Sustainability has become a standard requirement in the meetings industry, but communication still lags behind
Sustainability is a central factor when Danish companies and organisations choose a venue. Yet almost half of meeting buyers find that suppliers do not communicate clearly enough about their sustainability efforts, according to a new analysis by MeetDenmark and OPTIMEET.
When Danish companies, organisations and associations hold meetings, conferences and events externally, 84 percent of them set requirements for the venue's sustainability practices. More than a third of them - 37 percent - consistently set sustainability requirements for every single event they book. This is shown by a new analysis conducted by MeetDenmark and OPTIMEET among Danish meeting planners and buyers.
However, almost half of respondents find that meeting and event suppliers do not communicate sufficiently about their initiatives. In fact, only 15 percent feel that event venues clearly communicate their initiatives to a high degree. Among those who do not set sustainability requirements, around 40 percent cite a lack of knowledge as the reason, while another 40 percent assume that the venue already has this covered.
"Sustainability is today a competitive parameter and a clear entry ticket when companies choose meeting and event suppliers. Our analysis underlines, however, that business tourism companies have significant potential in communicating their sustainability initiatives more clearly. Meeting clients expect sustainability to be an integrated part of the product - and to be visible early in the dialogue," says MeetDenmark chair Pia Lange Christensen, adding:
"Raising the level of communication and knowledge in business and meetings tourism is precisely a central focus area in MeetDenmark's Sustainability Plan. The analysis provides insight into meeting buyers' needs and thus forms a strong basis for the continued work of strengthening the industry's competitiveness."
Sustainability must be felt
The analysis shows that 50 percent of meeting buyers set requirements covering environmental, climate-related and social conditions alike. In addition, 28 percent focus exclusively on environment and climate, while 6 percent set requirements solely relating to social conditions.
Requirements are particularly directed at areas that are visible and tangible for participants. Within environment and climate, this applies especially to catering (80 percent), plastic use (62 percent), waste management (58 percent) and certifications (58 percent). Within social conditions, requirements primarily relate to dietary needs (71 percent) and accessibility for people with disabilities (53 percent).
By contrast, technical and structural factors - such as the venue's energy supply, construction, internal policies and collective agreements - feature significantly less prominently in meeting buyers' requirements.
Are customers willing to pay a premium?
While the vast majority of meeting buyers set sustainability requirements for venues, willingness to pay is more divided. 36 percent say they are willing to a high or moderately high degree to pay extra for more sustainable solutions. Conversely, 31 percent say they are willing to a low or lesser degree to pay more.
"The analysis clearly shows that sustainability matters greatly to Danish meeting buyers across a wide range of areas - from food to materials to accessibility. There is undoubtedly an interesting potential in the fact that 36% say they are willing to a high or moderately high degree to pay extra for more sustainable solutions," says Ole Sorang, CEO of OPTIMEET.
For 72 percent, sustainability requirements are driven first and foremost by a conviction that 'it is simply the right thing to do', while 40 percent refer to a 'clear policy on the matter'.
The Meeting Buyer Survey 2026
The survey was prepared by OPTIMEET in collaboration with MeetDenmark and conducted in January–February 2026. It is based on responses from 122 meeting planners from across the country, of whom more than a third come from companies with more than 250 employees. Just over half of the responses come from meeting planners in the Copenhagen metropolitan area. The Plant-Based Knowledge Centre contributed to the development of questions.
Contact
Lene Midtgaard, Senior Project Manager, MeetDenmark, +45 21 94 77 42, lmi@woco.dk
Ole Sorang, CEO, OPTIMEET, +45 29 28 79 55, olso@optimeet.dk
