MPI analyzes the power of responsible events

Cool format. The session was held at the Meliá Princesa, which had set up a room with a variety of styles of furniture, an innovation that could give you ideas for surprising, informal sessions and where, in addition, each assistant sits the way they want. With fitness balls included (they seem to be very comfortable, even if they seem awkward). Remember that we live in the era of personalization, and this can even apply to the furniture.

To illustrate his message, Almudena used many cases of events, photos where you can see happy assistants, together, with enthusiasm. Based on those images, which show people just like we want our attendees to be, she explained the power of the generous event, the event that connects with (and helps) the local community, to motivate and unite the audience, as well as to create community. A fact

Adapted to current trends. This type of solidarity activities are what the millenials generation likes: values ​​of diversity, of political involvement, of individual responsibility (each one has to help, it is not a responsibility of the State), care for the environment… are what this generation preaches.

An example of this responsible travel trend is AirBnB’s “social ribbon”, whereby the traveler can buy activities to help the local community in the destination. A way of living the destination in a unique, authentic way, interacting with local people and having enriching activities.

The brands pay attention. An example is the very demanding B-Corp certification that certifies that a company manages its activity responsibly. But beyond the brands, the events pay attention too and Almudena presented many events such as Impact Weekend or the Net Impact conference, which were created to develop responsible, sustainable initiatives.

Without complex. As Almudena commented, ” social sells.” Whoever does an event with a responsible component has to say it, make noise, communicate their responsible actions. You can also, as I did AirBnB, charge solidarity activities, which have their cost of preparation.

How to make these actions profitable in events, how to take advantage of them to enrich the experience of the attendees? There are many ways, from using food from km0 to hotels with clean energy, recycled paper, or giving away handicrafts, especially if carried out by disadvantaged groups … All this does not have to cost more, and on the contrary allow to impact the assistant to the local society. In fact, learning from neuroscience says that when one gives and is generous, one feels better, more satisfied, more happy. We are (logically) programmed at the biological level, which has allowed us to survive as a species. And as an organizer, you think: if an activity provokes such attitudes in attendees, perhaps it makes sense to raise it?

Method. Almudena closed presenting four action points:

• Explore: analyze the audience, the reason for the event, its stakeholders, the identity of the company… all these essential elements of environment.
• Innovate: define who will do what, how, in matters of responsibility. What will the hotel do in terms of gastronomy, what does the printing in terms of printed material, what solidarity activity we include, in collaboration with which NGO…?
• Implement: start realizing the defined actions.
• Measure. Yes, yes, here too the fact of measuring is important. She commented the eventimpacts tool, which allows you to estimate the results of an event.

The event closed with a presentation by the Helping By Doing foundation, which explained the actions they take to help companies to be more responsible in their events and more generally in their overall activity.