想讓面對面的實體會議變得更具備永續性，有兩種方式。
第一種方式已經取得顯著進展，受益於 Events Industry Council及其永續和影響力中心 正在進行的工作。此策略著重於減少會議產生的環境足跡以及積極創造正面社會影響，通常會透過慈善活動來實踐。
這樣的實踐很棒，但還可以更好！
因此我們需要邁出下一步，開始關注第二種能讓面對面的會議變得永續的方式：會議「期間」所發生的事情，必須經得起受到普遍認可的永續性框架考驗。當然，唯一的框架就是聯合國的 17 項永續發展目標。
換句話說，我們必須以全新的角度設計會議，以便成果能直接為永續發展做出貢獻，而非僅是嘗試減少會議對環境帶來的負面影響。這需要經歷兩次根本性的變化，也就是兩次的典範轉移。首先，我們必須把會議視為改革的驅動力，每場會議都是如此。這意味主辦單位需要學習具體地描述他們希望「這場會議帶來什麼樣的變化」，並確保測量其結果，以便他們能夠匯報會議舉辦的成功程度。
第二個變革是不可避免地，會議方案必須更好地產生出「符合期望的變化」。僅僅讓講者面對被動的觀眾是不夠的。議程的設計需要充分利用面對面會議的優勢：社交、協調、動機、創意與創新。為此，會議的議程應該透過專業會議設計師來規劃。恕我們直言，各行專業人士（如商人、工程師、醫生等等）在其專業的領域令人景仰，他們擅長的工作可能是經商、建造房屋、或為病人診斷與治療，但並非設計具有影響力的會議。在這些人當中，只有非常少數的人能夠為自己設計房子、架設公司網站等。那麼，為什麼他們會想要為自己設計會議呢？
顯而易見的：設計一場具有永續性的面對面會議，需要比現今具有更大、可測量影響力的內容。要創造這樣的內容，會議主辦方需要一位優秀的會議設計師和一組優秀的執行團隊。
There are two ways in which Face-to-Face meetings can become more sustainable.
The first is making significant headway, for instance thanks to the work done by the Events Industry Council and its Centre for Sustainability and Impact. This first strategy focuses on reducing the environmental footprint of meetings and on creating a positive social impact, usually thanks to a charitable activity.
That is excellent. But it is not enough!
We need to make the next step and start focusing on the second way that will make F2F meetings sustainable: What happens DURING the meetings must happen in such a way that it stands the test of a generally recognised framework for sustainability. Of course, the only such framework is the United Nation’s set of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.
In other words, we must start to conceive meetings in such a way that they contribute directly to sustainable development. Instead of merely trying to reduce their negative impact. That requires – again – two fundamental changes. Two paradigm shifts, if you will. Firstly, we must see meetings as drivers of change. EACH meeting. It means that meeting organisers need to learn to be specific about the change they wish their meeting to produce. And make sure that they measure its outcomes so that they can report back on how successful it has been.
The second shift is that – inevitably – meeting programmes must become much better at producing those desired changes. Just putting speakers in front of a passive audience is not good enough. Meeting programmes need to capitalise on the strengths of F2F meetings: networking, alignment, motivation, idea creation and innovation. For that, their programmes will need to be designed by professional meeting designers. With all due respect for the people in other professions (businessmen, engineers, doctors, etc, etc.) their job is not to come up with impactful meetings. Their job is to manage companies, build houses or bridges, or cure patients. And unless they are uncommonly talented, they don’t design their own houses, corporate brochures or websites. So why design their own meeting programmes?
The path is clear and straight: sustainable F2F meetings require programmes that have much bigger, measurable impact than today. To create such programmes you need a good meeting designer and a good production company.
#永續會議 #SustainableMeetings
希望你的面對面實體會議更永續、發揮更大的影響力和後座力？
現在就找我們的 Gibbons 聊聊吧！