Many businesses have a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy directing how they contribute to sustainability in areas such as energy, health, welfare, education, technology and communities.

According to professional conference planner Rachael Ziccone, more companies today are also incorporating their CSR strategy into the events and conferences that they deliver.

“As a professional event planner, I see on a daily basis how important it is to be socially responsible in the planning and delivery of business events,” said Ziccone, the Conferences & Events Manager for Corporate Challenge Events in Australia and New Zealand.

“Event organisers can make some significant contributions to CSR in both how they deliver the event and also through the content delivered to their audience.

“We are strong advocates for events that have positive CSR outcomes from charity donations, protecting the environment to health promotion and much more.”

In her recent blog, Ziccone outlined four ways that organisations can be more socially responsible through theirconferences and functions.

1. Opportunity to donate to a charity in the registration process

Rachael Ziccone:

“As a part of the registration or ticket booking process for your conference or function, why not provide delegates the opportunity to donate an amount to charity. Alternatively, you could incorporate a donation into the total cost of the registration.You could also schedule a presentation to the chosen charity as a part of the agenda to highlight the impact that your delegates’ donations will make to the charity.”

2. Make a charity donation rather than provide a corporate gift

Rachael Ziccone:

“How many conferences have you been to where you receive a registration pack full of items that you never use and discard? Why not avoid the wastage and make a donation to a charity on behalf of the delegate instead. From as little as a few dollars per delegate, you can make a considerable difference to a charity or cause.”


3. Incorporate a charity-based team building activity

Rachael Ziccone:

“Incorporating a fun team building activity gets everyone energised and reinvigorated during your conference and can provide ideal break-out sessions.They can also be a great way to contribute some tangible outcomes to a charity and really show how you are making a difference.These can easily be incorporated into conference agendas and enable the delegates to donate items such as bicycles, dog kennels, furniture, packaged meals and non-perishable food.”

4. Use products or services that contribute to a cause

Rachael Ziccone:

“You may have heard about or even consumed ‘thank you water’ in recent years. Whether you provide it for all your delegates or make it available for them to purchase, it is a great way to make a contribution to a global cause. If it’s not water, it could be another product or service that you need for the event that a charitable organisation can provide. The charity may also be able to provide representatives to distribute their product or service to your delegates and showcase the cause in a more direct manner.”

Corporate Challenge Events is an Australian and New Zealand leader in delivering corporate events with positive CSR outcomes.

For more information visit www.corporatechallenge.com.au or www.corpchallenge.co.nz

ENDS

For further information contact:
Corporate Challenge Events
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 3 9753 2562
1/12 Macro Ct, Rowville, VIC 3178