Giving back has become a given.
Whether that’s because of our collective human instinct to be philanthropic or the corporate need to hit social responsibility goals, the reason doesn’t matter: No one can deny that community impact initiatives are a large and still-growing component of events in 2026 and beyond. Attendees have come to expect to find some do-gooding at their events, and companies are now seeking ways to leave their event destinations better than they found them. But how can planners design activities that produce a genuinely positive impact? How can they incorporate them into increasingly packed programs? And can one even measure ROI in this area?
Here’s what experts had to say about community impact.
Ask the Experts
When it comes to sourcing opportunities to give back, nothing beats the expertise of a destination marketing organization. That’s because they’re the authorities on what their communities truly need, and their extensive network of local contacts includes nonprofits and volunteer organizations.
“Rather than the planners deciding what they want to do when it comes to an event that will make an impact, I would say to do a bit of research, talk to the DMO, and then they can connect you with a nonprofit directly,” said Nancy Molenda, vice president of global corporate events and philanthropy at Mattel.
Connecting with the DMO also ensures that planners can direct their energy toward planning something that’s going to have the most significance in their community, rather than choosing an activity that’s convenient.
“Start by asking questions,” said Katie Baker, director of events and community engagement at Experience Columbus. “Start with your DMO services manager and ask, ‘What does your community need?’”
When researching destinations for an event, planners should check out each DMO’s website to look for pages focused on community service or voluntourism. Many DMOs have a ready-made list of community service initiatives that groups have completed successfully in the past. This can give planners a huge leg up because they can choose a turnkey activity rather than designing one from scratch.
Gladys Sosa, events experience manager at VisitGreenvilleSC, said these types of community event pages provide “such a great service to [planners].” She added, “We want to make sure we’re serving up opportunities for our local community and being that connector between these groups.”
Think About Group Goals
There’s an abundance of ways groups can give back to local communities — so much so that the choice can feel overwhelming. Planners can look to their company’s mission and their event’s goals for inspiration.
“We try to make sure that we can support the organization’s brand and values when we’re offering options to them,” Baker said. “We have a convention that was here last year, and it’s a horticulture group, so the whole convention center is transformed with flowers and plants. We’ve helped them connect with some local organizations like Habitat for Humanity, who will come pick up those leftover flowers and plants and resell them to support that organization.”
Sometimes, the company’s brand and mission bring about a few obvious choices for service activities. If a company’s goals align with sustainability, projects at community gardens or litter cleanup might be appropriate.
“When you think about Mattel and activating at events, it’s easy, but we build holistically into who we are,” Molenda said. “We’re a toy company, so we’re going to be serving children and families.”
Likewise, the purpose of the event itself can influence which community impact activities will be the best fit. If the event is centered around casual networking, large-group activities that encourage attendees to move around and talk to each other — like a park cleanup — will be most conducive to lots of people interacting. If the event is focused on team building within a company, planners might consider something that lets attendees work closely and collaboratively, like serving in a soup kitchen or packing hygiene kits for homeless people in the community.
Consider On-Site Versus Off-Site
Every meeting group’s resources — time, budget and attendance numbers — vary. These factors will influence what types of service activities will be the best fit.
If a program has enough time to spare, it can be great to get attendees off-site and into the community, where they can participate in service initiatives like cleaning up a destination’s green spaces or even assisting with a larger project like building a Habitat for Humanity home.
But for meetings with packed schedules and limited times, an on-site opportunity to give back might be a better fit.
“Convention schedules are so full that it’s hard to find time, so organizers are looking for ways to bring those CSR projects on-site,” Baker said. “Attendees can even do it at their leisure whenever they have time. We’ve seen a lot of blood drives or packing of hygiene kits or meal kits that can be distributed throughout the community that attendees can do when they have a short break during the meeting.”
Sometimes, if time is limited, the option to give financially can be an equally meaningful initiative.
“We have Give Greenville, which is a donation portal,” Sosa said. “So, if a group truly doesn’t have much time in the destination, we still like to provide some opportunities to give back.”
Extend Impact Throughout the Event
To augment an event’s community impact, planners should make sure they’re weaving activities throughout the entire event and not just relegating them to a 20-minute window between sessions.
“It should be part of an attendee’s journey, not just an offset of something that rounds out a little bit of free time,” Molenda said.
She suggested continuously incorporating it into the event by reminding attendees about their impact throughout. This can be done in many ways, like inviting the head of the nonprofit they served to speak at the conference or honoring the service activity during the event’s final night.
Molenda also recommends consistently working with the same organization if an event is held in the same destination.
“If you choose to do something in the community you’re returning to year over year, continue to build upon it rather than doing something new,” she said. “It connects your audience to a bigger story if year over year you’re working with the same group; you really get to see the impact of your work.”
There are other ways to positively affect a community beyond specific service activities.
“Using local businesses and vendors whenever possible is huge,” Baker said. “Sustainability also makes a big impact in the community and is something that can be done throughout the show.”
It’s also vital to get attendees into the destination to have the most impact, whether that’s on their own or as part of the program.
“We try to get people out of a banquet hall; we try to get them onto Main Street and enjoying the local community,” Sosa said. “Anything they can spend in the destination with our small businesses is always really impactful as well.”
