ADC conference sustainability

Its conference season, and an opportunity to hear about the latest ADC developments, but global circumstances have changed the way we attend our conferences in general, as well as the way we consume the information on show. As a lot of conferences are these days, this week’s Hanson Wade’s World ADC is virtual. It still has a lot of value and is always a conference that seems to bring the great and the good of the ADC world together.

The downside of having these conferences online is that there isn’t the opportunity to interact with each other in a way that seems serendipitous – that coffee chat, or a shared love of linker design developed by standing next to each other at a particularly interesting poster. I was wondering whether there is an upside?

I read with interest an article from a few years back suggesting that the promotional products industry in the United States is worth $24 billion, with its associated negative environmental impact. Tote bags, pens, USBs – all seem to be useful mementoes of the conference and whilst there is often good intentions to use these over again, in reality most will end up in land fill. The alternative suggestions from the article is that we could get rid of cheap swag altogether and can consider offering experiences! An interesting thought.

I could suggest going further and moving towards offering vouchers to breakout sessions or virtual booth attendance. I can imagine the experience of enjoying a coffee sponsored by a virtual conference advertiser long after the conference has finished.

With COP26 in Glasgow just round the corner, and an increasing focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), particularly UN SDG12 – sustainable consumption and production, the way we live our lives and the impact we are having on the environment is becoming an increasing legacy of our generation.

So what are the options out there for improving our conference consumption? In an unrelated industry, Gelderman confirmed with published studies the effectiveness of green marketing with satisfaction and loyalty observed in a green and B2B context. There are further sustainable swag ideas, with some eco-friendly promotional products and while this is still “stuff to go home with”,  there is some evidence that people have a more favourable opinion of an advertiser if the product they receive is environmentally friendly.

So whilst I am sure ADC developers will be meeting in person soon at the next World ADC conference, perhaps it’s relaxing in a massage chair for that serendipitous chat!