Marking a step further in its journey towards a sustainable future, Kempinski Hotels has rolled out its Responsible Meetings & Events by Kempinski toolkit. This is expected to empower meeting planners and organisers in assessing and reducing the environmental impact of their events.
Newly created by EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for sustainable hotels, destinations and tourism organisations, the toolkit includes a suite of solutions created in response to heightened regulatory demands placed on event planners, as well as the growing environmental expectations of delegates.
Core to the initiative is VenueCheck, a meetings management system that provides organisers with a checklist of actionable items to help reduce the environmental impact of events, and EventCalculator, which accurately estimates their carbon footprint.
In order to participate in VenueCheck, hotels must already hold EarthCheck certification. At present, 43 Kempinski hotels have attained EarthCheck certification – seven are Gold certified, 21 are Silver and 15 are Bronze. In Asia. A further 17 properties have embarked on the certification process and are working towards Bronze.
Specifically in Asia-Pacific, 13 hotels are EarthCheck certified while three are VenueCheck verified and part of the Responsible Meeting & Events by Kempinski campaign. They are The Apurva Kempinski Bali in Indonesia, and Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok and Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok in Thailand.
By the end of 2025, Kempinski hopes all EarthCheck-certified hotels will have enrolled in the programme.
Barbara Muckermann, chief executive officer, Kempinski Group, said: “By providing event planners with a framework allowing them to calculate the potential environmental impact of their events, we are empowering them to make positive changes to the world.”
As EarthCheck’s global launch partner, Kempinski has early access to the tools and will provide further input into their design and development, cementing the brand’s role as a leader and pioneer in sustainable events.
In line with the ambitious goals and objectives set out in the Kempinski Environmental, Social & Governance Report 2023, Responsible Meetings & Events by Kempinski extends the company’s environmental initiatives to other stakeholders and helps them to meet increasingly stringent regulations around meetings and events.
Both VenueCheck and EventCalculator are aligned with the recently refreshed ISO 20121 standards for Event Sustainability Management Systems, which means customers will not only comply with best practices, but also stand out as leaders in the creation of more sustainable events. Verified hotels will be able to display an EarthCheck Responsible Venue and EarthCheck Responsible Event logos across their marketing materials and meeting and events venues, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability across all areas of hotel operations.
