Tag: corporate responsibility

In an increasingly interconnected world, businesses have a unique opportunity to lead and support global sustainability efforts. By aligning Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) events with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), companies can position themselves as champions of international progress while engaging their employees, clients, and stakeholders. This strategy not only strengthens a company’s global footprint, but also creates a powerful brand narrative centered on responsibility and impact.

SDGs: A Blueprint for Global Prosperity

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an ambitious yet achievable framework for peace, prosperity, and planet protection. Adopted by 193 countries in 2015, these goals are designed to address pressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation by the year 2030. The SDGs emphasize that these issues are interconnected, requiring collective action from governments, businesses, and civil society.

Corporate Events as Catalysts for Global Initiatives

Aligning corporate events with the SDGs allows businesses to contribute to international efforts while engaging their teams and building meaningful relationships. Events can serve as powerful catalysts for action, helping businesses amplify their commitment to global sustainability and rally employees around common goals.

Understanding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

What Are the SDGs?

The 17 SDGs represent a shared blueprint for addressing global challenges and improving life for current and future generations. These goals range from ending poverty and hunger to combating climate change and ensuring clean water and sanitation for all. While government and nonprofit organizations are vital to achieving these goals, businesses of all sizes play a crucial role.

Why Companies Should Align with Global Goals

Businesses are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change by leveraging their resources, innovation, and global reach. By aligning CSR efforts with the SDGs, companies can help address complex global issues (while enhancing their brand reputation), and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world.

Hosting CSR Team Events That Contribute to Global Sustainability

Corporate events offer a tremendous opportunity to promote global sustainability initiatives. Whether raising awareness, generating funding, or gathering supplies and/or food, CSR events can directly contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

How CEI Can Aid Your Global Initiatives

Corporate events not only create engagement opportunities but also help businesses actively contribute to global causes. Partnering with CEI ensures that your CSR initiatives will align with the SDGs and have a lasting impact on global issues, all while engaging your team in a fun and interactive way.

Choosing SDGs That Reflect Global Priorities

When planning a CSR event, it’s important to focus on SDGs that address global priorities and have far-reaching impacts. Here are a few SDGs to consider:

SDG 13: Climate Action  

Host events focused on reducing carbon emissions, promoting clean energy, and educating employees on sustainability practices.  

Program Spotlight: Green Team Challenge—This initiative encourages employees to engage in eco-friendly activities, from reducing office waste to planting trees, as part of the company’s sustainability pledge.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger  

Organize food drives, fundraising events, or partner with local or global organizations to combat hunger worldwide.  

Program Spotlight: iQuest for a Cause—This program challenges teams to participate in fun, competitive events with proceeds that can go to international hunger relief organizations.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation  

Support access to clean water in underserved regions through partnerships with nonprofits or by hosting charity runs.  

Program Spotlight: Clean Water Challenge—This campaign raises awareness about global water shortages and funds clean water projects in developing countries.

How Your CSR Events Can Drive Global Change

Corporate events have the potential to bridge the gap between corporate social responsibility and global development programs, making a tangible difference in the lives of people around the world.

Bridging the Gap Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Goals

CSR events aligned with the SDGs can support international development programs in several ways:

1. International Aid and Relief Efforts  

Partner with organizations like the Red Cross or UNICEF to support international crises, providing necessary resources or financial aid.

2. Empowering Communities through Education (SDG 4)  

Host virtual or hybrid events that offer educational resources and training programs to under-served communities, helping to break the cycle of poverty.

3. M&IW’s 5 Ways to Create a More Sustainable Event

CEI’s partners over at Meetings and Incentives Worldwide have compiled a list of 5 ways to create a more sustainable event. Making sure that every event you host moving forward will continue to show your company’s buy-in to a more sustainable future.

The Benefits of Hosting Global CSR Events

Aligning CSR efforts with global initiatives offers numerous benefits for businesses, from enhancing brand reputation to improving employee engagement.

Elevating Your Brand as a Global Citizen

By contributing to international goals, your company demonstrates a commitment to being part of the global solution. This enhances your brand’s reputation and aligns it with the growing global movement toward sustainability and corporate responsibility.

Building Long-term Relationships through Global Impact

When your company contributes to worldwide causes, it fosters strong relationships with partners, clients, and stakeholders. These connections not only enhance your company’s global presence, but also drive collaboration and innovation.

Boosting Employee Engagement through Global Participation

Employees are more likely to be engaged and loyal to companies that prioritize social and environmental challenges. Hosting CSR events with a focus on global issues increases morale and retention by giving employees a sense of purpose and pride in their work.

Conclusion

Corporate events provide an incredible opportunity to support global sustainability efforts and make a lasting impact. Partner with CEI to plan your next CSR event and become a key player in the global movement to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Together, we can build a better, more sustainable future for all.

In 2015 the United Nations laid out and adopted The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In that, they are focusing on 5 key areas: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. They expand on the idea of sustainability with the understanding that building a better tomorrow isn’t just about protecting natural resources, but includes protecting and supporting people.

At Corporate Event Interactive (CEI), we give back in many sustainable ways, but one of our primary goals is to help companies partner with local organizations through local Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) events. These events lift up the people in the community and support organizations that provide opportunities through educational and/or essential care packages. Our CSR events support the global efforts of the UN Sustainability Goals by bringing the focus into local communities, and making sure that nobody is forgotten.

Importance of Supporting Local Organizations

Every community is different, but the issues they face are very similar. Generally, they revolve around homelessness and poverty, health and well-being, and a quality education. These correlate to the first four Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations. Every region has its local organizations devoted to addressing these needs, but figuring out who to partner with can be daunting. 

1. CSR Event Addressing Homelessness/Poverty

One Team: Community Care Packages

Gather your team to help impact the community with One Team: Community Care Packages! Participants strategize the best way to tackle challenges in teams and earn essential supplies for care packages. This may be designed as a team building program or station activity. Previous kits have included everyday items for veterans, boxed lunches for food pantries, and relief supplies for those displaced by natural disasters.

2. CSR Event Supporting Health and Well-Being

One Team: Chemo Care Kits

Guests build relationships as they engage in a friendly competition and assemble items for Lemons of Love, a non-profit organization that provides support and community to people living with cancer. They ‘help cancer suck less’!

3. CSR Event Supporting Education

STEM Team Challenge

Bring your team together to make an impact with the STEM Team Challenge, an exciting high-tech team-building initiative designed to foster teamwork while making a positive impact on children’s education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Guests assemble kits that promote STEM learning. These kits are then donated to a local educational organization.

4. CSR Event Addressing the Climate Crisis

Green Team Challenge

Experience the thrill of The Green Team Challenge, where teams delve into exhilarating eco-challenges that go beyond the usual ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle’ approach. Teams engage in a series of unique green-focused trivia and tasks right in the meeting room. They earn valuable points and bragging rights on the way to being crowned Champions of Sustainability.

5. CSR Event Giving Back to Several Initiatives

Crocs & Socks

Upon arrival, guests are presented with a vibrant croc or sock, and their task is to find their perfect match. Working in pairs, they collaboratively curate a care package that includes the crocs and socks, ready to be donated to one or more local organizations. You have the option to select from one, two, or all four types of care packages, ensuring a diverse and impactful contribution to the community.

Benefits of These CSR Initiatives

We’ve said before and we’ll say it again, Corporate Social Responsibility events boost company morale because employees enjoy the feeling of giving back. This feeling is compounded with the knowledge that their efforts are benefitting people within their own community. In return, the community also feels a stronger affinity towards the company. This improves the overall reputation of the company and boosts brand loyalty. It’s the best win-win out there, plus it has the support of the United Nations!

Conclusion

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations emphasizes a holistic approach to sustainability that integrates the well-being of people with the protection of our planet. Corporate Event Interactive (CEI) aligns with this vision through its focus on facilitating impactful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) events that address critical community needs. 

Partnering with local organizations and engaging companies in hands-on initiatives, CEI helps address homelessness, supports health and well-being, and fosters educational opportunities. These efforts not only benefit communities but also enhance employee morale and strengthen corporate reputation. In essence, CEI’s approach exemplifies how local actions can contribute to global sustainability goals, creating a tangible and positive impact for both people and the planet. Reach out today to start planning your own local CSR event.

Stay tuned to find out CEI can help your event have more of a global impact!

Building a Better World and an Even Better Business

In today’s competitive business landscape, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a crucial piece of long-term success. CSR refers to a company’s commitment to manage its social, environmental, and economic effects responsibly and ethically. The practice not only fosters a positive impact on the world, but also brings numerous benefits to your company. Corporate Events Interactive understands the benefits of corporate social responsibility and its necessity for companies aiming to thrive in today’s world.

Enhanced Corporate Reputation and Brand Image

One primary benefit of CSR is the improvement of company reputation and brand image. When a company actively engages in socially responsible initiatives, it projects a positive image to the public. Consumers today are more informed and concerned about the ethical practices of the companies they support. As a result, they tend to favor brands that demonstrate a commitment to social, environmental, and global causes.

Hands-In Challenge

CEI’s Hands-In Challenge is an immersive team-building experience that fosters fun and camaraderie, all while creating a global impact.  Teams complete a series of challenges to earn prosthetic hand kits. Once assembled, the hands are quality checked by a team of experts before being sent around the world to amputees who cannot afford prosthetic devices. Enjoy the profound learning opportunities related to purpose-driven work and collaboration as your group builds a better team and a better world!

Strengthened Customer Relationships and Loyalty

CSR activities are instrumental in building trust and loyalty among consumers. When companies engage in responsible practices, they create a bond of trust with their customers, who feel good about supporting a brand that cares about the community and the environment.

Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to support brands that are socially responsible. For instance, a 2017 study by Cone Communications revealed that 87% of consumers would purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about, and 76% would refuse to buy from a company if they learned it supported an issue contrary to their beliefs.

Hour of Power (Solar Lights)

The Hour of Power is an immersive, hands-on solar light assembly program designed to raise awareness about energy poverty. Our skilled team helps participants work together to build solar-powered lights, which are then gifted to children living in energy poverty. This not only brightens their living conditions but also enhances their educational opportunities so they can read, cook, study, and more after dark! Check out the Solar Buddy video.

Improved Employee Engagement and Morale

CEI has seen our CSR activities make a profound impact on employee satisfaction and retention. Employees feel proud working for a company that is committed to making a positive difference in the world. This increased morale can lead to higher productivity and reduced turnover rates.

Clean Water Challenge

The Clean Water Challenge is an immersive team-building experience that fosters camaraderie while creating a global impact. Through a series of dynamic and interactive activities, teams learn about the mechanics of water filtration, gaining an appreciation for the vital role of clean water in sustaining life.

Teams actively assemble water filters, gaining firsthand knowledge of the global water crisis and how clean water transforms communities. These filters will be distributed in remote areas like refugee camps and regions affected by natural disasters. Each filter is designed to provide clean water for up to 12 people for an impressive duration of 10 years!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the benefits of corporate social responsibility (especially global CSR) are manifold, ranging from enhanced brand reputation and customer loyalty to improved employee engagement and morale. By integrating CSR into their core strategies, businesses can not only build a better world but also secure long-term success. CEI encourages companies to embrace CSR and leverage its benefits to create a sustainable and prosperous future for all. Find out more about how CEI can help you create a global impact while fostering more camaraderie by checking out all of our Sustainability Events.

Hi Everyone!

The trend toward sustainable events is gaining momentum as we roll into 2024! Reduce, reuse and recycle are familiar mantras, and companies are now getting more creative with sustainability being top of mind. This is the year we shout, “Go Green!”

There are some ways that are sweeping events in an attempt to green-ify the industry. It starts with selecting a venue that also has a focus on green initiatives. Then choosing a more central location to shorten everyone’s trip will cut down on transportation emissions (hint: Chicago is a very central location with a robust public transportation network). Also, choosing eco-friendly swag will encourage all attendees to continue their sustainability efforts long after the event’s over.

Our team at CEI embraces this initiative and is offering NEW team building activities that promote a greener lifestyle and actively give back to the planet and our global community. Check out some of our programs below that can be customized to your event. We look forward to making a greener, more sustainable 2024 with you!

Go Green!

Linda

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7 WAYS TO GREEN-IFY YOUR WORKPLACE

1. Invest in live office plants, not only do they add literal green, they also recycle all of the CO² in the building into fresh oxygen.
2. Promote the use of reusable water bottles and coffee/tea mugs.
3. Limit the need for printed materials, opting instead for document sharing platforms like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
4. Turn off the lights and other non-essential equipment during off hours to conserve energy.
5. Support a hybrid working environment to cut down on the amount of travel your employees need to make into/out of the office.
6. Have fresh filtered water bottle fillers (not the old jugs). Bonus points: add a machine like Bevi to cut down on all those LaCroix cans.
7. Check out an organization like Circularly to find ways that you can be a part of a circular economy and promote better corporate sustainability.

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GO GREEN!

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Sustainability in Chicago

Chicago is a leader of innovative environmental initiatives, and sustainability is a key focus of its policies. Chicago is integrating sustainability in the places residents work, live, learn, and play while preparing for a resilient future.

Contact CEI today to see how we can craft a custom sustainable event for your team!

“Success in a hybrid work environment requires employers to move beyond viewing remote or hybrid environments as a temporary or short-term strategy and to treat it as an opportunity.”

– George Penn, Managing Vice President, Gartner

As companies try to bring more of the workforce back into the office, they are being confronted with differing hybrid vs full return to office models and reports from the experts, not to mention employees who are reporting higher levels of stress and varying rates of engagement. There’s no doubt that the effects of the pandemic and how it shifted societal views are being felt the world over. Now the question is becoming “Can we return to the way things used to be?” Or rather, “Should we be trying to?”

In June, Gallup released its State of the Global Workplace report, which states that 44% of the 122,000 employees it surveyed felt “a lot of” stress. These feelings of stress led to 51% of employees actively or passively looking for a new job. That rate of turnover is extremely detrimental to a company on every front. Between the hours needed to onboard new team members and the culture shift that happens with each new departure/arrival, progress and efficiency slow, which only leads to a rise in stress and frustrations.

So what should employers do? Will a sweeping return to office mandate help? Well, not necessarily. Gallup also reports that feeling disengaged has 3.8 times the influence on stress-levels as opposed to work location. It’s less about whether or not an employee is in office versus remote, and more about them feeling adequately utilized and properly cared for as an individual. In fact, when asking the “Quiet Quitters” of the survey, 41% say they would make their current company better with engagement and company culture, especially as it relates to recognition, opportunities to learn, fairer treatment, and clearer goals.

Now, this all should be viewed as an opportunity. An opportunity to reset. An opportunity to meet your employees where they are. Take the time to understand what their personal and professional goals are, help them connect with their colleagues, and have meaningful interactions with them on a regular basis. Otherwise you risk an increase in burnout and active disengagement. Here’s a few easy ways to go about making those meaningful connections.

1. Have weekly meetings with your employees

Nothing helps build an IRL connection like meaningful conversations. Whether they’re just a weekly check-in or an in-depth progress report, it’s important to make sure you have an understanding of how your employees are doing, beyond simply what they’re doing. Do they want an opportunity to grow in their career? Are they overwhelmed by a certain project? These meetings should be a process of making your employees feel both seen and heard. Find ways that you can help them take that next step in life.

2. Host a networking or team building event with a twist — in-person or remote 

Think outside the wine mixer. The goal of networking and team building events is to make sure that people are fostering new connections in the workplace. CEI has loads of different ideas from game shows to casino nights to charitable events that will bring your whole team closer together and maximize their networking potential.

3. Be mindful of your remote employees

Make sure that every team member feels like they’re a part of the larger community. It is easier to have pop-in conversations when everyone is in the same building, but don’t neglect the talent that chooses to work from home. Make time for them, and actively seek out their input. Have a hybrid event coming up? Try to make it so that remote employees can still connect with their in-person cohorts.

Conclusion

The world has been forced to change a lot over the past few years. Every market and every industry is being presented with these changes. Don’t fear them. Accept these changes for the opportunities that they are. Opportunities to reconnect in new ways, and to build something brand new. 

With all the questions floating around about what 2023 will bring, wouldn’t it be nice to know that our teams will be more efficient and effective than they were last year? What if there were a way to ensure that this year will be stronger than the last? What’s the one investment that can guarantee returns year in and year out? The answer to everything is simple…

It’s team building!

It has been shown that team building boosts morale and employee buy-in, but 2023 is going to continue to present new challenges and another wave of this, that, or the other thing — how can it benefit the bottom line? Team-building events are guaranteed investments back into your employees, and chances to get them out of the conference room and onto their feet, thinking about issues in new ways, with different people, building interdepartmental trust and letting their hidden abilities shine.

Bringing Remote Workers Together

Coming into 2023 it is hard to deny that remote and hybrid work is here to stay for many companies of all sizes. Outside of manufacturing and the events and entertainment industries, a lot of top-tier talent is pressuring employers for not just a hybrid schedule, but the ability to work from wherever. With more of the workforce working remotely, it is crucial to find new ways of connecting away from the breakroom.

This is where team building thrives. Team-building events are proven to develop positive relationships between employees and lead to a more satisfaction with the work they do. Working with Corporate Event Interactive (CEI), we will create an event that cultivates these relationships and fosters a deeper sense of belonging on your team. This will make for a more positive work environment and sense of community regardless of an employee’s proximity to the office.

Creating Relationships and Building Interdepartmental Bonds

It’s no secret that the foundation of team building is about creating relationships and building bonds. The name of the game is building teams. But those bonds don’t stop at departmental lines. In fact, team-building events can be a great way to help employees see each department and gain a better understanding of their colleagues’ positions. This understanding will help prevent problems, while also giving teams the necessary tools to work through any issues as they arise.

At CEI, we have a lot of programs that bring companies together and help them work interdepartmentally. Beyond resolving conflicts, interdepartmental bonds can generate new perspectives on projects. When employees feel more comfortable with their colleagues, they become more open to their ideas. This openness can lead to greater efficiency company-wide because not only are more innovative ideas being created, but teams are more aware of what each other are doing.

Finding New Team Leaders

Team-building tends to show the different roles that employees step into when confronted with challenges. Some will take on any hands-on or physical tasks, while others excel at puzzles. Something to look out for is those leadership qualities that emerge from tasks. It might not be the one completing the task or even the loudest group member, but there will be team members that are better at encouraging their peers and pulling them through when a roadblock becomes all the more challenging. The new setting of a team-building event may give those natural leaders a chance to reveal their abilities that might not be as easily seen in a normal work environment — especially if they’re only ever seen through a Zoom window.

Should Employee A take on a new role? Will they thrive in a group with Employee B? Team-building events are great pressure cookers to help managers identify the strengths and weaknesses of different employees and teams. A better understanding of these attributes will help build more effective teams in the future, as well as assign tasks that will play to an employee’s abilities and better utilize them. When employees feel that they are better utilized, they perform more efficiently and more effectively.

Getting Together To Give Back

Organic teamwork comes most naturally from activities built around collaboration. Collaborative efforts makes employees feel more connected to each other and better supported in their work environment, and nothing builds collaboration quite like a cause. Whether that be a volunteer opportunity or a charitable event, when employees experience and take part in their company’s compassion, they feel a sense of pride in the work they do on a day-to-day basis.

The team at Corporate Event Interactive loves to help companies give back to a variety of causes. We love handcrafting events to meet your company’s needs, while connecting directly to those who will receive your donation. We’ve previously partnered with dozens of charities, clubs, and centers throughout the Chicagoland area. Need help figuring out your next charitable event? Let us help you out.

Capture Company Culture By Linda Whitlock Hi Everyone, With so many teams working remotely from home, maintaining company culture has been challenging, to say the least. The days of gathering together for lunch or after work socials are long forgotten (if non-existent). Impromptu outings now resemble meetings where arrangements have to be thought through, planned and scheduled in advance. Any gathering or activity with your team is an opportunity to help encourage better communication practices, build trust and values, and promote moments of joy at work. We all need to feel connected. Team building is one way to develop a strong company culture, providing a sense of community. It could be as simple as sharing stories of favorite childhood memories or recipes. Or, creating a fun and friendly competition between departments. There are many options that can be delivered virtually or in-person. When a team works together to achieve common goals, everyone wins! Individuals, the organization and customers. The benefits of team building go a long way, long after the activity experience ends. Contact us to help build and strengthen your company culture in 2022. From our CEI team to yours, wishing you all a safe and relaxing holiday season. We look forward to working with you in 2022. ~ Linda

Corporate Social Responsibility: Why & How to Give Back

Practicing Corporate Social Responsibility is essential for today’s business owners. When companies are aware of the way their business practices affect both their stakeholders and the general public, this practice is valued as corporate citizenship. Here is the Why: In today’s media climate, customers, clients and employees are paying more attention to a company’s integrity and culture.Providing CSR opportunities at your event helps to foster a positive corporate image and promotes loyalty both internally, between employees and the company, and externally, between the company and its patronage.

Here is the How: The following should considered to determine the ideal way to give back at your event.Amount of time you’d like to spend on your eventNumber of participants you’d like to involveDesired location for your eventSpecified budget for your eventSelected cause, corporate alignment, or local need Facilitate anything from cleaning up a beach or park toparticipating in a combination team-building, care-package event!

Here Is How Your Company Can Execute a Rewarding CSR Event: Send out pre-event info to your employees to garner excitement. Engage employees physically and mentally with contests that foster friendly competition.Invite a representative from the benefiting charity to speak.End with a photo opp of the team showcasing what they accomplished.Hire a team building company to bring your event to life!

Challenge/Opportunity:
This pharmaceutical company wanted to provide a meaningful charitable team event for 1,200 attendees during their National Sales Meeting. The event would support the client’s larger overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and annual day of service, benefiting local non-profit organizations in the Las Vegas area where the meeting was taking place.

Company culture plays a big role in employee satisfaction and retention. Some companies embrace a work hard, play hard ideology, others embrace giving back to the communities in which they are located. Deloitte, Salesforce, Stryker and others listed in the March 2015 Fortune article by Benjamin Snyder (@WriterSnyder) pay their employees for their time while they give back. Employees are encouraged to get into the community and share their talents. They do good works for others, they can feel good about their achievements and proud of their company for supporting their efforts. This is a triple win!