Event managers 'concerned' with environmental issues

Wednesday 21st of November 2007

Event organisers have concerns about environmental issues but they are not pressing enough to make them pay higher prices, according to new research.

Merlin Entertainments Group questioned 500 corporate event organisers and found that three-quarters are doing little to tackle climate change, CatererSearch reports.

This is despite the fact that half specified environmental issues as an important consideration when picking a venue for an event. Only 45 per cent were, however, willing to pay extra for carbon neutral packages, while just two per cent would pay up to £15 more.

Michael Aldridge, events general manager for Merlin Entertainments Group, told the website that people were now aware of climate change right across the events sector, but that these issues were still not being given the budgeting considerations that they require.

Meanwhile, the British Standards Institute (BSI) has launched a new management system aimed at helping organisers reduce the impact of their events on the environment, taking into account energy usage, waste reduction and the protection of historical sites.