STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2024
Events must be accessible to all
In previous reports, we’ve highlighted sustainability through the lens of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), focusing on environmental longevity and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, particularly in racial and LGBTQIA+ realms. This year, a new sector of inclusion made its way into public consciousness: accessibility and disability inclusion. This means looking at ways to make events inclusive for all types of bodies and minds. In his session David Merrell & Susie Perelman Present: Current Trends in the Event Industry at Catersource + The Special Event 2024, Creative Director of AOO Events David Merrell laid out what neuroinclusivity looks like: “Basically, it’s the idea that everybody interacts and experiences the world around them in a different way, and there’s really no one right way or wrong way. So, a neurodivergent person would be someone who has ADHD, or OCD, or autism, or dyslexia—I would venture to say in this room, there are people that have certain variations or certain degrees of that.” He emphasized that it’s time “to now start thinking about the fact that corporations are actually starting to pay attention to neurodiversity, and make sure that their content and what they do for everybody ... is available for everyone to sensory process in their own way.” The 2024 Disability Equality Index® report was released this July at the Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo, noting that this year, there were “higher year-over-year adoption rates for nearly all reported practices around disability inclusion while also showing the need for more progress in areas such as diversity reporting, supplier diversity spending and boardroom inclusion.” Other notable statistics included: • 45% are publishing diversity reports that include disability data, up from 24% in 2023. • 71% have a requirement to ensure digital products are accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities, up from 64% in 2023. • 24% have company-wide disability-focused goals in place for supplier diversity and inclusion. 2025 will see increased conversation around accessibility and inclusivity, drawing on discussion from the past few years and seeking ways to practically apply better accessibility strategies. Special Events published a guide to accessible events in the 2024 Fall Issue— give it a look to check in on your own event accessibility practices.
Event producers have increasingly turned to partners that share similar values to ease the burden of creating sustainable events. Photo courtesy Destination Canada/Parléview/Johnson Studios
Eco-friendly events According to the Huddle report, ESG considerations in the events industry are finally moving from conversation to action: • 73% of organizations have a dedicated ESG strategy • 60% conduct environmental audits • 56% have a roadmap to achieve Net Zero by 2050 • 70% are on track to achieve 2030 Net Zero goals • 81% have invested in energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, and carbon offsetting programs Other strides toward progress include efforts by the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, including a new AI sustainability tool. Efforts to help attendees make better choices are helping to shift client demand as well—climate labeling, which displays the carbon footprint of different foods, allow attendees to see the impact of the food they eat at events, shifting client demand slowly but surely. Over the past couple years, event pros have gotten tired of talking the talk and have worked toward taking real, practical steps to walk the walk. Event goers have made it clear: events that prioritize environmental sustainability are the ones that will have the highest attendance as time progresses.
36
SPECIAL EVENTS
WINTER 2024
Powered by FlippingBook