A year ago the industry I am in was talking about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A year later we are fighting the media which is bashing our industry because of the current state of the economy. It seems that CSR has taken a back seat, but it hasn’t. I believe now more than ever CSR will be at the forefront of the Meetings, Events, and Travel Industries. As Tim Sanders said last year at MeetDifferent in Houston, Texas, there is a business revolution coming. Whether you are a strong environmentalist or not, it is coming.  When this storm in our current economy passes, the CSR Revolution will be there staring us in the face.

We live in a Capitalist society and a Capitalist Economy is one of the best motivations in the world. You either make yourself marketable, you make customers want to do business with you, or you fail. We saw this coming on strong about a year ago with Corporate Social Responsibility. Going green will be one of the most important business tools right now and in the future.

I am a Capitalist and I believe the way to make change is through our system. I have seen hotels, convention centers, airlines, meeting supply companies, etc. make a change to green. They didn’t make the change to green because of the government, they made the change because they need to be green to be marketable. The companies that will survive are those that can make the change and put Corporate Social Responsibility at the top of their list.

The generation currently entering the workforce and those that follow value Corporate Social Responsibility. Take Apple, Inc. for example. One of the main marketing points for their new laptop is that it is the “greenest” computer on the market. Apple knows it has to be green to make money. The Meetings and Events industry realized that it needs to be green to thrive and to grow.

If you want to still be in business 10 years from now, it is time you start thinking about going green. As I stated earlier, the CSR Revolution will still be there when the recession is over. I do not care if you are an environmentalist, capitalist, or if you believe in manmade Global Warming or not, CSR will still be there. The change starts with you. I am excited to see the new innovations that will come to produce cleaner more efficient energy. I am excited to see innovations that will clean our air and I am excited that I will be able to walk through L.A. on a summer day without SMOG. “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shinning at the end of everyday.” (Carousel of Progress, Disneyland and Walt Disney World).

Find out more about Tim Sanders at http://www.timsanders.com/

Find out more about CSR and the Meetings and Events Industry http://www.mpiweb.org/cms/mpiweb/mpicontent.aspx?id=11458

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