Talking All Things ESG with event:decision

As we dive into the future of events, it’s time to think beyond green. Matt Grey, Founder of event:decision, sat down with Broadsword to discuss sustainability in the events industry, talk about Event Decision’s new holistic impact tool, and explore the broader impact of events including social engagement and local impact.

Watch below or listen on B. Listening.

Highlights from the episode

Q: what are some quick actionable tips event planners listening can be more sustainable at their next event? 

In terms of the carbon piece, you’ve just got to do the tactical bit as a matter of course now. So ideally, no single use plastic, no plastic bottles. Look at the materials that your supply chain are bringing on, make sure that it’s all being streamed appropriately afterwards. Ideally, reused, if not recycled. That’s a really succinct way to put an awful lot of work and that’s the bit you need to do in the room.

Strategically, you’ve got to look at now why you’re having the event, you’ve got your core objectives, but also where and how. So in carbon footprint terms, the single biggest piece of the puzzle is almost always delegate travel, attendee travel. Given that that’s not going to disappear in the short term, The single biggest thing you can do is choose your destination and your venue carefully and try and ensure that the largest proportion of your audience can get there in the most sustainable way possible.

Q: How can events generate a positive social impact? 

The social side is less quantifiable but hugely emotive.

A client of ours in a financial brand works really hard on her event sustainability, not just the footprints, but also the social side for example not throwing food away. At one event, she redistributed leftover food via third party and it fed 33 families, parents and children who would not have otherwise had a hot meal that night.  It cost virtually nothing and it fed 33 families with food that would otherwise have ended up in the bin.  You think, why are we not doing that? We as an industry, why are we not doing more of this? The tools are generally there. The partners are generally there. There’s people out there that need this stuff and we are creating it and throwing it away.

It’s so many different areas: can you quantify the economic impact to a local area of holding your event there? Can you look at diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility for every single event? Are you  looking at wellbeing of, not just your audience, but also the delivery team. Are you considering any United Nations sustainability goals?  You can just identify one and see if you can do something during your event that promotes that development goal.

Even something as simple as coffee, there’s lots of suppliers, ethical suppliers that will happily come into your event and do the coffee break for you. There’s a crewing company out there called Connection Crew who provide you with crew and some of the crew that they supply almost certainly will be people that they have identified and helped into our industry who have been at risk of or experienced homelessness.

You can do lots of these different things. All we’re doing with event:decision’s impact tool is saying how many of these are you doing in the environment, in social and in governance.  So we’re hoping that we will start a new industry standard and saying you can you can report across ESG.