The Study on Green Event Management Practices to Initiate Sustainable Business Growth in Sri Lanka; Event Managers’ Perception
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Date
2019
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Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
The growth of the festival and event tourism sector has been spectacular in recent years and thus, event management has become increasingly popular with it growing and expanding equally as much as event tourism. Further, with its exponential growth, there is a criticism for making a large contribution to environmental pollution. Therefore, many international companies are making event greening a part of their tender process. Hence, the objectives of the study was to identify the current green event management practices, to identify the current issues and barriers encompass the management and staging of a green event and to examine the practices to improve the green event management to initiate sustainable business growth in Sri Lanka. Primary data collected by the author from 15 event managers out of 28 from event management practitioners within the whole different range of event management organizations in Sri Lanka who have the membership of Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition and Event Organizers. Structured interviewed using the convenient sampling technique in Colombo district is the main source of data. Qualitative data analytical method was employed and thematic analysis was used in analyzing the data. The findings of the study revealed that, waste management, energy efficiency, and bio diversity as the parental themes to identify the current green practices which the companies have been practiced and technology, cost, customer mentality, government support, and lack of infrastructure facilities as current issues and barriers of implementing green events in Sri Lanka. They struggled in implementing fully green events while achieving the sustainable business growth. Further, green events can be used by event organizers as a tool for gaining competitive advantages and maximization of the company reputation which are affected to initiate sustainable business growth.