IBTM World partnered with Origin’All to create this year’s ‘Plan with Purpose – Sustainable Community Zone’, a new show feature for 2021 that showcased some of the creative and artisanal talent in Barcelona. Situated opposite the Hosted Buyer Lounge and adjacent to the Accelerate Stage, the zone will host live demonstrations, each underlining their own social purpose within the city, and will even feature IBTM World’s first ever treasure hunt on the show floor.
Ahead of IBTM World 2021, which took place November 20 to December 2 at Fira Barcelona, we caught up with Claudia Cavariani, Founder of Origin’All, to gain insight into how this new organization works with artisans, non-profits, small businesses and entrepreneurs to support them in the process of working with business event organizers to create unique and authentic event experiences for delegates.
Why did you decide to create your company, Origin’All Spirit?
I have always felt a strong desire to understand and bond with the places I visit. The best way to do this is to connect with the locals.
Since finding hidden gems, unique venues and services came naturally to me, I have integrated that into my work as an event planner. Working with smaller venues, artisans, and local businesses to create something authentic for my clients, inviting them to go beyond the famous and known attractions – it’s something I’ve always enjoyed! Of course, that also meant supporting the community and helping preserve their traditions. After all, small businesses are the heart of the local economy.
When the 2016 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlighted the importance of communities and their cultural heritage, I expected the industry to embrace social, cultural, and economic developments. However, most of the efforts we have seen so far are only related to environmental conservation. Preserving the uniqueness of the destinations we go to should also be a priority for our industry. That’s when I began to wonder what I could do to provide the industry with a different point of view.
My answer is Origin’All. Its mission is to give event planners the chance to unlock a destination’s DNA through its residents’ eyes. Looking at the rise of “bleisure travel” – the increased interest of conference visitors to add on a couple of days to actually enjoy the “spirit” of a destination – I am convinced that many others share my view.
You founded the company less than a year ago, during the global pandemic, what was that like and why did you decide to launch at that moment?
The idea had been spinning around my head for a while. I just need to find the right moment to start. In 2019 I was still organizing events and incentive travel programs around the world, wondering when I would be able to stop. In 2020 I was forced to stop, as we all were. I used my time to decide what I wanted to do in the future. And it turns out that I want to show the industry a better way of doing business. A way that benefits planners and destinations alike. I was at home, alone, for six months, and focused on what I needed to do to make Origin’All a reality. That helped me to get through the worst period of the pandemic.
I had just joined a mentorship program that paired with a fabulous mentor, Mariska Kesteloo, who is also an entrepreneur. Her support was the final push I needed.
I joined the 2020 Barcelona Chapter from Founder Institute Program, which prepared me for the challenges I would face as an entrepreneur. Some of the mentors I had throughout the program questioned me constantly about the idea of starting a business related to business events in the middle of the pandemic. I heard several times that events were not returning, that the future was 100% virtual. I knew that was not true. Virtual is an alternative and a good solution under certain circumstances, but people crave contact, they want to see and experience the world again, doing business in a virtual environment is not the same.
I was convinced about our return and here we are, happy to be on IBTM’s show floor again, eager to meet colleagues and friends from the industry. I knew that this return represented an opportunity to rethink the way we do business and to build back better. I want Origin’All to be a part of it. Starting a business is never easy. It is hard work and probably the hardest thing I have ever done.
How does Origin’all help events have a positive impact and legacy on their host destination, and why is this important?
In the end is all comes back to the idea of sustainability. Sustainability is crucial. But have we stopped for a minute to analyse what that means? Does sustainability only mean going green?
Sustainability is frequently oversimplified around the idea of finding solutions to environmental issues. However, preserving destinations should concern us as an industry. Above all, what makes a city interesting and irreplaceable is its people and what they can offer us. Would that neighborhood sound so appealing if those traditional markets, artisans, or small shops were not there? Would our experience be the same without the local flavors or the sound of its music?
Economic, social, and cultural sustainability is all about that. It is about our industry being able to increase communities’ quality of life, to stimulate it to maintain their identity, and to make sure the revenue we generate benefits locals.
Every destination has countless artisans, non-profits, small businesses, and entrepreneurs who possess great potential to work with our industry. However, they often aren’t familiar with the meetings and events sector. That’s why we use our experience to prepare them to work with the business events industry.
For them, it is an opportunity to reach a new market through a platform that respects both their history and values. Additionally, they get to experience the benefits of working in a community as we stimulate synergies between our members.
The idea of community-based tourism is widespread and now it’s time to introduce the concept of community-based events. We offer authentic alternatives developed by members from the local community that event planners can include while also being mindful of the SDGs. This in turn helps create meaningful encounters between event attendees and the local community. We also hope that these experiences will encourage attendees to think about how they can help their communities back home.
This is what we need if we want to create a futureproof events industry where we preserve destinations, their character, singularity, and heritage for future generations.
