As we enter a New Year it is always a time for reflection, to set goals for the future, to make changes and learn lessons. The last year seems to have accelerated some of the most pressing issues we were experiencing previously and brought them even more to the forefront of our minds. Sustainability being one of them.
Our industry by its nature has a big part to play over the coming years. Guests whether they are travelling from afar or more locally to attend events expect that we will take our responsibility seriously in reducing the affects of climate change where we can. This could be through investing in technologies that harvest natural energy, recycling water or by supporting circularity. This will become not just a point of differentiation as we emerge from the affects of the pandemic but a necessity to protect the planet and reach the targets set by the government.
The provision of food and drink is a huge part of our business and yet many experts are telling us we need to change what we eat. We can slowly influence this. In fact a number of chefs are already creating innovative and appetizing plant-based dishes in order to gradually encourage us to reduce our reliance on meat and diary produce. Procuring from organic farms, means less chemicals and genetically modified seeds. This in turn results in the protection of ecosystems and the reduction of emissions. We can be part of the solution.
Technology has featured heavily in all our lives over this last year. Hybrid and virtual events have complemented face to face and allowed us to stay connected. This has probably speeded up an evolution by 10 years of what was on the horizon anyway. This may change the role of venues in the future as companies see an opportunity to reduce overheads and office space by working from home, however, they will still need to network in person on occasions but it might be more cost effective to hire this space as needed for this purpose.
What do they say change is the only constant! It will probably just be a bit quicker than we thought!
