If Wikipedia is to be believed, the hospitality industry blazed the trail for cause marketing ("a type of marketing involving the cooperative efforts of a ‘for profit' business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit"). According to Wikipedia, "One of the first ‘cause marketing' campaigns occurred in 1976 through a partnership between Marriott Corporation and the March of Dimes." Marriott promoted the opening of its Marriott's Great America in Santa Clara, Calif., while simultaneously encouraging the collection of pledges for the March of Dimes.

That campaign gave birth to a "Do Well by Doing Good" movement that was first embraced by numerous corporations more than 30 years ago. I believe that we've come full circle - or perhaps, more accurately, the cause has been taken up by a new generation.

The other day I met with the managing partner of an international law firm. He told me that he had been left speechless by a recent conversation with a promising young lawyer he was recruiting to join his firm. After more than a half-dozen interviews in which the responsibilities and financial compensation of the role were discussed, the managing partner asked the almost-new hire, "Are there any more questions you have about us?"

"Yes," he replied. "What is your carbon footprint?"

"My carbon what?" the managing partner asked.

"Is the firm nice to the environment?"

"Son, this is a commercial law firm," the managing partner responded. "Our concern does not lie with the environment."

The talented lawyer took a job elsewhere.

If we are prepared to take a different job because of our values, then certainly we are prepared to attend (or not) a meeting for much the same reasons. I think the Lipscomb & Pitts Breakfast Club in Memphis provides a good example of how a "cause-related meeting" can serve as an attendee magnet.

A city in transformation, Memphis was looking for a place both to bring together its most senior business leaders on a regular basis for important conversations and to bring new ideas into the city. Led by Johnny Pitts - an icon in the Memphis community - the Memphis chapter of the national "Breakfast Club" was launched in 2005.

Memphis, however, was not interested in just another breakfast meeting. There were already a dozen of those. The city wanted a breakfast meeting with meaning.

After breaking away from the now-dead Breakfast Club franchise, Pitts and his team decided to bring the very same soul for which Memphis is famous to the club itself. They weren't just asking CEOs for their money, they were demanding their time, too - for everything from cleaning graffiti in the streets, to mentoring young leaders from local universities. The business executives responded in droves. Now facilitating 100-plus events a year, the Lipscomb & Pitts Breakfast Club struggles with handling a growing demand for participation.

It's a nice problem to have.

When today's attendees come to meetings, they're searching not only for value (for their investment of time and expenses) but also for meaning. We have the opportunity to create a brand-new kind of experience: one that does not merely enrich their minds, but nourishes their souls as well.

Take Away

Social change may not be the vision of your organization,but you still can be a force for good. Instead of organizing just another social-networking event for your next meeting, consider taking it to another level by partnering on a Habitat for Humanity project. Instead of inviting a motivational speaker who won a silver medal at the 1980 Olympics, you could invite a leading geneticist who has dedicated her life to curing cancer. After all, shouldn't meetings inspire and bring out the best in us all?

Peter Sheahan is a best-selling author and renowned speaker. Brought to you by National Speakers Bureau in Chicago, Sheahan focuses on exploiting business trends and new market opportunities. His clients include Google, Hilton Hotels, GlaxoSmithKline, Cisco, Goldman Sachs, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the International Housewares Association. You can reach him at flipstar@petersheahan.com, or visit www.petersheahan.com for more information.