Shout about your (social) value. beam Annual Forum 2026
A few who attended this session have asked for a copy of the presentation. Here you are.
And a very short summary:
Every ESG conversation in events collapses into carbon. It’s measured, regulated, table stakes almost – and it misses what events already do brilliantly: generate social value nobody bothers to record.
That’s the argument in Matt Grey’s “Social Value Yield of Events.” His point: don’t confuse Event Social Value Yield (SaVY) this with CSR. A beach clean, a painting task, a garden clear. All great, but removable. The event happens without it. SaVY isn’t: the riggers, carpet layers, chefs and waiting staff are the event. Remove them, and there’s nothing left.
The numbers back it up. The UK events sector turns over £68bn a year, and 10–30% of any event budget defensibly aligns with social value – living wages, local suppliers, local food, skills development, access, and social enterprises. At the 20% median, that’s £12bn delivered annually and never claimed. One UK incentive agency measured just two events and surfaced £405,000 in social value they didn’t know they were generating.
The fix takes minutes, not months: capture it during delivery, report it while the news cycle’s still alive. Public sector clients already demand this data. Private sector clients will start asking soon.
“My advice: get there first!”, says Grey.
How? Demonstrate your value, tell more stories, deliver better business, win more.
