Event Impacts and Sustainability: Week 14

Week 14: Event Impacts, Sustainability

• Course instructor: Liza Urazova, Senior Lecturer

Class Content

• Event impacts
  • Trends in event management:
    • Demographic trends
    • Sustainability and green events
  • How COVID-19 has changed the nature of events?
    • Online events
    • Hybrid events

Event Impacts

• Personal Impacts:
  • Positive Experiences
  • Negative Experiences
• Organizational Impacts:
  • Finance
  • HR
  • Capacity
  • Marketing
• External Impacts:
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Society
  • Culture

Economic Impacts

• Assessing Economic Impacts of Events (Morgan & Condliffe, 2006)
• Define geographical area (town, city, region, or country)
• Identify impacted industries (e.g., construction, leisure/hospitality)
• Collect data: Measure direct impacts on identified sectors
• Multiplier effects:
  • Input-output analysis
  • Cost benefit analysis
  • Direct spending + Indirect spending / Direct spending = Multiplier
• Tax leakage occurs when money flows to external economies
• Economic value of events to a local area
• Policies and strategies to maximize local retention of spending

Input-Output Method

• Before-and-after perspective on economic impacts
• Analyze economic relationships between industrial sectors and regions.
• Utilizing national-level statistical data
• Attendee spending in transport/hospitality boosts local economy

Cost-Benefit Analysis

• Compare costs of staging an event to its benefits
• Benefits must outweigh costs for an event to be viable
• Externalities
  • Impacts not directly reflected in economics
  • Environmental and socio-cultural impacts
  • Intangible costs and benefits (Carlsen, 2004)

Environmental Impacts

• Evaluate environmental impacts:
  • Baseline environmental data for the event location (before event)
  • Primary event impacts (construction, waste, carbon footprint)
  • Secondary impacts (congestion, pollution from travel, accommodation)

Sustainability Practices

• Events can contribute positively or negatively to surroundings
• Sustainability / "Green" events are increasing
• Types of events to consider:
  • Carbon Neutral Events (net-zero carbon emissions)
  • Zero Waste Initiatives (minimizing waste)
  • Sustainable Sourcing

Trends in Event Management

• Demographic Trends:
  • Younger participants drive demand for tech-integrated events
  • Strategies need to balance energy from younger attendees with experience from older attendees
  • 73% Male, 27% Female event participation
  • Professional experience in Event Management
    • 65% of participants have 0-5 years of experience
    • 27% of participants are mid-career (6 - 10 years)
    • 8% of participants are senior experts (11+ years)
• Sustainability Trends:
  • New solutions in sustainable events management
  • Green Venues
  • Sustainable Transportation Options

Community Engagement

• Involving local communities in sustainability efforts
• Collaborating with local NGOs
• Local clean-up drives
• Tree-planting activities

Online Events

• Digital platforms for virtual gatherings
• Accessibility from anywhere with internet
• Cost-effectiveness (reduced travel, accommodation costs)
• Interactive tools (chat, polls, breakout rooms)
• Scalable for large or global audiences
• Various online event types (webinars, virtual conferences, live streams)

Hybrid Events

• Combine in-person and virtual experiences
• Live streaming for virtual attendees
• Interactive elements for both audiences
• On-site and virtual exhibitors or sponsors
• Increased accessibility and audience size
• Flexible participation
• Enhanced data collection and analytics

Explore the multifaceted impacts of events on society and the economy in this week’s class. We will delve into the trends in event management, including sustainability practices and the shifts caused by COVID-19. Additionally, this session will examine both personal and organizational impacts, along with a focus on economic assessments of events.