For Immediate Release
Contact: Sara O’Neil or Veronica Ferguson
Marketing and Public Relations
[email protected]
[email protected]
Caledonia, WI (September 4, 2024) – Events agency Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc. (M&IW) has received a Bronze Medal for their EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, an achievement that places the organization in the top 35% of rated companies. This recognition comes after the appointment of a Sustainability Champion, Donna Collins, in 2023 and an increased commitment to Earth-friendly practices for both internal operations and events managed worldwide.
“This is terrific news for our company,” said Dan Tarpey, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, M&IW. “It shows our strength not only in sustainability but also in DEIB, workplace quality, and service excellence.”
“This is an incredible achievement,” agreed Donna Collins, Sustainability Champion, M&IW, “but we’re not stopping here. There’s always room for improvement, and when it comes to sustainability, there’s no time to waste. It’s important for us, for our customers, and for our planet.”
EcoVadis is a globally trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. Ratings are based on performance across 21 indicators in four themes: environment, ethics, labor and human rights, and sustainable procurement.
Sustainability Success Story: The 2024 M&IW Summit
The 2024 M&IW Summit is a recent example of sustainability in action. From the first day of planning, M&IW committed to tracking and offsetting Scope 3 carbon emissions to make the event as sustainable as possible. Numerous other sustainable practices were also included throughout the event.
Emissions Tracking
Travel emissions were tracked during registration by collecting attendees’ transportation details. From that data, it was calculated that the 645 attendees produced 284.388 MT of CO2e. Hotel energy emissions were also measured. With 722 room nights and 120,908 sf of meeting space, the hotel produced 77.5778 MT CO2e just for the M&IW Summit.
M&IW then offset the combined 361.9658 MT CO2e by purchasing carbon credits supporting Gold Standard’s Uganda Gender Responsive Safe Water Project. Offsetting is the practice of making up for emissions production that can’t be avoided by buying carbon credits that support projects reducing emissions elsewhere.
Additional Sustainable Practices
M&IW is a proud partner of Copia, a tool used to distribute unused food after events. After the 2024 M&IW Summit, 149 pounds of unused food were donated to a local nonprofit, equating to 124 meals, 459 pounds of CO2e diverted from landfills, and 33,972 gallons of water saved.
Additional sustainable practices incorporated throughout the event include:
- The use of recyclable glass awards.
- The prioritization of organic menus.
- Partnering with an A/V supplier with a Bronze EcoVadis Sustainability Rating.
- Reusing signage from previous years.
- Providing branded recycling bins to make recycling clear and convenient.
- The use of water cooler service.
M&IW’s History of Sustainability
The 2024 M&IW Summit was not the first time M&IW prioritized sustainability for the organization’s signature event. For details on the ecofriendly practices of the 2023 M&IW Summit, click here.
M&IW also has a number of blog posts exploring sustainable best practices for events, including the most recent, Four Steps to Make Event Sustainability a Reality.
About Meetings & Incentives Worldwide (M&IW)
M&IW is a women-owned event agency specializing in planning meetings, conferences, and incentives of all scales worldwide. We have 350+ employees and operate events in over 90 countries.
We provide customizable event solutions ranging from end-to-end to a la carte, with a focus on integrating neuroscience and sustainability principles in events. We also develop strategies across events to provide visibility, efficiency, and savings.
M&IW is a third generation, privately held, certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) in business for more than 55 years. We serve industries such as life sciences, technology, financial services, manufacturing, insurance, and more.
M&IW’s Sustainable Responsibility Impact Statement
M&IW is passionate about the environment and the people and communities we live, work, and do business in. We understand that companies like ours are expected to lead with purpose and responsibility, and we are committed to creating lasting positive change for our planet, people, and communities.
- People: Empower all people who deliver and attend our programs to thrive at work, at home, and in their communities.
- Planet: Enable our customers and partners to impact the future through our expanded services.
- Communities: Improve the vitality and resilience of our local communities.
We are focused on leveraging our existing partnerships and building new relationships that will support our efforts to make Sustainable Responsibility a standard in our industry.
