From Optics to Impact: The Value of Sustainability in Enterprise-level Meetings & Events Strategies
If you lead procurement, meetings and events (M&E), or ESG in a large organization, you may be facing a pivotal shift. Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have layered onto event logistics. It’s a core decision criterion on par with cost, risk, compliance, and experience.
M&IW Sustainability Champion Donna Collins sees this shift happening in real time. “Organizations want to know how to make the sustainable choice the default choice,” she said. “Attendees expect more, stakeholders expect more, but meeting owners don’t always know how to make it happen. M&IW provides strategic sustainability solutions to our customers, and it’s time for that to become the norm across the industry.”
This blog post explores why treating M&E as a strategic, sustainable category advances ESG goals, reduces organizational risk, and strengthens brand trust. Next month, our follow-up white paper will outline how to design and implement an enterprise-level M&E sustainability policy.
Companies with strong ESG profiles experience higher brand strength, lower volatility during crises, and faster recovery from reputational shocks—benefits that directly influence enterprise value.
Why Sustainability Belongs in C-Suite Conversation
Because meetings and events are one of the most visible expressions of your brand, they are uniquely positioned to activate your ESG strategy and demonstrate progress in a way stakeholders can see and measure.
For executives, the value case is clear: sustainable M&E strengthens reputation, mitigates risk, and signals responsible growth to employees, customers, and investors. Research also shows companies with strong ESG profiles experience higher brand strength, lower volatility during crises, and faster recovery from reputational shocks—benefits that directly influence enterprise value.1
The bottom line: Sustainability in meetings and events is not optics. It’s value creation and risk mitigation at scale.
From Eco-friendly Practices to Enterprise-level Strategy
Instead of making individual events more eco-friendly, leading organizations follow a program-level approach where sustainability is built into the governance model, not added as an afterthought.
“When sustainability is in the RFP, the contract, and the dashboard, you don’t need to push,” said Donna. “The system pulls it through.”
Enterprise level sustainable M&E programs share several defining characteristics:
- Center led governance
- Clear sustainability policies and decision frameworks
- Sustainability weighted RFPs and contracts
- Preferred partner requirements
- Integrated data capture and reporting
Yet these characteristics are the exception, not the rule, leaving most organizations with fragmented efforts that stall before they scale.
“Many [sustainability] practices reduce cost… Even where premiums exist, they’re often offset by risk reduction, brand equity, and process efficiencies.”
–Donna Collins, Sustainability Champion, M&IW
Challenges Facing M&E Sustainability
Only 38% of event professionals report having sustainability written into their organization’s policy,2 meaning a majority of businesses are not taking advantage of the positive brand perception, risk mitigation, and process efficiencies that sustainable M&E programs offer.
Several barriers consistently hold organizations back:
Budget Constraints
As event budgets remain stagnant or are reduced, sustainability is perceived as a cost premium, making it one of the first line items cut.
“What decision makers may not realize is that when sustainability is designed into the full M&E program, costs don’t increase,” said Donna. “In fact, many practices reduce costs, such as regional sourcing materials and circular production. Even where premiums exist, they’re offset by risk reduction, brand equity, and process efficiencies.”
Lack of Data
Many organizations still lack the infrastructure to capture, track, and analyze sustainability data across their M&E programs. As one article states, “Without reliable data, it’s impossible to quantify progress, justify budget spend, or demonstrate ROI—all of which are essential for making the business case for sustainability.”2
Knowledge Gaps
A 2023 study found the two biggest barriers to sustainable events were stakeholder demands and lack of knowledge, with “increasing client education” as the top response for what would drive improvement.3
“At M&IW, we see knowledge gaps not because teams don’t care about sustainability, but because they’re navigating a complex ecosystem of suppliers, stakeholders, and requirements,” said Donna. “When organizations don’t have consistent definitions, data, or decision‑making frameworks, even well‑intentioned initiatives stall.”
Up Next: A Guide to Sustainable M&E Program Strategy
Sustainability standards that are embedded in policy, procurement, and data strategy are rapidly becoming not only a competitive advantage for companies but a core decision criterion for enterprise-level M&E programs.
Next month, M&IW is publishing a white paper diving deeper into the impact and efficiencies gained by implementing a sustainable, enterprise-level M&E strategy, including a how-to guide to enhance your own strategy. Join our mailing list to be the first to receive this valuable resource.
Meet the Expert
Donna Collins
Sustainability Champion
Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc.
Sources
1 event:decision, 2026
2 event:decision, 2025
3 IMEX, 2025
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