Sustainable Events Management in Maryland Green Travel - Case Study Example

Module Report The purpose of this study is to analyses Maryland Green Travel business dealing with sustainable events management. Its main aim is to encourage environmental friendly practices in the tourism industry. It also promotes the place as a favorable destination for travelers that are eco-minded. Maryland Green Travel program came up voluntarily and attained self-certification. The methods used include explaining sustainability and the triple bottom line theory as used in sustainability events management. Sustainability involves incorporating events to link economic and growth policies as a way of mitigating negative economic and social impacts of mass tourism while sustainable events management (SEM) involves using principles of sustainable development in managing certain events. The conclusion shows that in order to maintain sustainable events management, call for action by government, industry leaders and local leaders is essential to implement way of accessing the obstacles towards sustainability. Introduction With the current changing climate, there are likely considerable implications for industries and government. Ramsborg et al. (2008) describes that the events industry aims at reducing various impacts, as it is necessary for the large industry to demonstrate leadership and commitment to effect change. These changes include the evolving trends implemented through improved strategies that will enable a business to respond to an issue in a sustainable manner. This study analyses Maryland Green Travel business dealing with sustainable events management. Its main aim is to encourage environmental friendly practices in the tourism industry. It also promotes the place as a favorable destination for travelers that are eco-minded. Maryland Green Travel program came up voluntarily and attained self-certification in partnership with Maryland Tourism Council and department of environment. This program encourages businesses related to tourism that reduce impact to the environment. The program also helps in the provision of guidelines that evaluates goals, operations and actions involved in environmental sustainability. Analysis of sustainability policy of the Maryland Green Travel According to Maryland Green Travel (2012), sustainable events management enables organizations to understand the effects that their activities cause to the environment, society and the economy. The industry then introduces measures for curbing these effects. The major requirements for sustainability management include having a sustainability policy, objectives, operations controls and others. The analysis shows that all the characteristics of the events should be sustainable as events managers consider factors such as economical, social and environmental. The sustainability policy for Maryland Green Travel include a plan to reduce property waste, opportunity to recycle, reduce use of water and energy and an optional linen service. The other requirements include recycling of grease, minimizing the effects of disposable food containers, supporting of green events and measuring the results. Maryland Green Travel also organizes and chooses aspects such as venue, travel and packages that are ecological in nature. According to Pezzey & Toman (2002, pp. 1-30), the benefits of using sustainability events management include one; it gives its parties a clear direction by sharing the sustainability policies. The second benefit is that confidence is created in identifying, evaluating and solving issues. Third is that there are few complaints as the key issues are discussed with major stakeholders. The fourth benefit is the reduction of risks related to damage of reputation. The fifth benefit is that there are reduced operations costs, carbon emissions, waste management and increased resource efficiency. This is because of the better management of suppliers. The processes also improve because of the introduction of process mapping, therefore, improving efficiency and effectiveness. Other benefits include better ways of investment due to the availability of information, lower costs of recruitment and training resulting to lower employee turnover. This is facilitated by the motivation where staff identifies the benefits of their organization in relations to taking responsibilities. Eventually, customer satisfaction improves, therefore, customer loyalty. Sustainability Sustainable tourism is the leading in the management of all resources as a way of fulfilling economic, social and aesthetic needs. This also maintains cultural integrity, ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. Goodland (2002) explains that sustainable tourism have also regard to ecological and social-cultural capabilities where it involves community of destination and development planning. Sustainability involves incorporating events to link economic and growth policies as a way of mitigating negative economic and social impacts of mass tourism. Ecological approach explains the dynamic of tourism. This considers plants and people in the implementation of sustainable tourism development process. The ecological approach is in contrast to the economic and boosterish approach to tourism planning (Barton 2004). Andy & Paul (2010) puts it that recent studies indicate that European based companies are ahead of the U.S companies in terms of implementing CSR and the sustainability of business practices. In this era, of globalization, business operations in U.S, and E.U are not as different as many would assume since both continents have to deal with ensuring that corporations within practice good ethics and responsibility. Balfousia-Savva et al. (2003) shows it may seem difficult to understand the foundation for business ethics as the field is huge and contains concerns that include corporate governance, accurate accounting, environmental sustainability and reputation management. The field also addresses the scope of responsibilities that every company owes its stakeholders that include employees, suppliers, clients and the entire community (Hamilton 2003) Businesses involve themselves to the community through economic development, for example, a bank may offer to reduce interest on housing loans. Blake (2005) describes that other initiatives carried out by firms include the provision of basic human needs such as food, housing and eliminating discrimination among community members. Most companies report that the move means providing transparency in their activities and improve performance records. Apart from the increased competition force, the other force facilitating the increase of social responsibility in businesses is the moral market factor. This is where a company would like the entire public to perceive it as morally corporate. The major benefit acquired from social responsibility is creating a good reputation to investors, financial analysts and consumers. This makes employees, stockholders or consumers maintain better relationships and are proud of the company’s achievements. According to Goldblatt ( 2001), a growing evidence also shows that organisation with a good public image are able to be in business for a long period of time as the reputation creates customer trust therefore more support from the public. Companies in both nations have attained the key performance factors such as achieving increased market share and sale, having a strengthened market position and achieving an enhanced corporate image in business. Other benefits acquired from the practice of social responsibility include increased ability to attract new investors, motivate and retain employees. The operation costs of these firms also decrease with the increase in sales and employee motivation. Hamilton (2003) states that a research carried out showed an increased market share and sales where they carried a market survey and 84 percent of people interviewed admitted having a positive image to companies that contribute to the society welfare. Hamilton (2003) shows that 75 percent of the people also admitted that they would buy from company associated with social responsibility. Goldblatt (2001) describes that 66 percent of the people interviewed said it was possible for them to switch brands and buy a brand from a company that cared for the needs of the society and the entire community. This shows that promotions through social responsibility yield a company much benefits and that the method has a major impact on highly educated individuals and high-income earners. Wallace (2005) shows that 75 percent of consumers purchase more due to the reputation of a company and if their products are friendly to the environmental. According to Bowdin et al. (2004), sustainable events management (SEM) involves using principles of sustainable development in managing certain events. It especially involves reducing the ecological effects caused whenever there is an event. This ensures that there are no negative effects to the communities and to shareholders. As the world faces the challenges of climate change, there have been introduction of more sustainable issues and events to control the impact. Improved sustainability is an end and various reasons contribute to the implementation of SEM. Stivers (1999) shows the first reason is that SEM helps in delivering cost savings using affordable resources such as water and energy. SEM also helps in differentiating the type of event from others and helps in reducing negativity linked to events especially those that require travelling. SEM also gives an organization the opportunity to improve relationships among stakeholders, therefore, improving the company image. No single method used in the implementation of SEM. However, in 2007, UK introduced the British Standard for Sustainable Event Management (BS 8901). This framework helps in showing sustainability continuous improvement process. This shows that sustainability is never achieved but a continuous progress of achievement. SEM, therefore, means that sustainability involves doing some things in the right way rather than doing all things in a right way. It involves having experience of past events and changing the things that did not work well previously and so on. The steps taken in events management includes pre-event planning. This involves defining a sustainability policy and establishing straight commitment by setting high standard goals, objectives and performance indicators. The second step involves event monitoring and implementation. After setting the objectives in the first stage, there is need to include effective supply chain management to ensure that participants are performing effectively. Wallace (2005) explains that performance indicators are placed in the process to address and solve issues once they arise. The last step is reviewing the process where managers measure performance indicators and identify the objectives that were not effective and where to improve. Top-bottom line theory Sustainability is a main goal for any organization in government and private businesses though it is difficult to measure the degree of sustainability. Smith & Rees (2008) explains that in 1990, John Elkington introduced a measure for sustainability measuring in terms of performance and called it triple bottom line (TBL). This involves measuring social and environmental issues as well as profits, return on investments and shareholder value. TBL helps in supporting sustainability goals in relation to performance along profits and people. Most nonprofit and government businesses are now using TBL framework in ensuring that their performance is according to the standards of state, federal and local. Triple bottom line theory represents an accounting framework that involves three aspects that include environmental, social and financial performance. This is different from the traditional frameworks that involved social and environmental measures. The three dimensions may also be in terms of people, profits and planet (3Ps). According to Smith & Rees (2008), TBL involves capturing the fundamental nature of sustainability through measuring the activities of an organization and the impact to the world. It also shows the impact on profitability, shareholder value and environmental capital. The 3Ps have no common unit of measurement as profits are in dollars and the rest have no units and, therefore, a major challenge. In measuring TBL, no universal standard method of calculation though some agencies may measure environmental sustainability by the amount of solid waste. A profit bus company may measure performance by the earnings per share, as TBL is able to cater for the differences. The method also measures both large and small geographical area and the effects of a project in a certain location or other infrastructure projects at the national level. The measures used in these projects include type of project, level of entity and geographical area. The subject matter and stakeholders as well as the ability to collect data determine the measures. However, there are measures for measuring sustainability at the national level and state level, the entire measurements is driven by the availability of data. The economic measures include variables that deal with the flow of money such as expenditure and factors such as personal income, establishment sizes, and revenue by sector, job growth and percentage of firms in each area. Pezzey & Toman (2002, pp. 30-40) puts it that the environmental measures include natural resources and influence to its feasibility. The factors include energy, water, air, toxic waste and land cover. The specific variables that enable organizations to identify the impact of a project include the concentration of sulphur and nitrogen gases, excessive nutrients, selected pollutants, solid waste management, fossil fuel and changes in land use. The social measures include the dimensions within a community such as education, access to social services, health services, quality of life and social capital. The potential variables measured include unemployment rate, household income, and percentage of population, violent crimes and average commuter time (Wallace 2005). Recommendations Fundamental sustainable events managers use this concept in implementing certain principles within the organization. The events companies, for example, Maryland Green travel benefits from this framework for accessible social and environmental resources. However, as the industry grows, events tend to generate adverse effects to the communities and practitioners or academics can only measure the impacts. Peter et al. (2008, pp. 7-9), argue that in future, events industry will have to operate under strict legislation if the significance of sustainability and sustainable management is ignored. Some of the barriers of sustainability include employee perceptions, organizational inertia, lack of dependable information and lacking planning standards. Principles of sustainable management in events It is necessary to implement certain principles that adapt to changes in market needs. The major challenge for attaining sustainability is the increasing stress on ecological and physical factors participants in events increase. The first principle is planning for evaluation and implementation of the management plan. Airola & Steven (2000) explains that sustainability events management also needs improved targets and innovative practices; for example, the issue of tickets should be though electronic methods or made using recycled materials. Innovative designs and communication is also necessary in the events industry. This will help to create awareness of the demands on social systems and will show an analysis of the resources needed. Other factors needed in sustainability management include elements of strategy, a designed critical path and chain analysis. These will assist the managers in understanding resources, interactions and time needed for crucial activities. According to Adams & Parmenter (1995, p. 86), the need for strategic thinking helps in ensuring that interventions within sustainable events are on timely basis and that they receive optimum benefits as well as gaining understanding of the effect and cause of action against resources, stakeholders and principles for sustainability. Measuring and evaluating sustainability management technique helps in adjusting procedures and processes to improve opportunities for improvement. The guidelines for sustainability policy include having a sustainability policy crucial in providing clarity to the available stakeholders. Mark (2003, pp. 6-8) explains that there are various practical guidelines such as reducing travel to reduce the amount of carbon emission or improve client’s well-being. Other strategies include discounted tickets given to participants to encourage sustainability. Rogers et al. (2008) explains that DEFRA sustainability events guide principles include using the 3 Rs that state, reduce, reuse and recycle. The other principle is that it encourages participants to communicate through electrical means rather than paper. The minimize impacts of travel, transparent and energy and water efficient. Conclusion With the current economic instability, developing a sustainable industry is crucial to create a huge profit margin. However, such mindsets and depending too much on resources that influence economic sustainability and events management. Though most events allow better opportunities, they also come with risks that cause disruption along supply chain management. The issues may also reduce the quality of services and reduce efficiencies increasing the cost of many commodities. This calls for action by government, industry leaders and local leaders to implement way of accessing the obstacles towards sustainability. Some of the primary risks include environmental degradation especially when there is a mega event such as the recent London Olympics. The other major risks include economic disruption to the host country and investors. Participants in the events and attendees also risk physical damages. References Adams, P & Parmenter, B 1995, An applied general equilibrium analysis of the economic effects of tourism in a quite small, vol. 2, no. 7, pp. 85-99. Airola, J & Steven, C 2000, The projected impact on houston hosting the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Department of Economics, University of Houston. Andy, S & Paul, J 2010, ‘Communities of Citizens and “Indicators” of Sustainability’, Community Development Journal, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 21–36. Balfousia-Savva, S. Athanassiou, L. & Milonas, A 2003, The economic effect of the Athens Olympic Games, Athens: Kasimati. Barton, L 2004, The economic impact of the Olympic Games, Coopers European Economic Outlook, 3rd ed. pp. 18-25. 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