High profile protests from Extinction Rebellion and the waves that Greta Thunberg is making means that sustainability is at front of mind for many companies and this is affecting how they manage meetings and events, according to new research from CWT Meetings and Events.
In the Future of Sustainable Events, Derek Sharp, senior vice president and managing director, CWT Meetings & Events, says, "The sustainability of the meetings and events industry, in fact of the entire travel industry, is at the forefront of companies' and planners' minds in 2020. It's driven by news coverage of climate change but, more importantly, it's supported by the next generation of travelers — the millennials who are poised to become the biggest group of business travelers globally from 2024 onwards, and the centennials who are right behind them.
"These are people for whom travel has become commonplace and accessible in a way that it wasn't for older generations," Sharp adds. "They want to continue meeting in popular destinations, but they are also hyper aware of the need to adopt sustainable practices that respect the environment and local communities wherever they go."
The company cites Deloitte's Global Millennial Survey, which found that climate change is the greatest concern for this generation.
The report also looked at how meeting and event planning is changing around the world.
Our chart this week looks at how meetings and events in Europe, Middle East and Asia are planned.
London is set to remain the top city for meetings and events in 2020, according to the research, with Frankfurt and Paris completing the top three. Moscow, the number two destination this year, is set to drop out of the top ten.
The company is tipping Danish capital Copenhagen to become a popular new destination in part because of its sustainability credentials.
"Copenhagen is aiming to become the world's first carbon neutral city by 2020. It is already well on the way, with more than 70% of its hotel rooms holding official eco-certification. It is also home to six hotels in the Brøchner and Arthur Hotel Group, the world's first carbon neutral hotel group," CWT said.