Event Marketer Spring 2022 - 12

STRATEGY
PLANNING WITH
PURPOSE
As corporations pledge to be more sustainable,
the event industry seeks lasting solutions
THE WORLD, AND THE event industry,
entered a new reality last year when the
U.N. climate panel announced that global
warming is growing dangerously close to
climbing out of control. In an era of climate
and pandemic disruption, event marketers
are embracing a new chapter that addresses
consumer and corporate expectations surrounding
sustainability and safety.
In fact, a new events industry initiative,
" Net Zero Carbon Events, " developed in
November 2021 at the UN Climate Change
Conference (COP26) in Scotland is serving
as a rallying cry for change. By connecting
events industry players around the globe,
from venues and organizers, to exhibitors
and suppliers, the effort aims at achieving
solutions to the climate crisis and reaching
net zero (balance between man-made
greenhouse gas emissions and their removal
from the atmosphere) by 2050.
And the push toward progress isn't
just coming from the top. Pew research,
12 EVENT MARKETER SPRING 2022
published last May, found that Gen Zers
and millennials, the economic drivers in
America and the next and current generations
of attendees, are most concerned
with the need for
action on climate
change, and they are choosing and willing
to pay more for products and services
from brands who align with their values.
THE PANDEMIC EFFECT
One major factor in the industry's renewed
focus on sustainability came, ironically, out
of the lack of in-person events and reduced
business travel, which studies found positively
impacted climate emissions. One
study reported in the Nature Climate Journal
found global emissions reduced by
seven percent from 2019 to 2020.
A lasting dependence on virtual events
to some degree could help organizations
re-prioritize their portfolios to focus on quality
over quantity to reduce travel impacts.
Brands are exploring holding smaller, more
regional events and promoting ridesharing
arrangements to deepen their efforts.
Even QR codes made an unexpected
comeback during the pandemic for their
Covid-safe, touchless technology. This year
Subaru rolled out a new COVID-friendly
touchless QR code system and sweepstakes
platform at its WinterFest event with brand
ambassadors on-site to help attendees navigate
the technology. And this February,
Support HerStory, an online marketplace
of curated collections made by small, women-led
businesses, celebrated Galentine's
Day with a pop-up shop in Dallas featuring
50 different products and QR codes
to learn about each company's offerings.
CORPORATE MESSAGING
Many corporations are including sustainability
messaging in their corporate values,
but Subaru is among brands that has long
considered it a main pillar of business,
launching new verticals and creating new
types of campaigns that get consumers in
on the conversation and increase support
for environmental impact goals. The brand
encourages its dealers and customers to
join in smart environmental practices-
reducing waste, safeguarding resources and
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Event Marketer Spring 2022

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