As we are nearing the end of our webinar series, this week we featured our second Sustainability topic - Social Sustainability.
Our speakers this week were Dr. Kelly Bricker and Ashleigh Poff. They spoke all about what Social Sustainability is, why it matters and how we as event planners can make a difference while we all recover from this global pandemic.
Here is a recap from Dr. Bricker’s session
Social Sustainability Definition
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) provides standards and codes for accreditation and certification social tourism within the four pillars identified under the Sustainable Development Goals. The second pillar focuses on socioeconomic impacts and local community benefits. Its guides are also in keeping with the UNWTO definition of Sustainable Tourism which is “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”. It entails:
Measuring impact of tourism
Economic impact - Direct and indirect impact of tourism to the destination’s economy is monitored and publicly reported
Community Impacts - How organization provides basic services to neighboring communities
Social Impact - Tourism as a social impact doesn’t socially affect, impact local community no adverse effect
It should be an enhancement in the local community and not an eyesore
Identifying opportunities in Business
Infrastructure and social community development
Decent work - ensure labor rights are respected
Safe and secure working environment
At least a living wage, training etc. (living wage -to be able to provide for essential needs)
Support for community
open, transparent and engaging system
Access for All
There should be a universal design/experience, where practical, for persons with disability or impairments. This goes beyond disabilities and includes persons with any challenges such as senior persons, persons with younger kids, medical conditions and allergies.
Obtaining buy-in from local communities
Present the facts. Look at impact of tourism on the community
Protect social and cultural aspects
Let them know that social sustainability is now tied into the sustainable development goals
Look at the current demand, especially with COVID-19, where more governments are more interested in providing healthy environments for people to live in.
Obtaining government buy in
More governments over past 2 years are engaging in GSTC training courses
Utilize opinion leaders
Highlight benefits and drawbacks of tourism
Utilize results from visitor surveys to show impact
Finding and sourcing organizations to partner with to add and accelerate impact in these areas
Website such as TripAdvisor, booking.com and Lonely Planet have a sustainability line
Some of them have won global awards, planet awards another indicator
Check the GSTC website. for certified organizations going through the process
Should be a very transparent information source- companies which are certified
Factors/highlights we need to be aware of e.g. greenwashing
People are getting called out more
Companies Should have reviews on their products
Check to see if they are super transparent in what they do. - does it line up with GSTC criteria
Transparency - key screening mechanism
Some organizations are doing a lot but may not broadcast because they are not 100 % there
Sustainability is a journey. Targets are constantly moving
Give credit where it’s due where organizations are helping local communities, helping climate, protecting reef systems etc.
Look at reviews on social media
One Take Away
Every single person can make a difference. it’s the small things day to day things such as understanding, protection of environment which all make a huge impact. Do one small thing each day
We all can do it, it is not insurmountable
For our second session this week Ashleigh Poff spoke from the event planning side as a philanthropic planner. Here are the key takeaways from her session:
Corporate Social Impact Definition
How organizations can use their impact for good. leaving their planet a better place than we met it
Vetting non profits
It’s important to vet companies to ensure it’s going to a good place
Sites such as Charity Navigator and Guidestar can provide information on companies
United Way is also a great resource , especially for the smaller nonprofits as they would have already vetted these companies
Connect with an organization that serves same population
Direct give to persons affected
Organizations have different operational costs including staff and overhead so don't look down on non profits for that
How to get buy-in from larger corporations to contribute
Make sure keep up to date on policies - digital ticketing etc.
Keep passion and your why at the forefront of planning
The why? - Most of us and our clients want to do good so think of a way to make the world a better place.
Effective ways to get buy in from attendees
Offer cultural experiences
Allow attendees a sneak peek into community lives
Share your know before you go
Being inclusive with cultural practices
Nuances of culture tips
Encourage them to spend their money there locally
Giveaways for trivia
Identifying ways to help within a community
It’s wrong to go into any community and pretend to know what they need - do your research
Approaching the conversation with the community
We have the internet at our fingertips - do your research ahead of time
Check for any controversy with nonprofits involving spending
Reach out to people individually instead of just contact us on website
Reach out via email
Offer compensation of some form for them e.g. 10 bucks for a coffee
Find out who are your customers, where do they live and what do they need
Social sustainability - is it thought out before or is it an afterthought for companies
It varies. Some companies have it set and others have no idea what to get into
Is bigger always better for projects or events
Not always, especially if you’re not well versed in philanthropic projects. Start small, significantly lower costs
Be inclusive and intentional with spending
Quick tips on executing these events
One forgotten resource is the people in the organization - someone in development or corporate events is looking and wants to find you. Help them to find you
Tap into resources of these organizations and clients or your community as well
Liaise with Hotels & Vendors
Obtaining information to find clients
Process is heavily data driven
Understanding of social impact landscape
Similar to marketing profiles - look for parallels
On a personal level
Take actions to help your own community
Have a good attitude and surround yourself with positive energy
Of course, be sure to check out the replay of our Live Q&A discussion with Dr. Kelly Bricker and Alexandria as they answered all your social sustainability questions.
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