Throughout 2022, we at Italian Special Occasions DMC & Events worked on activities that can help us write a new narrative to #flipthescript and positively transform the events sector.
Being a small business has never deterred us. We know that we cannot change the world alone, but if we start with ourselves – to change our attitude, lifestyle and way of seeing things – we can create a chain effect with a massive impact. We can all make a difference towards sustainability!
That’s why we are Positive Impact Ambassadors and joined the Race To Zero campaign as soon as it started. Not only have we been reading many articles and case studies on how to plan events with lower emissions and less waste, but we have also been implementing practical steps to sustainably innovate our events, putting human connections at the heart of it all. How?
Here are some of the highlights of 2022:
- “Less plastic, more education” is our campaign to reduce plastic during our events while helping needy children stay in school. The profits from the reusable water bottles we distribute to our event participants help fund the construction of an education centre in a rural village in Kenya. If you want to donate to this cause this Christmas, look at the GoFundMe Campaign for Victoria Sports Association.
- We created a series of eco labs in Sicily revolving around crafts and nature. Our workshops enable participants, including children, to create art pieces with recycled materials and plant trees in an area destroyed in the 1960s. Our main base for these activities is Feudo San Pietro, a historic venue that is on course to become a “lung” for the local territory regarding knowledge, agriculture and heritage.
- We conceived and applied an innovative workation formula centred on sustainability and well-being. Click here to read our practical case study.
- We have continued working with our sister company Creative Italy to provide authentic leisure and corporate experiences through Italy’s artigiani. Click here to discover why some of the best team-building activities involve crafts with artisans!
- Through our #BeyondItaly initiative, we propose unique experiences and hidden gems for all types of events and travels. Want an example? Discover three types of boutique tours here.
WHY ALL THIS?
Venice is back to being packed with tourists without control. Yet, when talking to a lampworker in Murano, she said that the local glass-making school would soon close because of the lack of resources to keep it open. How can this happen?
Despite all that was said during the pandemic about “restarting tourism in a responsible way”, mass tourism is back to square one, spoiling places without respect for the local destination and its heritage.
Our mission at ISO DMC is to enable our clients to explore Italy’s heritage through authentic, tailored and off-the-beaten-path events and experiences. That’s why we actively and wholeheartedly organise low-impact events, promote responsible tourism, and invite you to join us in this cause!
We are happy to share SOME of the highlights of our journey planned for 2023!
- We will launch new outdoor and well-being activities that help increase resilience through active lifestyles, connect us with each other, create environmental awareness and influence our desire to protect Mother Earth. “Walking balance” will be one of our new experiences in a beautiful natural setting, where a posture expert will teach you how to walk correctly and make you realise the importance of the connection with your body for physical and mental health.
- We will propose new cultural experiences that remind us of the importance of heritage and identity, of having a genuine conversation in person. One example is “Si Dice In Italia”, an opera that can be performed anywhere and is the perfect reward or entertainment for private and corporate events. View the brochure of this innovative proposal.
- We will collaborate with artists to create art-sustainability workshops that help raise awareness about the art of recycling and reducing waste. Emanuela Ravidà (known as RE on the artistic scene) is one of the multidisciplinary artists who will collaborate with us. She will unveil the techniques for our clients to create art pieces with recycled materials.
- Creative Italy will launch a series of Retreats With Artisans for participants to learn handicraft jobs and discover all the traditions and culture related to them. All activities by our sister company are available for our team building and incentive trips.
- As always, all our events will consider the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, and we will also start to measure the carbon emissions during our events!
If you want to learn more about how you can help the environment or start your sustainability journey, we suggest the following resources:
Join the Race to Zero: sign up to access incredible free resources that help you with your events and influence your clients and stakeholders.
Tree-Nation: planting trees is one of the most efficient solutions to fight climate change, so why not help plant a tree around the world with your event?
Sign the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge: events are essential to human collaboration and climate change, so join this collaborative effort to drive the events sector towards net zero!
Looking forward to 2023: LET’S LEAD THE CHANGE
We can’t wait to plan with you another year of extraordinary events with a positive impact.
Thank you to all our colleagues, clients and partners for all the outstanding work we have achieved in 2022.
We are all on a continuous learning adventure together and look forward to championing change together in the new year!
