The Event Industry and Their Corporate Social Responsibilities

Mr Sahil Kohli, Managing Director of Key Events India

Corporate social responsibility is a company's obligation to meet particular international standards in the social, environmental, and economic fields. In other words, it entails strengthening the company's ideals and balancing business profitability with corporate responsibility. This ideology is a beneficial, effective instrument that enables a company's production model by combining efficiency, sustainability, and benefit while also including equality, diversity, respect, and other values. You may donate to a variety of NGOs, including the Robin Hood Army, Cancer Care Trust, Mera Parivar, Mission Sandhya, and many others.

Additionally, corporate responsibility promotes a jackpot approach for all parties involved: the corporation, the people, and the environment. Companies who use this formula strengthen their image in the minds of their workers, clients, and stakeholders, become more competitive, develop and enjoy greater commercial possibilities, and so connect more effectively with their target consumers. In this regard, a legitimate dilemma arises: If a corporation is sustainable, are its services and goods likewise sustainable? Production, wood and metal, design, catering, logistics, communication, and other components all play a role in event management. As a result, corporate social responsibility has now become a critical need.

There are various sustainable steps that may be added to any event business to boost CSR initiatives.

Work with non-governmental organisations that handle surplus food and deliver it to the poor.

According to a research conducted by the Government of India's Food Ministry, around 20% of food during social occasions such as weddings goes to waste. Food waste occurs at parties, gatherings, and restaurants, among other places. When two lakh street children in Mumbai go to bed hungry every day, this is a terrible state of affairs. As a result, leftover food contributions are critical in combating both starvation and food waste!

You may be organising a wedding or catering an event. You may be the owner of a restaurant. If you anticipate that food waste may occur, do not hesitate to contact the NGO organisations or institutions that you can discover online in advance. Leftover food donations help feed the hungry. Many food banks and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have sprung up to address the problem of food waste in India's main cities. They have established trash leftover food helplines where restaurants, caterers, wedding venues, and party planners may enquire about the availability of food for donation.

The time of collection is frequently late, beyond midnight, and the signal is frequently given at a late hour. Despite these obstacles, these food banks and NGOs who collect food show up to the location, put the food into containers, and deliver it in cars that they have prepared. While bearing in mind that food spoils fast in India's hot heat, distribution to the underprivileged is typically done only a few hours after the food is gathered. In certain places, the homeless, slum residents, and others in need gather at a set location where food for the poor is delivered. There aren't many facilities for leftover food collecting at orphanages, children's homes, and other NGO organisations.

Picking a venue and a caterer wisely

Management of leftover food is a critical concern for many venues and caterers. You can communicate your expectations with them if you have any specific requirements on how leftovers must be handled. Many caterers want to remove the food and compost it. Nowadays, many caterers collaborate with NGOs. After the wedding is completed and the guests have eaten, the remaining food is picked up by NGOs, who then deliver it to areas where disadvantaged or destitute populations are located. This ensures efficient food utilisation and reduces food waste during weddings.

Choose disposable or biodegradable plates while serving

attempting to replace some of the plastic in disposable flatware with more inventive organic materials. Serve food on disposable and biodegradable plates rather than bulky silverware or china plates. This will also urge visitors to just serve themselves as much food as they can eat and enjoy. Prepare meals for the visitors. Before it can be used for Indian weddings, this alternative requires a radical shift of perspective. Why not have recyclable takeout boxes on hand and bag supper leftovers for visitors? Many visitors enjoy having late-night snacks when they get back to their hotel, and this takeout box will satiate their appetites. This enables you to maximise the utilisation of the wedding feast's leftover food.

Switch to a serving system instead of a buffet.

Buffet setups cost a lot of money and result in significant food waste. Buffet dishes are continuously checked and refilled by the catering crew. Food waste may be significantly decreased by selecting a plating or serving choice. Additionally, this reduces wedding food waste. In order to decrease waste and improve visitor engagement, try to increase the number of live food stations.