Olivia Brooks Allan, executive vice president of Landmark Ventures (R), hands the 2023 Social Innovation Summit Innovator of the Year award to Mitu Yilma, director of digital for the Born This Way Foundation at this year’s Social Innovation Summit. Rachael B. Photography

Most of us are no strangers to the world of philanthropy and the concept of “doing good.” We’ve been asked to lend our time and financial support to various charitable causes. We are often solicited by groups to help combat various diseases, construct new buildings or save the rainforest. And for many causes, the CSR initiatives at meetings and events are the cornerstone of these efforts — with attendees participating in philanthropic initiatives and charitable endeavors.

Erin Mills, event planner, and CEO and founder of Strat House, a full-service B2B events agency in New Jersey, has over 20 years of experience in the design and production of events for a diverse range of clients.

As Mills explained, financial and insurance organizations typically view CSR as an add-on when, at this point, it should be fundamentally considered as central to the strategy and vision of any event.

“If you’re a values-based organization, you must think through the larger outcomes and effects that you want to have as a company,” Mills said. “How you show up for events — whether they are external or internal — is key to communicating your values.”

A best practice is to start with a client’s or organization’s values and then figure out ways to physically embody them. “Considering the environmental impact of an event is an important CSR practice. What is the carbon footprint of your event and how do you offset that?” Mills asked.

Within the area of catering, for example, there is a huge propensity to create waste on this front, so making sure an event organization or venue has an adequate plan to forecast food and beverage needs to minimize waste is important, as is ensuring that you will be able to compost or donate unconsumed food and beverage post-event.

Regardless of what a planner does to demonstrate CSR, make sure to proactively communicate what is being done, both to your event staff and to your attendees. Mills pointed to onsite signage, which is a great way to do this, as well as communicating the CSR initiatives overtly in any know-before-you-go communications.

“Let your community know what you are doing before, during and after to ensure that your event is making a positive impact, both geographically in terms of the place in which it is taking place, as well as in terms of wider impact,” Mills said.

An example of an onsite event CSR activity that Strat House created was for a client’s annual conference in Las Vegas last year. They established an activation station where attendees could assemble backpacks for children in need. A participant would grab a backpack and then select from a series of educational materials and arts and crafts supplies to place inside; after the event, these were donated to local children’s advocacy groups.

“Another CSR opportunity is to ensure a real-life nod to the diversity of your attendees,” Mills said. At a Constant Contact event, Strat House hosted onsite, live meet-ups where attendees could connect with other people who identified in similar ways to them. “We also created meetups for aficionados of interests such as sports and chess, not leaving the subject areas solely to business topics,” Mills said. “This fostering of connection showed a true commitment to social responsibility.”

For FutureStack, a user conference, Mills and her team hosted an “equity in tech” pledge wall. A local artist was brought in and given commitments by attendees to further equity in tech, and these commitments were then incorporated into a large mural which was created collaboratively and in real time. It allowed attendees to take their beliefs and see them physically represented in a work of art demonstrating what attendees hoped the future of tech would look like.

As an investment banking and business development firm, Landmark Ventures in New York hosts a series of events throughout the year. Their Social Innovation Summit is an event that brings together corporate leaders, philanthropists and influential changemakers to discuss timely topics, including CSR-driven events. Social Innovation Summit, which is attended by many financial and insurance-based companies, itself is unlike other events as it effectively keeps CSR programming as a central component of its mission and programmatic strategy.

Landmark Ventures’ executive vice president Olivia Brooks Allan often shares advice to fellow event planners on CSR strategy and sheds light on how her team has planned the Social Innovation Summit in past years and this year.

“While there is still a lot of progress to be made in the events space to incorporate CSR better, many event producers are using a more sustainable approach to event planning and execution. Event producers can source materials and services from small businesses with diverse make-ups and purpose-driven vendors,” Brooks Allan said. “Actively allocating for CSR in the budget is critical; using resources that can be repurposed in the community after the event, if planned correctly, won’t break the budget and secures partnerships and brand positioning going forward, so it’s an investment of resources and budget spend that delivers beyond the event itself.”

At Landmark Ventures, they produce strategic events to connect people, build relationships and drive their client’s business forward, whether at financial-based industry summits or a custom event designed by their team.

“One of our most notable events is the Social Innovation Summit, annually welcoming more than 1,000 leaders in the social impact space,” Brooks Allan said. “A few key CSR components we include each year are donations of food and produce to local charities; digital marketing, including program and signage wherever possible; and access to the live content through our event app for registered attendees to encourage access to those that might want to reduce their carbon travel footprint, but still engage with the community.”

She stresses that boards, investors and the media evaluate companies for their full picture versus one slice of corporate reporting.

“Strategic event producers have an opportunity to shine professionally when they proactively incorporate CSR into every event strategy,” Brooks Allan said. “Hosting a customer event that hasn’t considered and integrated CSR into the planning could negatively impact future funding, publicity and more.”

Megan Bultman, manager at The Allstate Foundation in Northbrook, IL, said Allstate plans its CSR activations around meetings with a Learn-Act-Scale approach.

“First, we understand how we can leverage Allstate’s strengths to accelerate our pace to an equitable society. Then, we invest our time and expertise to advance an issue aligned with our social priorities and business purpose,” Bultman said. “As an outcome of the meeting, we equip attendees with next steps or future opportunities to invite others to join — thus increasing the impact of the event.”

Last fall, the Allstate Foundation engaged its 200+ leaders in an afternoon of service in neighborhoods on Chicago’s west and south sides, contributing to economic development in neighborhoods and with community nonprofits. Service included mentorship, mock interviews and community beautification to increase investment. In the spring, Allstate employees gathered after a business meeting to pack 500 hygiene kits to assist United Way of Metro Chicago and the city of Chicago to address the pressing needs for migrants who recently arrived seeking safety, many of whom are women and children who survived domestic violence.

Sustainability Within CSR Initiatives

As someone who began her meeting planning career in the nonprofit community, Elizabeth Plaetz Lori, event producer at e-creative events in Minneapolis, MN, uses that lens when producing events for clients. She finds that she can design a more meaningful, authentic event if there is a philanthropic component or an element that gives back.

“Successful events are in the details and there are so many options for incorporating CSR elements into a program,” said Plaetz Lori, who points to sustainability as being a key initiative that has played a more prominent role in events in recent years.

“Technology has significantly reduced waste in recent years. QR codes and the evolution of event-specific apps were the best developments during the pandemic. Attendees can get all the event information right at their fingertips, program materials can be electronically sent in advance, and livestreaming options have contributed to the reduction of waste and shrunk environmental impact by events,” Plaetz Lori said.

Swag has become more intentional; people aren’t interested in plastic tchotchkes with logos that are filling landfills. One solution is to give the swag to a community in need of support.

“At a Super Bowl party, one corporate sponsor designed an activation where attendees were invited to create care packages to military heroes,” Plaetz Lori said.

Event vendor partners are another way to incorporate CSR initiatives into a meeting or event program. Food is one of the most enjoyable ways to demonstrate a company’s values -— many of Plaetz Lori’s clients have prioritized working with venues, caterers or food trucks that are owned by minorities. Not only are event attendees enjoying authentic cuisine, but they are also supporting business owned by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) or women-owned communities.

“From a sustainability standpoint, sourcing ingredients from local farmers, venues and hotels provides ‘healthier’ locations for hosting programs,” Plaetz Lori said.

In the Midwest, she’s experienced recognition of indigenous lands at events, since the land in Minnesota belonged to indigenous people for generations.

“CSR initiatives are not only valuable because of their inherent altruism, but they are good for business. With consumers being bombarded by an overabundance of options to invest their money and time, corporations that align with community values can stand out among a crowded field,” said Plaetz Lori, who recognizes that people are more inclined to spend their money with companies that demonstrate values they believe in and support.

Streamlined CSR Processes

Incorporating CSR components in meetings and events can be challenging. Brooks Allan recommends fellow event planners expect some extra expense to “do the right thing” and evaluate expenditures over the long term.

“Event producers can take an active role in reconciling the wrong to right. Sustainable event materials are often a more costly line item in your meeting budget now but will pay dividends in the future of your business, the economy and the planet,” Brooks Allan said.

In addition, Bultman recommends event planners think beyond hands-on volunteerism. If your attendees have a particular skillset, their time may be more valuable in application to work a capacity need for a nonprofit or to provide mentorship or consulting for a nonprofit’s clients.

“Be sure to have a budget,” Bultman said. “Volunteerism is not free for nonprofits; supplies are often needed and planning and executing a volunteer event takes valuable staff time that should be compensated.”

If you are hosting educational speakers, especially those from underrepresented communities, you need to compensate them or their organizations for their time. Plan for that and offer the funding up front versus requiring them to self-advocate. Planners should also ask what the nonprofit needs and work together to identify solutions that meet any identified constraints. Remember that meetings during the school day or away from communities means that working directly with youth or other client groups won’t be possible. If volunteers are new to service, think about how you can provide context about the issue you’re addressing and how service will support this cause.

“I’m hopeful we’ll see more centering of the issues and the nonprofits in this integration. While volunteerism can be fun, the priority should be on the impact your service or skills can have,” Bultman said. “Be humble in your approach and know that we all have a lot to learn. That’s how we try to operate at The Allstate Foundation. While nonprofits and experts are courageous with advocating for the value of their time, I’m hopeful more meeting planners and CSR professionals will be prepared to invest upfront.”

When it comes to CSR programming at events, authenticity is key, so educate yourself. Plaetz Lori said if not done thoughtfully, it can be perceived as performative. You may unintentionally design elements that aren’t culturally inappropriate, don’t represent your attendees or unintentionally do more harm than good (i.e., creating extra work for understaffed non-profits, etc.). “Do your research by making sure you work with reputable partner organizations and engage experts from nonprofits and underserved communities when you incorporate CSR elements for your events,” Plaetz Lori said. “They are your best resource to produce effective programs that educate attendees and communicate your corporate values.”

Meeting planners like Plaetz Lori believe in the future of CSR having a strong presence within the meeting and events industry.

“Event vendors and producers are becoming more innovative in their sustainability practices which ultimately benefits attendees,” Plaetz Lori said. “CSR efforts have become a significant deciding factor when looking for employers for the next generation entering the workforce. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has shifted to a higher, essential priority in several industries and is being promoted through CSR initiatives. If businesses want to attract top talent, workers are demanding that their companies strive to be good global citizens.”   I&FMM