Shauwa McKinley is a principal at Clear Current Consulting, where her career balances event planning, travel, environmental education and sustainable business consulting. She has worked with different organizations that strive to balance the trade-off between providing a positive human experience and minimal environmental impact.
In this episode of the Skift Conference Podcast, McKinley discusses the impact of climate change on events and how the industry must adapt to increasing extreme weather disruptions. Ethical responsibility, institutional change and regulatory impacts are some of the factors at play as the events industry seeks to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
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focus
Impact of climate change on events: How climate change is causing more frequent and severe weather disruptions, with a major impact on global events. This includes increasing events disrupted by extreme weather, such as an increase from 3 events in 2013 to 72 events in 2023 in Canada alone.
Activity planning adjustments: Event planners and venues must adapt to this new reality by developing a more systematic approach to addressing climate risks. This includes integrating emergency response planning, air quality monitoring and understanding regional climate predictions.
destination preparation: Destinations should assess their climate risks and develop adaptation plans. This includes assessing the vulnerability of venues, particularly those in high-risk areas, and considering how to protect and maintain these spaces from future climate impacts.
moral responsibility: Destinations and event planners face ethical challenges when promoting and hosting events in areas prone to extreme weather. Transparency and honest communication about climate risks is crucial, rather than downplaying risks to attract events.
Upgrade venues: There is a growing trend to upgrade venues to be more energy efficient and resilient to climate change. However, there is still much more to be done to support climate adaptation efforts in local communities and businesses.
Activity carbon footprint: Large-scale events, especially international trade shows and conferences, can create a large carbon footprint. The industry needs to accurately calculate these footprints and consider whether current business models are sustainable in the face of climate change.
Industry challenges: The events industry is not growing fast enough to address its climate impact. Institutional reforms are necessary, including rethinking financing structures, increasing transparency and establishing ongoing support systems for climate action.
regulatory impact: Government regulations, particularly in Europe, are starting to drive more significant changes in event management, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and increasing sustainability. This includes potential future regulations specifically targeting large events.
The future of event planning: The industry needs to adopt a psychologically based approach to managing the changes needed for climate adaptation. It must move beyond incremental improvements to more comprehensive strategies that include community care and ongoing support.
Episode summary
Shauna McKinley, principal at Clear Current Consulting, delves into the growing impact of climate change on the events industry. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, event planners, venues and destinations must rethink their strategies to ensure safety and continuity. McKinley shared insights from her extensive research, including the alarming increase in weather-related damage.
The conversation highlighted the urgent need for the industry to adopt a more systematic approach to risk management. It also highlights things that are not often considered, such as air quality monitoring and climate prediction analysis. McKinley stressed that destinations have an ethical responsibility to be transparent about climate risks and should also support local communities in their adaptation efforts.
McKinley also talked about the significant carbon footprint of large-scale events. She questions whether the industry is growing fast enough to address the environmental impact. McKinley believes that as government regulations tighten, especially in Europe, the industry must adapt quickly or face increasing challenges in the coming years.
This episode of the Skift Conference Podcast is a must-listen for anyone involved in event planning or destination management.
