Question Time… (EIN-style)
Event Industry News Sustainable Events Guide Launch
Last week Event Industry News published their sixth Sustainable Events Guide, launched with the annual Event Sustainability Breakfast Briefing.
event:decision took to the stage alongside Chrissie Beck Worlds Better, Anna Abdelnoor Isla, Nick Grimaldi Shelton Fleming and Hannah Robinson from BMA House.
A record number of guests were invited to submit questions during registration – so many questions in fact, that as a panel we were unable to answer many due to time constraints.
So we thought we’d have a go. This week we’ll cover the first four of eight topics:
- Identifying & Prioritising Sustainability in Events
- Stakeholder Engagement & Changing Behaviours
- Cost vs. Sustainability: Making It Affordable & Accessible
- Innovation, Technology & Future Trends
Here is a selection of the questions we didn’t manage to discuss – and event:decision’s (short!) associated thoughts:
1. Identifying & Prioritising Sustainability in Events
Assessing & Improving Sustainability
- How do you identify areas in need of improvement/stay updated with new developments to become more sustainable? Undertake an Impact: Responsible Event Review which provides you with a checklist of possible sustainable actions, with actionable insights and a benchmark to show how you compare with other events.
- What is one small change you could make in your event briefs to start delivering incremental change? Ask your supply-chain to list or benchmark specific actions they are taking to align with your event sustainability goals.
- What is the most effective way to influence sustainable travel to events? Provide each & every delegate with a personalised low-carbon Travel Plan, accessible via Track
Biggest Sustainability Challenges in the Events Industry
- What would you say is the most pressing sustainability issue in the events industry? Be brave, you won’t be called out if you’re honest, open and transparent. If you’re still saying “we’re at the beginning of our journey” you are falling behind your peers.
- Where is the revolution in sustainability happening in the events sector? It’s happening right now. What we’re not seeing is wholesale changes in delegate behaviours. By delegate behaviours we mean, of course, you and us. This issue is larger than the events industry, but should not allow us to side-step it.
- What are the biggest barriers to engagement that you face from clients? Fear of getting it wrong. “We’re too busy to engage with sustainability” or “We’re not in the right place” are both comments ecent:decision has heard first hand. If you’re still saying this, your model not sustainable. The support and tools are there for you & they are simple to use.
- One of our problems is breaking client habits—how can we move away from throwaway practices while maintaining good margins? If you’re brave enough, remind your client of their own values. These will not be “use the cheapest and least sustainable method of delivery possible”. Suggest viable, more sustainable, alternatives. Agencies tell us they get good reactions to doing this.
2. Stakeholder Engagement & Changing Behaviours
Convincing Clients & Stakeholders
- How do we convince a client that opting for sustainability is a better choice, even if the cost is higher? Advise your client that they are not following best-practice and that the event model is considered unsustainable. Reference (1) above, be brave.
- Are there any tips on gathering support and behaviour change from regular suppliers who may be slower in adopting sustainable practices? First, speak frankly with your supply partner. If still no action, vote with your feet. Use a different supplier.
- How do we ensure sustainability actions are put into place by the industry? No one organisation is responsible or speaks for for the entire event industry. End-user client briefs are already almost all asking for sustainability credentials and competition between event delivery organisations & planners is driving sustainable practice.
Industry-Wide Collaboration & Standardisation
- How can we come together as an industry to be more sustainable? Show your peers what good looks like. Trade with sustainable supply-chain, those who demonstrate clear, unambiguous objectives in sustainability. Maybe don’t trade with those who do not.
- How can event planners foster stronger collaborations with venues to improve sustainability? Support, by booking, venues who demonstrate sustainable credentials (ISO, BCorp, EcoSmart and others)
- What fundamental sustainability standards should suppliers, and planners follow? The Power 30 Most Sustainable Agencies 2025 showed that there are a number of standards that agencies and venues can achieve. Each is nuanced, but make sure that you achieve and hold at least one accreditation.
- How can event managers navigate the challenge of verifying sustainability claims in complex supply chains? Audit your suppliers. Doesn’t need to be a time-consuming desk audit necessarily. On site, take a look – have they wrapped in plastic where they said they would not? Where have the crew travelled from? A London venue claiming to use only local labour and public transport employs an AV Tech who drives 50 miles across London every day, in direct contravention of policy. Why would we believe anything else they claim?
3. Cost vs. Sustainability: Making It Affordable & Accessible
Financial Considerations & Return on Investment
- How can sustainability be accessible/affordable for all venues? Venues can choose whether to accredit and which practices to put in place. The level of affordability will no doubt be a major factor in the decision, balanced against potential additional revenues associated with more sustainable practices.
- What are the financial costs of implementing sustainability practices? Sometimes very little, sometimes none. Depends on the nature of the event. Many materials associated with Paris 2024 are in storage for the next Winter Olympics, for example. Yes, there is a cost for this – but weighed against binning/burning them – seems like a good choice. Can event profs do the same for smaller events? We think so.
- What financial incentives are available for businesses to improve their footprint? It has been demonstrated by McKinsey, Bain, Harvard Business Review and almost every worthwhile media title & consultancy that by definition, sustainable businesses deliver better returns. In the short-termist event delivery business, competitive advantage is still an incentive as practices vary widely.
- When cost realities hit, what are the most compelling justifications to keep pushing for sustainability? If you’re brave enough, remind your client of their own values. These will not be “use the cheapest and least sustainable method of delivery possible”. Suggest viable, more sustainable, alternatives. Agencies tell us they get good reactions to this.
4. Innovation, Technology & Future Trends
New Solutions for Sustainable Events
- What event technology is available to make events more sustainable? Check out Impact: Responsible Event Reviews. A checklist, supplier partners, event scorecard and sustainability benchmark all rolled into one simple tool.
- What is the best way to measure an events’s sustainability levels? Carbon footprints like event:decision’s Track are great, in a way. But many struggle to understand what tons of carbon relate to. For a wider view on real sustainability, Check out Impact: Responsible Event Reviews.
- AI tools can assist in event planning but come with a carbon impact—how should we address this? Concentrate on what you can control – event planning factors such as travel, accommodation, F&B, materials and transport. The event sector won’t solve the global energy conundrum.
- What role could AI play in sustainability? Quite early to be clear on this. AI tools lack real-world event planning capability and (so far) the nuance of supply chain. Hopefully, this will evolve.
- Are there best practices for reducing the environmental footprint associated with temporary staffing? Source locally, encourage public transport use. Provide each staffer with a personalised low-carbon travel plan, such as one available via event:decision’s Track.
Exciting Sustainability Innovations
- Is there any innovation or change in the industry in the last year that you’re particularly excited about? Check out Impact: Responsible Event Reviews.
- What has surprised you most about sustainability in the last six months? The excitement with which event planners are engaging on the Social element of ESG. It’s not ALL about carbon – we are uniquely placed to push social values and benefits within the event sector. Get to it!
- What role should governments and emerging technologies play in driving sustainability? This is a very wide question & somewhat beyond the scope of event:decision – but leadership in sustainable practice and support for sustainable innovation would be good starting points. Sometimes, some of this is evident in events – sometimes not.