Why Participate?

Be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Because you want to include CSR initiatives in your group travel programs (meetings, events, incentives) that are:

Realistic - How much more can you ask of your meeting and event planning team after all?
Impactful - Finding the right local non-profit or social enterprise to support and working closely with them to understand what they do and what they need.
Cost Effective - Are you on a tight budget and don't think you can afford to include a CSR initiative? Reallocating funds from other areas can make it so that including a CSR initiative doesn't increase your budget at all.
Authentic - You really have to believe in this and be committed to doing it the right way in order to maximize impact. Important note: if your priority is Return on Investment (ROI) over impact, it will not be authentic. But you can get a very good ROI from CSR initiatives if they're done the right way.
ALL OF THE ABOVE!

Including a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in your group travel program is the right thing to do, but it isn’t always easy to do it the right way. To plan and execute a CSR initiative the right way, it’s important to focus on the following to maximize your attendees’ experience and the positive impact you have on people in need in the host destination:

Step 1 - Choose a non-profit or social enterprise in the destination that you’ve researched and feel confident supporting. A maximum impact initiative will focus on regeneration in that it helps make the destination you are visiting better in a longer-term and more sustainable way. A regenerative CSR initiative means using your event/tourism dollars to support local social enterprises and indigenous communities with a "hand up" vs a "hand out".

Step 2 - Find out from the organization what they need in order to best support them in the work that they do. You should consider making a financial donation in addition to any other donation of goods, services, time, etc.

Step 3 - Now, organize your CSR initiative with the following in mind:

Budget (remember - a CSR initiative doesn't have to increase your budget at all)
Program agenda
Demographics of attendees

These three very general steps make it sound simple. But as with all event planning, thinking through all possibilities and logistics is the key to success.

Signing up for the Pact provides you with blueprints for three different CSR models that will walk you through the planning process to help you be successful. Signing up for the Pact will also assist you in identifying an organization to support in whichever destination is hosting your event.

The Pact makes it easier for you to plan and execute a meaningful and impactful CSR initiative.