Kris Grant, ASPL Group’s CEO, was featured in Company Director Magazine providing her opinion on the benefits and opportunities for investing in international conferences since travel has reopened.

Kris suggests “Investing in international conferences can encourage innovation by developing an employee’s growth mindset and encourage them to gain skills and apply new knowledge learned from a global perspective to their own organisation.”

By allocating a portion of the learning and development budget towards international conferences, human resources (HR) managers and company boards can make a wise investment that can lead to significant returns in terms of an employee’s and an organisation’s development.

Kris explains, “Another of the key values of investing in conferences is the networking opportunity for both the employee and the company, where the relationships can continue to grow and expand post-conference.”

Conversely, reasons against hosting international conferences can include the high costs associated and criticism for negatively impacting the environment due to the waste involved and carbon emissions.

Organisations should put in place sustainability measures and take proactive approaches. Examples can include by using BioCup containers, distributing printed signage made from recycled cardboard throughout the event space to educate attendees on the sustainability features, digital signage, recycled fabrics and cardboard.