Towards Sustainable Practice in the Event Industry: Insights from Practitioners

Abstract

The event industry, being very wide and dynamic, is often reported in negative terms when it comes to environmental issues. In view of the serious nature of environmental issues nowadays, the authors see a pressing need to examine the current efforts being made in relation to environmental sustainability in the event industry. This article aims to reveal the level of awareness of the environmental impact of the organization of events, the sustainable green practices that are in place in practice, and the potential improvements in environmental sustainability actions, from the point of view of professional event planners. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted to collect insights from professional event planners. A total of eight event planners, with between 4 and 25 years of event planning experience, were interviewed. The interview data were transcribed verbatim and coded to identify thematic topics for discussion. The findings are encouraging and demand attention from industry practitioners. All the respondents were well aware of the current environmental impact caused by the organization of events. Sustainable green practices are in place in some companies, and insights into those practices were revealed. Potential improvements in sustainable green actions were examined. The education of employees and clients is identified as key for the implementation of sustainable green practices.