At the start of every year it's traditional to gaze into the crystal ball and speculate about what might be in store for the next twelve months. Given our particular focus on sustainability the beginning of 2011 has got me thinking about the progress we've made as an industry so far and where we might be in a year's time.

Some of you may already be thinking "what progress?" and I am the first to admit that the pace of change towards a greener events industry has not always matched my expectations. But I think we need to accentuate the positive, and the sustainable debate is undoubtedly a lot more visible now than it was five years ago. 

In my opinion two key issues will help push this forward in 2011. 

The first is the continuing financial situation which shows no signs of improving dramatically any time soon. There are definitely glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel, but it's also true that we aren't yet feeling the full effects of public sector cuts or even the VAT rise. I believe the reaction to the cuts will be positive for sustainability, for two reasons. First, all clients whether public or private sector will be looking to demomstrate added value. Simply running a conference, dinner or meeting won't be enough - it will be going the extra mile that delivers value for money. I believe that by demonstrating a sustainable approach to managing events clients will be more likely to see value in the projects under their control. Secondly, there is the fairly obvious concept that if you are more efficient with resources in your control - whether it's petrol, stationery, food, electricity or whatever - you will be saving money as well as acting more sustainably. So there's a good chance many events will become greener by necessity rather than design. Personally I don't care about motives - I'm more concerned with the end results.