What corporate organisers actually need from “sustainable” venues.
- MM Venue Team
- Jan 8
- 2 min read
With CSR / ESG policies firm on company policies, its not surprising they make an increasing feature on most conference's event brief. But when I speak to corporate event organisers, this is what I am hearing behind the sustainability question:
👉 “I need to show — quickly and clearly — that this venue aligns with our organisation’s values.”
👉 “I need to protect myself from reputational risk.”
👉 “I don’t have time to decode vague green claims.”
When undertaking a venue search this week for a national conference where sustainability credentials were high on the agenda, a venue replied to our sustainability query siting a nationally recognised Eco accreditation. - Fantastic on the surface, so I researched the accreditation to find out what this translated into for the organiser, and neither the venue or the accreditation organisation could actually tell me the criteria that it was measured against, so the accreditation wasn't translatable/relevant for the client! (I am currently working with said accreditation organisation to address this).
On the flipside, I have had the pleasure of recently seeing a fantastic UK venue, leading the way, where sustainability is genuinely at the heart of everything they do. They have a clear policy, they visibly 'live' it, and their conscientious approach translates throughout, resulting in some fantastic events! - If they care; they care!
What organisers want to see from venues isn't rocket science, it's straightforward:
• What is the venue already doing?
• Is it measured or evidenced?
• Can I explain it clearly to procurement, leadership and delegates?
This is where sustainability stops being a “nice to have” and becomes a practical decision-making tool. A venue that can clearly articulate its sustainability measures:
✔ reduces internal scrutiny
✔ speeds up approvals
✔ answers ESG and procurement questions
✔ removes risk from the organiser
✔ saves a huge amount of time
If the answer is vague, sustainability becomes work — and time-poor organisers move on. They’re not looking for perfection. They’re looking for clarity, credibility and ease. This is why sustainability now influences shortlists, even when it’s not the headline priority.
My role as a venue sourcing specialist isn’t just about rates and availability. It’s about helping organisers make defensible, values-aligned venue decisions — without drowning in documentation or second-guessing their choice.
For me this week, it has meant translating sustainability into plain English, so my organisers can:
confidently justify their venue choice
align events with organisational values
make responsible decisions without adding workload
In a year where large conferences are being planned earlier and under more scrutiny, clarity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s commercial. But it doesn't have to be more work.
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