Ethical Considerations When Planning Events

The global event industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.3% every year until 2026. With all the exciting business prospects events can bring, it's clear why it's such a popular and lucrative field.

However, despite the popularity of planning events, the responsibility of being an event planner shouldn't be taken lightly. There are a number of ethical issues that could arise if you don't approach things correctly.

By reviewing these issues, you can be sure you're prepared to prevent them when planning your next event. Read on for our guide on the common ethical issues of event planning and how to avoid them.

Environmental Factors

If you're participating in an event, it's essential to have a disaster preparedness plan for yourself and your colleagues. This is especially important if you're in an at-risk area for floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters.

Health and Safety Requirements

As an event planner, it is your responsibility to take all necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of your attendees. Many common ethical issues either stem from the failure to adhere to these duties, or by cutting corners in order to save some money.

Event Hall Cleanliness and Sanitation

First of all, you'll need to ensure your venue is completely up to code. Be sure the floors and walls are clean and free of mould, mildew, and other substances.

It's also good practice to offer hand sanitizer to your attendees and personal protective equipment (plastic gloves, etc.) whenever applicable.

Alcohol Licenses

One of the common ethical issues of event planning is whether or not you will be serving alcohol at your event.

If your event will be serving alcohol, be sure you're in compliance with alcohol laws in Australia. You will have to make sure no minors have access to alcohol and that everyone is consuming responsibly.

If you're travelling abroad for your event, be sure to familiarize yourself with all applicable laws, age restrictions, and licensing requirements for serving alcohol in that particular country.

Children

Another one of the common ethical issues for event planners is deciding whether or not children will be allowed to attend your event.

If you don't allow children, then you could be isolating a number of potential attendees, such as single parents and those who can't afford childcare while they're attending your event.

However, if you do allow children, then you should ensure that all your event exhibits are kid-friendly in nature. You should avoid any explicit content that your attendees wouldn't want their children to see. On top of that, you'll need to "child-proof" your venue (conceal exposed wiring/outlets, keep the floor clear of choking hazards, etc.).

Fire Evacuation Plans

Having an emergency fire/bushfire plan is one of the most important event planning tips to keep in mind. Be sure all staff are well-versed on how to evacuate if the unthinkable happens.

Copying Another Company's Idea

While it's normal to be inspired by other players in your professional field, it's important not to copy ideas or concepts for your event. Not only is this a bad look for your business, but it could also lead to legal issues down the line.

In some extreme cases, there are copyright infringement laws that could result in loss of all net profits from a specific campaign, product, or promotion. These vary by region and could mean big trouble for your organization.

Deliberately Undercutting Your Competition

Framing your deals to underbid your competitors is one of the common ethical issues that event planners face. This is a bad business practice that could potentially lead to legal trouble as well.

Australia and other countries forbid predatory pricing, which typically involves selling an item at a price below its cost in order to poach business from your competitors. Be sure your attendees are not participating in such practices.

Not Featuring a Diverse Workforce

Featuring workplace diversity has also been shown to increase the effectiveness and profitability of your business. By feature race and gender inclusivity in your business's booth, you'll be more likely to draw business from a broader range of people attending the event.

Addressing Common Ethical Issues as an Event Planner

As the event planner, it is your duty to avoid common ethical issues and make sure your staff is fully trained as well. By adhering to a strict code of conduct, you can ensure you're running a successful and problem-free event.

Maintain Professionalism at All Times

Many common ethical issues of event planning occur when an event planner fails to keep up with their typical code of professionalism. If you act unprofessional or otherwise unpleasant to your attendees, you'll quickly gain a bad reputation that could hurt your business.

Keep Your Promises

When you're in a fast-paced, exciting event and you're aiming to make as many sales as possible, you might find yourself saying anything to close a deal. However, once everything is said and done, you'll need to be able to deliver.

Be sure to stay faithful to all timelines and deals that you promise for people. If you're questioning whether you can realistically offer something, play it safe by finding an alternative.

Don't Accept Bribes or Inappropriate Gifts

Bribes, gifts, and other forms of extra payment that lead to unfair treatment and favouritism need to be strictly off the table. As an event planner, the last thing you want to be known as is crooked and "easily bought."

Instead, be sure you're creating a fair playing ground for all attendees. You'll be setting a good example for your staff while avoiding the potential common ethical issues that could arise.

Avoid Harassment of Other Event Attendees

Be civil to other event attendees. Running directly alongside your competitors can lead to hot tempers, but it's important to keep your cool no matter what.

As a general rule, conduct yourself as if you were in your office. The chaos and excitement of the event hall can often make you forget that you're still at work, especially when alcohol is involved. That's why it's important to actively keep your composure and treat all attendees with professionalism and respect.

Problem-Free Event Planning

Event planning carries a lot of responsibilities, but you can get everything right by taking the proper precautions. Now that you know some of the most common ethical issues of event planning, you can be confident when planning your next event.

Contact us today for more information on ethical event planning.