CSR popularity continues to grow
Corporate social responsibility isn’t going away anytime soon, according to the Meeting Professionals International Foundation. In fact, 80 percent of industry professionals say customer expectations for CSR will increase in the future, according to a global research study of more than 2,300 respondents from more than 150 countries. More than three-quarters of respondents like buying from ethically responsible organizations, and the majority are willing to pay more to buy products from a company that is socially responsible. “The industry is clearly making strides in sustainability,” says Cindy D’Aoust, COO and interim CEO of MPI International. “Now we need to communicate our CSR credentials and commitment to stakeholders.”
Survey results were presented by MPI at IMEX America 2012 in October in a session led by Jackie Mulligan, a principal lecturer in events and director of enterprise for the International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Metropolitan University. During the session, researchers from the university—the group that conducted the study—presented insights on how CSR can benefit the meetings industry and showcased the current strengths and weaknesses of CSR. MPI now plans to release a series of research papers on CSR topics. For more information visit mpiweb.org/csr.
