and doing some amazing things. As an industry I don’t think we have a collective voice yet, and I don’t know how we get that collective voice. I don’t know whether it should be at an association level or at a press level, but I’m not sure they have the ability. I think that we probably need to start with a simpler model and use what tools we have available – creating a LinkedIn group that everyone can contribute to is a great start.

There are a lot of companies out there that are probably looking around for best practice and case studies and they are probably not finding that as easily as they should. Or they are finding things that are very simple, that we should all be doing anyway with our eyes closed, such as recycling, banning single-use plastics etc. We are doing lots of things in isolation and we need to start coming together a bit more, because it’s not just about the competitive edge, it’s not just about our industry, it’s about weightier subjects.

What were the key things that came out of the C-Suite discussion?

The thing I am most encouraged about is the knowledge sharing, and agreeing a format and formula for that without being precious and without worrying about the competitive edge. If we can make that that happen, we’ll have achieved something massive.

The fact that Ian Cummings from CWT M&E, who is one of our biggest competitors, said we need to come together on this, says a lot. One of the things that did surprise me was the level of granular detail that some parts of the C-suite are already looking at, but in a really encouraging way. They are looking at the next level and the next level beyond that.

Do you think luxury events and incentives can ever be truly sustainable?

I think they can be, but we need to address the bits that do have impact. We fly – I’d suggest the majority of incentives are via flight and we have to look at the impact that has. I don’t think we have stop doing it but we should look at carbon off-setting and alternatives etc.

One of the things we were talking about the C-Suite was education. If you educate people, for example if you told your delegates you were having a meat-free Monday, they’d know what to expect but it might make a big difference in everyone adopted that.

We do create a big footprint, and we need to consider all of that. If we consider it and we are saying here are the solutions we have put in place around it, then people will buy into that. If we don’t, if we pretend to ignore it, government will start looking at us, and as an industry we will be looked at pretty negatively.

I would love to look at whatever we can do to get people buying into this. Whether that’s simple things in your own house or office, or as a business you adopt. It’s all very well and good saying I want to work with a green supplier but if you are not actually doing anything in your business to make a difference, then it’s all green wash. It’s false. You can’t have green credentials if you are not following it through at every level.

At what point will sustainability climb up the agenda to become one of the top three criteria in destination/venue choice for events?

Without a doubt we will get there. I would suggest it has to happen within five years. I think it will probably happen sooner and maybe even within the next 12-18 months. As I said in the panel session, it’s crucially important that whatever we are doing, has a legacy attached to it and that we are not just going in and building a school and then we are disappearing off once we have got all our nice Instagram pictures. There has to be that follow up.

What will happen to businesses that don’t buy into this?

Businesses won’t survive without it. We won’t survive full-stop unless we start addressing it. And the scary thing is, depending on who you listen to, the planet is a lot further messed up than initially we thought, and we do need to get a handle on this now.

I would be very shocked if there is any business that isn’t starting to look at this. We’re seeing around 50% of RFPs asking about sustainability. In a years’ time that will be 75% or maybe even 90%, if not every single one, so people have to react and get on board.

What will you take away from this?

A lot of positivity. It’s great that we have made a lot of connections that will hopefully  create a legacy that we can all buy into and we can all talk about with our peer groups and clients and other agencies.