LateMeetings.com, a contributor to Climate Care (www.climatecare.org), will make further donations to help register the importance of offsetting CO2 emissions for each and every event booked through us. We also draw attention to notes prepared by Climate Care intended to encourage sponsorship of delegate travel as a contribution to 'climate neutral' events.

At the same time LateMeetings.com will be campaigning using this website (www.responsiblemeetings.com) to offer suggestions, or 'Eco-ideas', that can introduce a more environmentally thoughtful dimension to a meeting.

A 'manual of responsibility'. The master list of tips and ideas prepared for Conference and Incentive Travel by www.responsiblemeetings.com.

CSR: C&IT Campaign for change

Part One: Towards greener meetings

Start by trawling the Internet: gain perspective quickly by researching the ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ spectrum. The sheer scale of opportunities for engagement is remarkable, and there will be ideas that suit the business you are in, and the degree of involvement that is envisaged. Green solutions are also identified in a range of books that can be ordered through the catalogue of the Centre for Alternative Technology (www.cat.org.uk).

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1. Broad guidelines for a greener meeting are that it should be organised electronically, minimise carbon emissions for travelling delegates and speakers, save energy, practice recycling, and adopt environmentally-thoughtful measures wherever practical and possible. A comprehensive starting point is to read the Green Meetings Report of the Convention Industry Council (www.conventionindustry.org). This details ‘minimum’ and ‘strongly recommended’ best practices for key sectors including accommodation, event venues, transportation providers, exhibition service suppliers, destinations, and others. The Green Meeting industry Council (www.greenmeetings.info) explains why environmentally-friendly events are ‘good for business’; arguments include ‘there is a market’ … and ‘such practices enhance or protect corporate reputation’. Also challenged are suggestions that green meetings are ‘a hassle’, or ‘expensive’, or ‘reduce the quality of the delegate experience’. Note also the ‘conference greening’ recommendations of www.meetingsstrategiesworldwide.com, and the availability of programmes for ‘marketing environmental stewardship’ and ‘making the business case for green’. Tips for greener conferences are offered by the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org); their suggestions for delegates include ‘stop your newspaper’; ‘turn down your home thermostats’, and ‘bring a nightlight so hotel lights are not needed’.

2. Choose hotels and other venues where environmental responsibility is top-down policy. Organisations that deliver accredited strategies and framework for such action include:www.greenglobe21.com; and www.internationaltourismpartnership.org; and the ‘Green Hotelier’ magazine of the latter provides venue news and global case-studies. A formal environmental management system (EMS) appropriate to many businesses, and which strongly demonstrates sustainable commitment to clients, is the ISO 14001 Standard (www.isys-int.com).

3. Stage an event in a venue which implicitly expresses your identification with green concerns. One example might be Kew Gardens because of its work for the conservation and preservation of plants (venues@kew.org); another might be the London Wetland Centre at Barnes, for meetings to 140 (www.wwt.org.uk). The ‘Reds Go Green’ initiative by Manchester United (their Old Trafford stadium features meeting rooms and corporate hospitality suites) includes: match day waste management; glass recycling; the re-use of old tyres and sports shoes for all-weather pitches; and wildlife conservation and environmental education at their training ground in Cheshire (www.manutd.com).

4. Recycle conference brochures, printed pages, name badges, and other promotional material. Inkjet cartridges used before and during the event can be recycled, with the resulting £1 donation for each going to selected wildlife good causes (e.g. those identified at 0800 435576 include the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (www.wwt.org.uk), and the Woodland Trust (www.woodlandtrust.org.uk) as well as dozens of other good causes. Another recycling option, both for inkjets and mobile telephones, is www.actionaidrecycling.org.uk. ICCA donates delegate bags locally to disadvantaged children.

5. Serve food that takes into account considerations like sustainability, ethical trade, wholesome husbandry, and local sourcing. Passion Organic are committed to the value of organic farming and has Soil Association accreditation (www.passionorganic.com). The Kindersley Centre (Sheepdrove Organic Farm in Berkshire) offers ‘organic’ conferences (www.thekindersleycentre.com). Although originally considered simply a passing whim, organic items now represent 3% of the food market.

6. Each of us leaves a carbon dioxide ‘footprint’ that contributes to the ‘greenhouse effect’. Individual delegates could be introduced to the idea of eliminating their CO2 emissions impact by buying carbon credits (www.carbonplanet.com).

7. Aircraft produce large volumes of carbon dioxide. www.myclimate.org provide a climate protection opportunity by inviting travelling delegates to offset emissions related to their flight(s). www.climatecare.org offer a land-travel option specifically for conferences that wish to offset the carbon emissions of their delegates. Note the weekly example set by The Times in sponsoring carbon offsets through Climate Care in lieu of the aircraft emissions involved in sending their travel reporters overseas. American Express has launched a new reporting tool, called Eco Model, that enables companies to identify carbon emissions arising from air travel by their staff (www.BTNonline.com).

8. Some conference destinations work harder at sustainability than others (so ask them what they do!). Tourism interests in the South West, for example, are participating in a Green Tourism Business Scheme to save energy and water, and reduce waste, as well as focus on the use of locally-grown foods (www.swtourism.co.uk). On a larger scale(!) also note the recently announced decision that Sweden plans to become the world’s first oil-free economy by around 2020. In the UK, Aberdeen City Council has been responding to climate change since 2000, and works closely with the Carbon Trust (www.carbontrust.co.uk). The city also applies strict policies for sustainable purchasing. See also the Discover Devon Naturally project (www.discoverdevon.com).

9. Environmentally-friendly promotional giveaways and gifts can match eco- (and fair-trade) criteria, and demonstrate the thoughtfulness of the organisation concerned. Examples from the World Wildlife Fund (www.wwf.org.uk). include biodegradable household bags, recycled stationery, plants grown in peat-free compost, and adoption boxes for a range of wild animals. Another source is the online store of the Soil Association (www.naturalcollection.com). The more traditional idea of a food hamper can itself be made more sustainable through the deliberate specification of Fairtrade teas or coffees, and the inclusion solely of organically-grown foods and wines (e.g. www.hampers2pamper.com). For £25 a thoughtful gift can be the purchase of an acre of rainforest, or an acre of corridor forest that enables Indian elephants to roam in safety (www.worldlandtrust.org). Instead of sending cut flowers as a thank-you gesture, a longer term gift could be a donation that helps protect traditional wildflower meadows and the bluebells and blossoms of ancient meadows. For an option contact www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/hereford.

10. A successful business event can be marked with a ‘legacy’ initiative, for example with a corporate donation to a sustainable initiative, or by fund-raising among delegates (possibly with top-ups by the venue, agency, and other suppliers). A local wildlife initiative could be the beneficiary (bats, birds, butterflies, otters, owls etc.), or an overseas project of the kind organised by www.climatecare.org (e.g. protecting the habitat of tigers in India, or chimpanzees in Uganda).

11. Tips on ‘greening’ can be offered to your preferred meetings venue(s) for their immediate consideration. A list offered by the Oceans Blue Foundation (www.bluegreenmeetings.org) makes reference to recycling, energy management, re-useable linens and dishes, the use of eco-friendly cleaning agents, responsible procurement etc. The site also identifies green success stories (convention bureaux; hotel groups; exhibitions etc.). For a case-study of excellence in luxury urban eco-tourism, note the award-winning environmental leadership of The Lenox Hotel, Boston, USA (www.lenoxhotel.com), and its associated green consultancy (www.ecologicalsolutions.net). ‘Greenness’ tips from the Green Hotel Initiative (www.ceres.org) include asking in advance about the environmental policy of the venue (and telling suppliers, delegates and speakers; and having a guest request card that enables guests to check the environmentally-responsible services of the hotel on arrival). Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in North America operate an EcoMeet progamme (www.fairmont.com). Whether on a formal, or informal basis, agencies and corporate buyers who work with large numbers of venues could begin to think in terms of a form of environmental classification system. An example is the Green Key ‘Ecommodation’ Rating Programme run by the Hotel Association of Canada (www.hacgreenhotels.com) that categorises five levels of commitment. Scope exists for UK hotel groups, consortia and representation organisations to apply similar thinking.

12. Invite an environmentalist to speak at the event in order to highlight conservation challenges and successes. Such case-studies inevitably embrace relevant issues of leadership, management and motivation. A local Wildlife Trust office (www.wildlifetrusts.org) will know of an appropriate expert. Celebrity CSR presenters could include Anita Roddick, Zac Goldsmith, Jonathan Porrit, or David Bellamy.

13. Delegate bags (for conference agendas, programmes, hand-outs etc.) can be made from 100% recycled material. Alternatively, use cotton bags which are re-useable and biodegradable (www.supreme-creations.co.uk). Select an environmentally-aware carrier-bag supplier (e.g. Rose Packaging supports recycling and re-usable packaging, and the planting of trees throughout the world through Tree Aid: www.rosepackaging.co.uk).

14. Delegates can be given free, or subsidised, passes for public transport (if safe) at the conference destination. They can be encouraged to arrive by train (if practical) or bus. Free use of cycles for off-duty programmes? As an example, The Ovation Group (www.ovation.ie), the Dublin-based DMC, promotes alternative means of transportation including walking tours, pony and trap rides, and the use of small boats. A simple suggestion is always to use hotels that are within walking distance of the convention centre. Earlier this year Radio Taxis in London claimed that they had become ‘the world’s first carbon-neutral’ taxi firm.

15. Recycled products can be used throughout the conference: labels, pencils, marker pens, paper, mouse mats, clipboards etc. (www.greenstat.co.uk).

16. Adopt responsible conferencing as the USP of your agency, and which would be highlighted in response to Requests For Proposals. Increasingly procurement professionals will be encouraged by senior managers to monitor the credentials of suppliers, a process of scrutiny likely to be accelerated by shareholder concerns. Note the sustainability indices now run by the Financial Times. (www.ft.com - Reports/Business Management/Responsible-Sustainable Business).

17. Questions to put to airlines being considered for delegate flights can centre not just on possible group discounts, but equally on their policy on fossil fuel consumption. (Total global emissions from aircraft are growing at 6% annually). Ask whether fleets are fuel-efficient, what are their land-based eco-credentials, and if the company might make a sponsorship contribution to a carbon emission offset programme. For a case-study see the corporate responsibility report of British Airways (www.ba.com). No-frills airlines often argue that overall they are the most environmentally-friendly because they tend to fly fuller, and usually have younger (more fuel-efficient) aircraft.

18. Car rental companies can be questioned about the eco-credentials of their vehicles and their operational procedures. Issues include: the fuel efficiency of their cars and the proportion of the fleet using alternative forms of energy, among them LPG and hybrid (part-petrol/part-electrical ) engines. As an example of further environmental concern, Avis work with the Carbon Neutral Company to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using clean-energy technology and tree-planting schemes. Avis also operates a mobile telephone recycling programme (www.avis.co.uk). Cars provided for staff could be selected for their environmental credentials (note the government’s recent decision to include petrol-electric hybrid and biodiesel options within the ministerial fleet). The nippy G-Wiz runabout car is Britain’s greenest, most ethical, and most energy-efficient option, and is 100% emission-free (www.goingreen.co.uk).

19. Conference organisers can reduce office CO2 emissions by upgrading insulation, buying energy-saving equipment, using energy-reducing lights, switching electrical appliances onto standby, reducing room temperatures by just a touch, and more. The aim is to minimise the ‘eco-footprint’, or environmental impact, of the team of people involved (www.est.org.uk).

20. Encourage those meetings industry and allied groupings to which you belong – MIA, ACE, CHA, HBAA, ITM, IAPCO, MPI, GTMC, EVENTIA, BACD, BHA, ICCA, etc. - to explain how they are focusing on environmental issues, and perhaps lobby for even more action from them in the future. Note the lead taken recently by the London Development Agency in recruiting a Climate Change Manager.

21. Executives working in an agency or smaller corporate office, and who are entitled to use a company credit card whilst travelling on business, might use a brand of bank card that triggers payments to a selected good cause, whether environmental or ethical. An example of such a participating organisation is the World Wildlife Fund.

22. Golf can be a popular add-on to a business event, but some courses are ‘greener’ than others. Such environmental sensitivity can embrace the use of recycled products (e.g. green waste for composting; recycled plastic for seats and waste bins; processed sand for bunkers – made from recycled glass); and research suggests that players welcome eco-friendly initiatives (www.bigga.co.uk). Important, too, is the growing use of nature’s own solutions instead of chemical pesticides or fertilisers, and also the computerised use of sprinkler systems to reduce water consumption. Some courses support measures to help wildlife (e.g. with nesting boxes; or allowing the rough to grow wild). A small gesture can be to use biodegradable tees. At De Vere Belton Woods, Grantham, the woodland belonging to the hotel, and close to the golf course, has become a designated nature trail, with varying lengths of walks and interpretation (www.devereonline.co.uk).

23. Training courses that embrace a programme of outdoor pursuits can opt for leadership initiatives which focus on improving, not just using, the countryside. Such ‘conferences with a good cause’ can tackle (safely managed) conservation projects which include making nesting boxes, ditching, pond maintenance, clearing undergrowth, tree planting, dry-stone walling or laying paths. Local countryside groups will value such assistance, or contact the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (www.btcv.org.uk).

24. Event organisers planning specialist exhibitions alongside a congress can plan for greener events. Tips include: be committed to waste removal and recycling; encourage exhibitors to acquire re-useable stands and use a design style and graphics with longer-lasting appeal; encourage suppliers to adopt green policies; use low-energy lighting; discourage the use of brochures and also giveaways that are environmentally unsound. On a larger scale, leaders in the trade fair sector are adopting the framework offered by the SEXI (Sustainable Exhibition Industry) project (www.aeo.org.uk). An estimate suggests that the UK exhibition industry is responsible for one million tonnes of waste annually.

25. Cruise line companies can be selected on the basis not just of destinations, services and standards, but also their commitment to a marine conservation programme, and to careful waste management. As an example, Holland America Line operates responsible packaging and recycling programmes, a zero-discharge policy, a Seagoing Environmental Awareness campaign, and offers eco-sensitive shore excursions (www.hollandamerica.com).

26. Partner programmes for conferences could include a suggested visit to a nature reserve (with accredited guide) as an alternative to shopping malls (with credit card). Opportunities through RSPB (www.rspb.org.uk); Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (www.wwt.org.uk); and Wildlife Trusts (www.wildlifetrusts.org).

27. Discourage delegates from buying souvenirs that have been made from animals and plants threatened with extinction (www.ukcites.gov.uk). Also you could support WildAid in its work to fight against illegal trade in endangered species (www.wildaid.org).

28. Companies seeking suggestions from agencies for creative travel programmes could invite at least one proposal for an eco-incentive. Agencies pitching destination ideas to prospective clients could likewise incorporate a ‘green’ option. Avoid environmental ‘tokenism’, and instead proudly submit a fully natural alternative to the usual repertoire of hedonistic and consumption-led suggestions.

29. Tracking the opinions of delegates/participants towards green issues will add weight to future arguments to make events more environmentally aware. The company will convey a sense of green leadership that will impress staff and clients.

30. Throughout the year there are plenty of environment-related awareness campaigns which can be supported in order to demonstrate commitment and goodwill. Examples include: National Nesting Box Week; Earth Car-free Day; Compost Awareness Week; National Wildlife Week; World Environment Day; World Ocean Day; Organic Week; The Big Recycle; Energy Efficiency Week; National Save Our Butterflies Week; National Tree Week; and more. Further details from (www.yearahead.co.uk). Responsible conference initiatives can also be highlighted during National Meetings Week (October). Hotel Environment Action Month takes place in September (www.internationaltourismpartnership.org).

31. A frequent-user or loyal customer programme could incorporate a green reward instead of the usual repertoire of consumer goods and services. Examples might be an annual membership for a wildlife organisation (e.g. www.butterfly-conservation.org; www.wwt.com; or tree planting www.woodlandstrust.com).

32. An alternative to a traditional themed evening or banquet could be a wildlife-spotting buffet cruise on a canal or river, a picnic at dusk viewing birds flying in for the night to a nature reserve, or supper in a zoo or aquarium listening to conservation success stories to the accompaniment of ethnic music or dolphin ‘squeaks’. ‘Big Batty Walks’ are offered at dusk at the London Wetland Centre (www.wwt.org.uk).

33. If your company/agency is a heavy user of promotional flyers which are intended to target prospective clients/delegates etc., there is a case to plant trees in lieu of those that were used in paper manufacture! The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) sets the tone for such thinking with its own environmental campaign (www.treesforaction.org.uk).

34. Event menus that are intended to feature seafood should feature fish not threatened by the depletion of stocks, or the catching of which uses environmentally-damaging and/or indiscriminate methods. (Examples of some of the most vulnerable include Atlantic cod, wild-caught Atlantic salmon, haddock, and halibut) For a full list, contact www.marineconservation.org. Tuna provides a case-study of the importance of this issue: some methods of catching this species ensnare whole shoals (in an unsustainable way); or use long baited lines that also trap birds (so only buy if it says ‘bird friendly’); or catch dolphins, too (hence the dolphin-safe logo of the Earth Island Institute). These are issues to raise with hotel chefs. Note the initiative of supplier The Fish Society in donating 2% of all sales turnover to the Marine Conservation Society.

35. Convention Bureaux can pro-actively promote recycling and waste/energy reduction services amongst their membership; reward those suppliers who are the most resource-conscious; and encourage eco-partnership practices locally that focus on the most green-minded venues and services. An on-line case-study highlighting work by the Portland Oregon Visitors’ Association is offered through www.meetingstrategiesworldwide.com.

36. Awards ceremonies can introduce an altruistic dimension through the avoidance of non-biodegradable prizes (especially plastic), and the presentation instead of uplifting environmentally-friendly gifts (of the winners’ choice). An example might be a donation to help protect a stretch of forest for orangutans, or which provides fostering, food and medical care for orangutan babies. Where plaques are used these can be made from recycled wood or glass (www.rivannadesigns.com).

37. Focusing as much on health as conservation, but with a mission ‘to improve the local environment’ and ‘civic amenity’ is the well-being organisation, Green Gym. Participants get fitter and become more energised, whilst, for example, restoring ancient Downland, fostering rare plants, or constructing dry stone walls. (www.greengym.org.uk). Scope exists to make conference colleagues fitter at the same time as helping the countryside!

38. The process of finding meetings venues and checking availability is becoming increasingly ‘virtual’, thereby reducing the need for brochures. The range is from electronic directories (e.g. www.greenandbluedirectory.com), to request services (e.g. www.click4venues.com), to a full searchability, availability and bookability facility (www.latemeetings.com).

39. Published research by accredited sources may help tilt the balance in favour of staging a green meeting. Available on the IMEX exhibition research site are updated details of environmental surveys, and EIBTM tackles CSR issues in its Trends and Market Share report. An earlier (2003) analysis of changing consumer attitudes towards eco and ethical tourism was undertaken by Mintel, and by 2005 their assessment of the UK market for eco-holidays had grown to an estimated 450,000, a figure expected to increase rapidly (www.mintel.com). Note also the 100+ research projects of the Germany-based Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, and Energy (www.wupperinst.org).

40. The conference sector could lobby Members of Parliament to encourage all political parties to stage environmentally-friendly Party conferences. These high-profile, mega-events could set a good example for meetings planners throughout the country to emulate. As an example, US-based CERC (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions) campaigned during the 2004 Democratic and Republican Conventions to demonstrate environmental best practices (www.cerc04.org).

41. A colleague could become the office ‘environmental leader’ and might benefit from attending an environmental study course. For instance, Schumacher College in Devon offers courses in ecological studies (www.schumachercollege.org). The Wuppertal Institute (39, above) runs a project entitled ‘Event Culture and Sustainability’ that considers the environmental challenges of the meetings and events sector.

42. An outdoor pursuits day can be organised on an organic farm that introduces and involves participants in, for example, sheepdog training, quilting and rug-making, spinning, milking, butter and cheese-making, as well as re-cycling/composting. An award-winning option in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, is offered at Hazel Brow Farm (www.hazelbrow.co.uk). A further opportunity is to focus on specialist visitor attractions that support the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to conserve endangered farmyard breeds. The Trust currently is running a National ReGENEration appeal to secure a gene bank to protect our unique livestock heritage (www.rbst.org.uk).

43. Consider using an environmentally cutting-edge venue to make a dramatic point. As an example, AquaCity in Slovakia (opening April 2006) features a 300-seat congress centre that embraces geothermal, solar, and wind power. It claims to be the world’s first energy self-sufficient resort, and is certified by Green Globe (www.aquacityresort.com).

44. Think the unthinkable – replace some events with electronic meetings and involve some speakers ‘virtually’ in order to reduce their travel. BT WebConferencing offers such communication opportunities for from two to 2500 people, simultaneously (www.conferencing.bt.com/marketing). Video conferencing is also becoming more affordable. Note that PricewaterhouseCoopers recently invested £150,000 in video conferencing facilities.

45. Invite an eco-guru to give your office a green makeover. Envirowise is a government-funded organisation that provides free advice on how to reduce environmental costs. Examples include reducing the use of paper (and recycling what is used); having plants to reduce indoor air pollution; select an environmental champion in each department; and turn computers off at night and during weekends (www.envirowise.gov.uk).

46. A gentle way for conference industry colleague to ease into the green experience is to attend an eco-spa. The Hay Barn (restored to ecological principles) at Daylesford in the Cotswolds (part of an organic farm) features treatments using organic ingredients. Menus include organic produce (01608 731 703).

47. Suggestions for making more responsible decisions in respect of conference dining are offered by www.meetingsstrategiesworldwide.com. Tips include selecting foods in season locally (and not flown in); relating menus to the known preferences of participants (e.g. are they big breakfasters and small lunchers, or vice versa); and opting for a china and cloth table service rather than disposable plastic and paper items. There is a case to avoid bottled water in favour of tap water (cheaper, no transportation involved, no plastic/glass to recycle). A further option is to encourage preferred venues to manage food waste in environmentally-friendly ways (e.g. cut portions if possible, re-use scraps for livestock feed, or recycle through composting).

48. Providing that the concept is credible, and the judging fair and impartial, there is scope for many sizes of organisation to launch green awards that recognise the efforts of their suppliers or customers. The Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice represent an example (www.interacticus-dev.co.uk). The IMEX and WTM exhibitions both run green award programmes.

49. When staff attend exhibitions or promotional events and a house clothing style is appropriate, scope exists to display eco-fashion credentials. Purchases of such ethical clothes (organic cotton, items made from recycled material, fair trade fabrics etc.), and accessories, are at record levels. One source could be the franchise store group, The Earth Collection (www.theearthcollection.com). Oasis, M&S, and TopShop now are taking ethical and organic issues into account in sourcing and selling clothes.

50. In February 2006. the US-based Lodging magazine addressed the question of how the eco-friendly hotel might look in 2020. A conceptual analysis proposed an orientation to take advantage of wind, solar, and light conditions; a roof planned for collecting energy from the sun, and for storing rain; and ‘personal gardens’ attached to each bedroom. Meetings areas would also open on a garden for relaxation and contemplation (www.ahla.com).

CSR: C&IT Campaign for change

Part Two: Towards more socially responsible business tourism

Enormous scope exists to incorporate responsible initiatives as part of any type of business event: the attitude of thoughtfulness matters as much as the scale of the gesture! Two handy sets of prompts can be found in the booklets Make Poverty History (published by Penguin), and The Rough Guide to a Better World (www.roughguide-betterworld.com). Click on to Corporate Social Responsibility for listings of scores of organisations that offer perspectives and insights.

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1. There is coffee, and there is coffee that is supplied from growers who respect agreed environmental and social standards and the actions of whom are fully authenticated. Coffee served in your selected conference hotels and venues might or might not currently reach such sourcing criteria, but the question can be raised. Note the ‘Commitment to Origins’ campaign from Starbucks (www.starbucks.com). Another option is to look out for Fairtrade labelling which offers the reassurance that small-scale producers (coffee, chocolate, tea etc.) are helped through direct purchasing arrangements (www.fairtrade.org.uk). AMT coffee outlets around the UK are 100% fairtrade coffee (www.amtcoffee.co.uk), but note that some coffee shops offer only the option of Fairtrade beverages. Bettys Café Tearooms in Yorkshire operate a Trees for Life programme to ‘give back’ to the communities providing their tea and coffee, and have to date planted (mainly through Oxfam) nearly three million trees in Africa, Asia and Central/Latin America. Bettys also supports woodland initiatives in Yorkshire (www.bettys.co.uk). There are now over 150 Fairtrade Towns in the UK in which a considerable proportion of cafés, shops etc. offer Fairtrade products (www.fairtrade.org.uk). This country is the global leader on commitment to Fairtrade.

2. A relatively straightforward social responsibility initiative could be to support The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning which is organised each September by Macmillan Cancer Relief. Over 1.5m people take part – and conference planners/agency clients could become involved (www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee).

3. The hotels and venues with whom you work are visited daily by many hundreds, if not thousands, of people. This significant profile and presence in the community can be a valuable medium for communicating good causes, and at the same time for engaging staff, guests, and suppliers in approved initiatives. An example is the support of Accor Hotels for the Plan campaign to sponsor children in 40 of the world’s poorest countries (www.accor.com). Other cases are the discretionary £1 levy on all customer accounts that has helped Macdonald Hotels raise nearly £1m in five years for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers; and the Bottletop campaign by Malmaison Hotels on behalf of HIV-affected young people worldwide. Note, also, the success of Hilton in the Community Foundation that has raised £1m for UK and Irish charities (all admin. costs of the campaign are borne by the Hilton Group).

4. Incentive travel awards need not be self-indulgent; many winners will prefer an altruistic dimension to their success, for example, with prize monies used to sponsor worthwhile projects in poverty-stricken areas. Off-the-shelf schemes include the ‘unwrapped’ programme to help poor countries from Oxfam (www.oxfam.org.uk) (e.g. buy a camel for £95, or a beehive plus training for a beekeeper for £84); or the Farm Friends project that supplies African families with goats, chickens and sheep (www.farmfriends.org.uk).

5. Volunteering programmes backed by conference suppliers or agencies can provide short-term (or longer) help and expertise (e.g. in IT, tele-sales, event planning etc.) to charities and other good causes. As an example, over 20,000 Barclays Bank staff became involved in 2004 in community activities. Note also the recently-announced ‘I’m in’ programme from Oxfam targeting Generation Why youngsters with the aim of recruiting one million to help with campaigns and volunteering opportunities to help end global poverty (www.oxfam.org.uk). Also note the recent decision by Saga to introduce a choice of volunteering holidays in South Africa for the over-50s who are anxious ‘to put something back’ (www.saga.co.uk).

6. American incentive travel specialist Louise Hall Reider recommends and organises reward trips that incorporate charitable work in the local community. Among her suggestions for such ‘programmes with a purpose’ include ‘find out what is really needed’; avoid faux pas by making sure the initiative ‘appeals to both the giver and receiver’; and ‘purchase pillow gifts and promotional teasers through charitable organisations (e.g. Unicef)’ (www.lhrco.com).

7. There is scope to support good causes that are already being run in the name of the MICE industry. These include Meeting Needs (M&IT Show), and Make-a-Wish Foundation (Confex Exhibition).

8. It is important to acknowledge that CSR can/should be approached seriously, and that ‘corporate partnerships’ with good cause organisations can be businesslike and professional. The work of the Woodland Trust is an example, with options for involvement including payroll giving (encouraging staff to donate regularly), cause-related marketing initiatives, and other dimensions to stakeholder involvement, whether by employees or clients (www.woodland-trust.org.uk).

9. Joining good cause organisations as fee-paying members is an expression of real commitment, but bear in mind the political sensitivities or business repercussions that might arise, for instance when it comes to issues like de-afforestation, whaling, or local community relationships.

10. Ethics are going mainstream, so your efforts will be in good company. The annual ethical consumerism report of the Co-operative Bank identifies spending on ethical products totalling £25.8 billion in 2004, up 15% on the year before. Note in particular the spending of £3.4bn to tackle climate change, and £4.1bn on Fairtrade and organic items. Increasingly consumers are also boycotting unethical products.

11. A good source of ideas is the list of nominations for Responsible Tourism awards (www.responsibletravel.com). Recent examples included support for a horse and donkey charity by Discover Egypt; and the use of local resources by wilderness safaris. The overall winner in 2005 was Tribes Travel (www.tribes.co.uk).

12. Note the example of Bettys Café Tearooms in Yorkshire. A total of 5% of their profits are ‘given back’ to help communities, partly through their tree-planting initiative (1, above) but also to support a charity selected by staff, and educational work (www.bettys.co.uk).

13. If businesses working in the south-east are becoming more aware generally of the challenges associated with water shortages, this might heighten their consciousness of just how difficult life might be in arid or drought-stricken countries. WaterAid provide involvement opportunities that include payroll-giving, a credit card, fundraising, and more (www.wateraid.org) and have now helped nine million people gain access to safe, clean water.

14. It is one thing to take CSR into account within a corporate mission, but quite another for responsibility to be the sole business aim. Such is the intended focus of companies within the Social Enterprise Coalition, and for whom ‘return’ is identified as a ‘triple bottom line’: financial, environmental, and social (www.socialenterprise.org.uk).

15. Recognise the impact that CSR initiatives can have on the attitudes of staff towards working in your company, and no doubt the longevity of their employment. In the voting for the annual Sunday Times compendium of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’, one question put to employees is for ‘belief that this company helps the environment’. Also singled out are companies where ‘at least 10% of staff are known to undertake charitable activities during business hours without incurring financial loss’ (www.timesonline.co.uk/best100).

16. Acknowledge the ‘food miles problem’, namely that exotic unseasonal foods transported long distances ‘cost’ in terms of energy usage and carbon emissions too. (To be taken into account, however, may be the local community benefit in the supplying country). Such considerations may apply in respect of food for office staff, menus at conferences and promotional events, and edible gifts.

17. Office gadgets can be energy-sensitive, for example, the wind-up and solar-powered radio, and the water-powered clock (www.ecotopia.co.uk), or the solar device for charging telephones and other gizmos (www.solio.com).

18. Cut down on unwanted and unread junk mail by registering with www.mpsonline.org.uk. This allows mailing organisations to market ‘considerately, ethically, and economically’.

19. Office electrical goods that are no longer wanted can be put to good use: Action Aid make money by re-furbishing mobiles for use in developing countries (www.actionaidrecycling.org.uk) - and see also www.futureforests.com/recycling; and www.rainforestconcern.org who explain that the donation of 15 recycled ‘phones generates enough cash to buy an acre of rainforest. Old computers can be channelled towards schools via www.free-computers.org, and www.computeraid.org. (At present over three million operational computers are simply binned each year).

20. Supporting local farmers and other producers of country foods could be viewed as thoughtful and responsible, and would introduce a talking point to an otherwise predictable conference meal (www.farmersmarkets.net). Dorset Square Hotel in Marylebone works with Dorset-based suppliers of Blue Vinney cheese, preserves, home-made biscuits, and other local foods (www.dorsetsquare.co.uk).

21. So-called ‘conscience consumerism’ lies at the heart of Bono’s ‘Product Red’ initiative through which purchases identified with the Red logo result in a donation to the Global fund to fight illnesses in Africa. Such items could be prizes in reward programmes (www.joinred.com). Key MICE executives may wish to use the American Express Red card that triggers 1% donations on all transactions.

22. Whilst any identification should be subtle, a ‘halo’ effect can be derived from linking a CSR initiative with a good cause known to have celebrity endorsement or their tacit support. Sting’s work for the Rainforest Foundation, and Harrison Ford’s interest in Conservation International’s campaign to save global biodiversity are examples (www.conservation.org). Many businesses support the work of The Prince’s Trust in the UK (www.princes-trust.org.uk).

23. Environmental and social responsibility issues are becoming increasingly mainstream reporting topics in the daily media, but for a selection of specialist news releases that can keep staff and colleagues up-to-date and add perspective, access www.worldlandtrust.org. The Trust recently established a nature reserve in Paraguay to protect endangered species. More substantial material features in Developments, the free quarterly magazine of the Department for International Development (www.dfid.gov.uk).

24. Scope exists for your office to support – through fund-raising or offering volunteer help – any of literally dozens of awareness ‘weeks’ or ‘months’ which take a socially responsible theme. Examples include Fairtrade Fortnight, World Debt Day, One World Week, and the BBC Children in Need Appeal. Dates and contact details from www.yearahead.co.uk. Sponsored walks or treks by staff can be a valuable response.

25. Incentive travel programmes can offer the choice of ethical holidays and volunteer placement programmes in appropriate communities. Examples are highlighted by www.responsibletravel.com; and www.anotherwaytravel.com. More specific is a Germany-based initiative ‘Give instead of take’, that encourages clients to commit to incentives with a social theme (www.gebenstattnehmen.de). Habitat for Humanity invite people to help build and renovate homes for families in need (www.habitat.org).

26. Booking trips through North South Travel (who offer discounted fares worldwide and full agency professionalism) results in profits channelled to projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Such NST Development Trust projects include community health initiatives, rehabilitation programmes for children, and the recycling of second-hand bicycles (www.northsouthtravel.co.uk).

27. A valuable starting point for planning CSR initiatives is the specialist business text Brand Spirit. How Cause Related Marketing Builds Brands (eds. Pringle, H. and Thompson, M.; Published in paperback in 2001 by J. Wiley and Sons). Evidence is offered that suggests consumers are willing to accept a modest premium charge for brands that are associated with good causes. Important chapters deal with the ‘Essentials of Cause Related Marketing’ and ‘Creating a CRM Campaign’, and there are various case histories.

28. A constructive longer-term contribution to CSR could arise form an engagement with an academic organisation that focuses on the subject. In principle such support could include sponsorship for bursaries, awards, library books, specialist seminars, visits by international speakers, and other initiatives. Note, for example, the courses offered by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism at the University of Greenwich (www.icrtourism.org). Other options could be the courses on sustainable development at the University of Aberdeen; sustainable tourism at Anglia Polytechnic University; environmental science and technology at Aston University; and also the work of the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds.

29. For an additional (and at times critical) perspective on the social and environmental track record of leading brand name companies, contact www.ethicalconsumer.org.

30. Recognise that some criticise CSR reports as little more than insubstantial ‘corporate spin’, and unlikely to be of interest to, or even read by, institutional investors. Awards for informative CSR reports are made by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (www.accaglobal.com). The Ethical Investment Research Service (www.eiris.org) offers information on ethical funds. Note the work of the CSR Academy (a DTI-supported initiative) which aims to promote masterclasses in CSR responsibility (www.bitc.org.uk).

31. The Ethical Awards programme, run by The Observer in association with Ecover, is intended to recognise those individuals ‘who make ethical living accessible and aspirational’ (www.observer.co.uk/ethicalawards). Suppliers or campaigners within the MICE sector may deserve your nomination and vote.

32. A way of emphasising the seriousness of your commitment to CSR is to work with suppliers who are accredited members of the Ethical Trading Initiative. ETI promotes the implementation of codes that govern labour conditions, for instance those affecting homeworkers or smallholder farmers (www.ethicaltrade.org).

33. It seems increasingly likely (suggest leading business travel agencies and buyers of corporate travel) that a robust CSR programme will be a required, or at least recognised, dimension of value within a procurement contract. Some argue that it is a trend that will soon become normal practice and could work against uninvolved suppliers. In Scandinavian countries it is obligatory for companies to embrace environmentalism.

34. Support for the Voluntary Service Organisation to ‘fight global poverty and disadvantage’ can take place informally … by running in the London Marathon, staging a curry night …. or entering the VSO raffle (www.vso.org.uk).

35. Participants at MICE events could be encouraged to request that a ‘responsibility questionnaire’ is completed by international destinations or venues. Such an approach is recommended by Tribes, the ‘Fair trade travel company’ (www.tribes.co.uk).

36. International events can take ‘sensitivity to cultural and social dynamics’ into account (www.sustainabletourism.net). This site (offered by specialist Rachel Dodds) encourages due consideration for the customs and values of host communities. Examples are the religious practices of pilgrims in Tibet, and the offer of the local drink as part of welcoming behaviour at an Ecuadorian village.

37. The Institute of Philanthropy argues that British businesses give too little to help voluntary organisations. Strategic suggestions that can find greater acceptance from shareholders are (a) an increase in the corporate matching of staff payroll donations, and (b) persuading shareholders to vote for higher levels of giving from pre-tax profits. The Institute has created the Giving Calculator tool to help us see how our giving compares to the national average (www.instituteforphilanthropy.org.uk). The Per Cent standard logo is awarded by Business in the Community to those firms allocating 1% or more of pre-tax profits to community projects (www.bitc.org.uk).

38. Examples of how tourism can negatively influence lifestyles in host communities are identified by Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk), and should be taken into account when organising trips to relevant destinations.

39. Rewarding Virtue: effective board action on corporate responsibility (by Mackenzie, C., with Hodgson, S.) offers CSR suggestions that include: setting values, thinking strategically, cultivating integrity, and managing with due control (www.bitc.org.uk/resources/publications/rewardingvirtue).

40. Reputation consultant Paul Goldsmith identifies subtle ways that simply being a profitable business can lead to society-beneficial conduct. Suggestions include: paying suppliers at the agreed time; continuing re-investment in higher quality products and services; and ensuring that your work does not cause environmental pollution (www.paulgoldsmith.co.uk).

41. Recognise that the public still have doubts that businesses do enough to help the communities in which their activities take place; and nor do they perceive them to be totally trustworthy in presenting CSR information. Note the annual MORI polls on attitudes towards Corporate Social Responsibility (www.mori.com).

42. Vigilance over human rights abuse by the United Nations identifies a variety of potential violations. These include: forced and bonded labour; forced and bonded child labour; denial of the rights of women; problems over the freedom to offer opinions; and worse.

43. Guaranteed charity places at high-profile runs (e.g. Flora London Marathon each April) provide a focus for office support. Note also the success of the annual Great Gorilla Run on behalf of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (700 ‘gorillas’ took part) that raised six-figure sponsorship (www.dianfossey.org).

44. MICE industry suppliers can provide visibility for CSR initiatives. Note the publicity exposure achieved through poster sites at Durham Tees Valley Airport on behalf of the Make a Child Smile charity initiative (for sick and underprivileged children) that is organised by two local radio stations. A fund-raising auction (March 2006) features a complete wedding at Redworth Hall Hotel, Darlington, and a table at Hardwick Hall’s Lobster Fest (www.teessideairport.com).

45. A slightly unorthodox (and deeper) approach that may appeal is offered by the Wildlife For All Trust that places emphasis on selfish ‘me, me, me’ human psychology as the basic cause of environmental problems. They challenge the ‘I want more’ ethos of over-consumption, and, for example, guarantee that all their staff work non-paid; that no funds are re-directed for admin.; and that all monies are used to fund nature reserves (www.wildlifeforall.org).

46. Companies opting for below-the-line tactics could enter the annual Cause-Related Marketing competition run jointly by Incentive Today and the Institute of Sales Promotion. The 2005 campaign invited entries supporting the nominated NCH children’s charity (www.incentivetoday.com).

47. Because CSR issues have become more centre-stage, the media often carry advertisements, stories, or supplements of relevance, and which can prompt your ideas for immediate and serious engagement. For example, in the Sunday Telegraph (main section only) on March 5, 2006, there were ads for the British Red Cross Africa Food Crisis, and also the Food and Water Crisis in Kenya Appeal of Concern Worldwide; news pieces about the Spirit of the Community Awards, and also greenhouse emissions arising from air travel; and additionally, a 16-page pull-out in support of Fair Trade Fortnight. In the latter there are details of a new celebrity cookbook which features some of the 850 Fairtrade products now being supplied in this country.

48. An option, not without complications, is for conferences and/or venues to donate unsold/uneaten food to local needy organisations. This topic must be discussed first with the local Health and Safety Department. Issues that arise include continuing responsibility for the ‘safety’ of the food; appropriate packaging and despatch; labelling the content; and more. Restrictions are less onerous if needy people can be invited into the establishment to consume the unused foods.

49. Because staff ‘ownership’ of the CSR concept is essential, the selection of shortlisted good causes, and campaign approaches, ought to be transparent and inclusive. An internal focus group or think-tank that seeks such bottom-up involvement will be effective, but should take care also to ensure that intended projects ‘fit’ with the existing core values of the brand and/or company.

50. Christmas is often the time of year when companies acknowledge their staff, suppliers, and clients, with expressions of goodwill, from cards to appropriate gifts. An alternative approach, identified as PresentAid, is to channel monies towards constructive purchases for poor communities overseas (at the same time advising your network of former recipients of your decision). Costing from £7 to £8000 such gestures result in a better future for people in 50 countries, irrespective of religion. An example, at £15, is the donation of a can of worms that help compost the soil for struggling farmers in Bolivia (www.presentaid.org).

Notes:
(a) These tips have been compiled for the C&IT Campaign for Change by Chris Martins on behalf of responsiblemeetings.com, the CSR website of latemeetings.com. The suggestions are offered for guidance only, and the websites used for illustrative purposes should be viewed only as an introduction to the identified resources, not an endorsement. The sole aim has been to suggest the scope for the MICE industry to engage more fully in a Corporate Social Responsibility approach, but not to present definitive recommendations, which should be the decision of the participant(s) concerned. Nor is this work intended to represent a judgemental or hectoring position.

(b) Apologies are presented in advance should any of the websites have altered since research took place.

(c) These tips will be updated and added to every three months