Strong on Sustainability pt 2: Making a Difference

In the first part of our Sustainability blog focus, we touched on the importance of environmental policies that make a difference, from calculating a baseline carbon footprint to conducting an in-depth energy audit and efficiency reporting as the starting point.

Against the background of the recent COP 26 summit, we are all being urged to take action before it is quite simply too late – for our planet, for our climate, for today as well as for future generations.  The evidence is hard-hitting and life-threatening.

After some 18 months off the show floor, the event industry has had plenty of time to reflect on how to try and clean up its act.  Companies are putting sustainability at the very heart of their corporate objectives, recognising that only by adopting a ground-up approach can they hope to fulfil them.

We work in a business that has some inherent challenges – for example, lots of travel around the world for global events, including sometimes the need to transport large volumes long distances.  We used to build structures that were all too often set up just once before being dismantled at the end of an event. We work in environments requiring high energy usage from on-stand lighting to the extensive deployment of powerful IT and AV equipment.  Our focus has been on scrutinising each and every one of these areas, as part of an overall reassessment of our in-house sustainability policy and our commitment to supporting our clients’ strategies.

Our approach reflects these trends, looking deep within our organisation as the starting point to identify areas where we can improve and find new ways of reducing the environmental impact of our activities.  Some of our industry’s sustainability challenges can only be addressed incrementally but every detail counts.

As we hit the ground running with a full calendar of events now in place for the remainder of 2021 and through 2022, we have mapped out a set of policies, and provide a commitment to uphold these:

By working together towards creating a greener event industry, we are also helping to contribute to a greener world.  It is both a corporate and individual responsibility, and we can all make a difference in everything we do. In addition to our sustainability policy, we have implemented a variety of initiatives that we encourage our clients to choose, some of these include:

+ Re-useable and sustainable architecture- utilising recyclable paper, glass and balustrade systems to create a truly unique design.

+ Bespoke modular design- taking modular design principles and creating a reusable kit for a multiple-event run.

+ Biophilic Design- utilising green spaces, trees, living walls and more within your event space.

+ Hybrid Exhibitions- reducing the need for mass travel.

+Timber Graphics- removes the use of plastic or vinyl.

+ Upcycling furniture.

Introducing policies and initiatives into everyday business operations, however small they may seem, will have an impact in the long run. Let’s take action, we have no time to waste!