Events continue the idea of a classic Greek agora, the heart of democracy.
I come from Slovenia. I have two great loves in my life and two life missions. You may believe that I am writing about this because I come from the only country with LOVE in its name.
Slovenians show our love by respecting our nature, language and culture. You treat nature much more respectfully when you live in a small country with limited natural resources.
Maybe it was my birth year that shaped my approach towards nature. I was born in 1969, the last time when we did not use all the resources the planet produced in 1 year. Earth Overshoot Day, as we know it now, was last positive 54 years ago. We will have to adapt to nature and not the other way around. Nature showed its brutal side this summer all across Europe. Ernest Hemingway wrote: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the maine”. I have been thinking about his quote a lot this year because it illustrates climate change. The Mediterranean has become the centre of it. According to ecologists, the famous 42nd north parallel will divide the world in two. Below it, wildfires, heat waves, hurricanes and floods will destroy everything. Above it, event organisers will find a new paradise for events. Slovenia is located between the 45th and 47th north parallel, on the edge of the critical area. So, how long will Slovenia be able to host events?
“The meetings industry is not a cash cow that boosts investments and creates jobs. It is much more because events have tremendous social power.”
I became a sort of activist and now focus on acting sustainability. With everything happening around us, I must pay my debt and ensure a better world for future generations. I want our children to see that not everyone gave up hope. That there is a group of idealists who want to change the world. Of course, this sounds like a utopia. I want to push boundaries with the Green Meetings Star project and show people we can change the world of events. That sounds naive, too, but I don’t care.
My second love infected me during my years of studying. This virus has lived in me for thirty years. Event organising is a lot like music. It is a universal language that everyone can understand. All cultures are experts in the language of events. Religions mastered it. Some of the biggest global brands have become leading event organisers. I often like to ask my colleagues who the biggest event organiser in the world is. I believe it is Red Bull.
The meetings industry is not a cash cow that boosts investments and creates jobs. It is much more because events have tremendous social power. Events help develop new technologies, science and social responsibility. I consider them the last defence of democracy because there can be no technological manipulation at live events. In a way, events continue the idea of a classic Greek agora, the heart of democracy.
Two words summarise what we should do for sustainability in our industry: BEYOND CARBON. We must learn to measure the effects of our industry, which often go far beyond the carbon footprint we generate. I devoted a lot of time to this last year. By creating the Green Meetings Star, we learned that we don’t really have to plant trees and pay for carbon offset. Instead, we can calculate the regenerative effects of events, which are measurable and tangible. If we know how to measure them, we can change our perspective on the industry. These regenerative effects make our industry creative and different from the tourism or logistics industries.
To conclude, I promise we will put theory into practice at our trade show, Conventa. If an event takes place for eighteen years, we must be doing something right! Our idea has always been to create simple and compelling events that speak to the heart. More importantly, we want to organise events that are responsible to the environment, society and attendees. POWER TO THE MEETINGS!
