Associations increasingly committed to sustainability
Our sector is a set of groups that each have a different role, but that together create events… and that together generate an environmental or social impact. One change in recent years is that some of these groups have defined sustainability dialogues or commitments, with varying levels of specificity, but always with the will to improve things. We review some of these initiatives, although many other associations carry out responsible initiatives, such as the training of members that EMA is carrying out, or causes such as human trafficking supported by associations like SITE or MPI.
AFE: a decalogue and a sustainability roundtable
AFE (Spanish Trade Fair Association) published its decalogue in 2022, “a turning point for the sector’s trade fairs,” says its secretary general Juan Puchalt. Its main components? It advocates a communication effort (on its websites, headquarters, networks…) of its members’ commitments, energy improvements in its facilities and energy use practices, sustainable food practices, collective and sustainable transportation, circular economy in structures and carpets, accessibility, collaborations with NGOs and volunteers (taking advantage of the massive attendance that fairs represent), hiring criteria applying environmental and social criteria, and finally to reduce its carbon footprint. In fact, they have also joined the NetZeroCarbonEvents initiative.
NetZero Carbon Events, the most international initiative
This initiative, supported by more than 400 organizations in 55 countries, aims to make all events carbon-free by 2050. By the end of 2023, they will publish the roadmap for 2050, with an intermediate target of 50% by 2030. It is an initiative that applies to the entire value chain, with the idea of breaking down efforts by type of stakeholder. It has five main fields of action, including organizing events in an energy-efficient and green way or redesigning events to use materials.
IdeMice launches a decalogue for sustainable incentives
While this statement of intent from the incentive agency association emphasizes measures at the destination, it also speaks of commitment at home. It makes recommendations at the level of hiring more sustainable means of transportation (a key component of incentives), combating single-use packaging, hiring sustainable accommodations, more sustainable catering, reuse of materials, workers’ rights, and a key value provided by incentive travel: generating positive impact on the environment by encouraging participants to interact with local communities, with respect for local heritage. This local impact, together with the awareness of participants, is a key value of the incentives.
ADEAZA launches its best practices guide
ADEAZA highlights in its guide the importance of client relationships and the values that should govern these relationships: professionalism, integrity, excellence… The manual advises clients on variables to be taken into account when hiring a company (reputation, solvency, compliance with regulations…), on the difference between the client’s needs and the needs of the staffing company or on the specifications when drawing up a budget.
France defines a sector commitment
UNIMEV, the alliance of associations in the events sector in France, brings together 400 companies from the entire value chain of the events sector. In collaboration with the French government, it has defined an industry commitment focused on avoiding waste. The Decalogue details a series of commitments and circular design methods to be applied. An example of truly collective commitment, but also of prioritization of a few causes.
Source – Eric Mottard – https://www.eventoplus.com/articulos/las-asociaciones-cada-vez-mas-comprometidas-con-la-sostenibilidad/
Figures by business segment
The catering segment is the most important, with a share of 88% of the total. The value of this market stood at 3.1 billion euros, 15% more than in the previous year. Within the mass catering business, educational establishments were the most dynamic demand segment, with an increase of 17.2% and a value of 1,055 million euros. Demand from the healthcare sector remained the most important, reaching 1,365 million euros (+14.7%), while business services increased by 12.2% to 505 million euros.
Air catering, on the other hand, was driven by strong growth in the number of passengers traveling by air. 220 million in 2022, 76% more than in the previous year.
After growing by 67%, high-end catering reached 200 million euros, in a context of a strong increase in demand for events and celebrations thanks to the lifting of restrictions following the pandemic.
Nearly a thousand companies
In 2022, the sector’s supply was made up of some 955 companies, which generated an employment volume of 75,000 workers. Both figures remained stable throughout the last fiscal year.
The solid position achieved by the main operators is reflected in the degree of concentration in the sector. In 2022, the top five had a combined share of nearly 45% of sector turnover, a percentage that was close to 60% when the top ten operators are taken into account.
Source – https://www.foodretail.es/horeca/mercado-catering-previsiones-2023_0_1769223072.html
