How can events create equal working opportunities and lead to sustainable economic growth?

The power of the event industry is vast and its possibilities are endless, meaning there are an array of ways in which the event industry can be viewed and explored. This month, as part of our monthly interview series, we will be exploring the theme: 

How can events create equal working opportunities and lead to a sustainable economic growth?

                     THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT...

With the value of the event industry in Europe alone estimated at $1.59 trillion*, events have the opportunity to influence the job market and economic development. The largest association for meetings, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) says

"When we meet we change the world".

This message represents the power events have to bring people together to create, collaborate and innovate to create a world that works for everybody. Through our work and interviews on this month's theme, we will build a better insight into the event industry's potential and the specific ways in which events can be used to fulfil these sustainability goals.  

BACKGROUND

We chose this month's theme as it relates to 1 of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals:  

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

We know that events are a vital part of encouraging inclusiveness through collaboration and that they have the power to carry important messages and deliver a vision to a wider audience. It is these qualities, amongst many others, that give events the potential to promote and create equality in opportunities and improve sustainability within the economy, so we are keen to explore specific ways in which events can achieve these goals. 

interview with SHowslice

In the following interview, Positive Impact asks Damian Oracki, the co-founder of Showslice, for his thoughts on the potential of events to change the working world, examples from his own working life of opportunities created through events and whether he thinks the last 5 years have featured a shift in our relationship with events and the greater good.