It is inevitable that the event management industry has changed. Events are no longer viewed as insignificant by-products of one’s marketing mix, but rather as a strategic tool for any company, association or government to create meaningful connections and win. However, change always becomes more polarized during an economic recession. People need to do more with less, or re-invent the wheel to turn less into more. I now see three fundamental trends that are developing within the industry following the motto of “more with less”. They are:
Getting Results-Oriented: You need leads. You need sales. You need your teams! Transition to an entirely result-oriented event portfolio, a move that has saved millions – and generated millions.
Fewer But Bigger Events – Going Big… But Going Smart: In this economy, you can’t do it all. Prioritizing or consolidating events that are worthwhile, meetings avoidance and executing them requires a solid balance of strategy and planning.
Portfolio Planning: To succeed in a down economy, event marketers have to re-energize their portfolio planning and revise it. Align your portfolio with changing customer, channel and employee touchpoints.
Have you noticed significant changes in the way events are addressed? Engage with us in a strategic dialog.
Sebastien Tondeur
CEO – Corporate Division
Hello Mr. Tondeur,
I am BA student and studying in event management in Switzerland.
I want to ask some questions.
Does MCI group have any challenge in CSR?
From the company publication, I find out that the strategies implemented into CSR issue is quite successful until now.
Also, there are some different trends among the event industry, foe example eco-friendly event and meetings, minize the event budget due to the economics crisi, events also are going to be more globalized and emerging to the Asia market. Do you see some more trends?
The biggeest trend is going green, is it not a challenge for you and the company? It is because I can see the company put lots of efforts on it.
Thank you so much~
Dear Cecilia
Thank you for your excellent questions. I am the CSR director and I would like to reply. Your questions could not be more timely as I am participating in the world business summit on climate change (you can follow this on my twitter page)
Does MCI group have any challenge in CSR?
Sustainability/CSR is complex in any organization. MCI certainly faces challenges in training our large staff and staying abreast of the very fast moving trends, developments and best practices. MCI has 34 offices around the world and each has a different level of maturity with it’s integration of CSR. Culture differences, resources, time and money, will always provide limits to being able to advance our CSR agenda as rapidly as we would like. Still, we are committed to the principles outlined in the UN Global Compact and we are committed to maintaining our position as a leader in sustainable business practices for the meetings and events industry. These commitments drive us to find improvements in spite of the challenges we face as we realise there is a major business case for sustainability in our industry.
http://lessconversationmoreaction.com/tag/business-case/
From the company publication, I find out that the strategies implemented into CSR issue is quite successful until now?
Sustainable practices are relatively new in the meetings and events industry and MCI has been an early leader in shaping systems and protocols to reduce the environmental impacts of events while at the same time promoting healthy communities and efficient use of natural resources. While we are pleased with the progress to date, we also see a great deal of work to do.
Also, there are some different trends among the event industry, foe example eco-friendly event and meetings, minimize the event budget due to the economics crisi, events also are going to be more globalized and emerging to the Asia market. Do you see some more trends?
Asia is a huge growth area for the meetings industry and MCI is a part of that growth. Trends in sustainable event practices are primarily in the areas of measurement, measurement and the creation of standards. If you were to Google search ‘BS8901′ (sustainable event management), you will find information about a recent trend to bring a more systematic approach to the planning of sustainable events. Measurement and carbon emissions disclosure will become a big issue in the near future as it is becoming mandatory in many countries such as UK, denmark etc
The biggeest trend is going green, is it not a challenge for you and the company? It is because I can see the company put lots of efforts on it.
We have invested a lot of money in CSR because we believe its our responsibility and moral obligation. At the same time sustainability (green) is the only viable alternative for successful future business. Hence there will be massive green growth in the forecoming years. MCI wants to help these organisations become successful. Doing this we will also become successful.
As an example of our csr work, MCI is now the event organisers of the World Business Summit on Climate Change, the UN Climate Change Conference, the World Mayors Climate Change Conference and many more… There is a business case for sustainability!