Green events and CSR with Andrew Williams from Seventeen Events

"Sustainable Event Management" by Meegan Jones

2010-02-08T17:13:00Z

While there are a number of sustainable event guides out there (and it would be rude of me not to mention ours here), there has never to my knowledge been an entire book devoted to the subject until now. Earthscan have just published "Sustainable Event Management" by Meegan Jones, and Meegan has done an amazing job of condensing and distilling the wealth of information out there into one reference. The book is by no means lightweight, but then neither is the subject matter. There are detailed sections covering branding and communications, energy, transport, water and procurement.

Anyone looking for an introduction to the field of sustainable events would be well advised to track down a copy of Meegan's book. Better still, Meegan has published a lot of the relevant information from her book online - check it out here. A lot of the examples are from the festival and live music scene, with arguably less of a focus on the corporate sector, but given the huge impact which music festivals have this is pretty understandable.

The key thing - as with most of this stuff - is not to spend too long theorizing over the small print. The sooner you can start making real changes to the way you run your events the better off you will be in the longer term. Books like Meegan's provide an inspirational look at the possibilities of a more sustainable future for the events industry.

"Sustainable Event Management" by Meegan Jones.

Published by Earthscan (on 100% recycled paper!)

£29.99 ISBN: 9781844077397

Trick questions

2010-01-26T11:55:00Z

We have an ongoing intern programme at Seventeen Towers, which we have found really valuable. The extra resource helps us with special projects around the office and also hopefully offers our interns a bit of hands on experience in an events agency. As part of our ethical approach to business we pay our interns - not a fortune, but more than a lot of other places, which ~~makes us feel better about ordering them around~~ allows us to treat them as real team members, albeit on a short term scale.

I always like to ask potential interns a few questions to gauge their opinions and how they would approach different situations. This month I came up with a real corker, which I thought I would place before the Event congregation.

In terms of sustainability, what do you think is more important - climate change or social justice?

Answers on a postcard please (and I'll share some of the more interesting responses we received in due course).

Christmas and Copenhagen

2009-12-18T11:58:00Z

Let me first of all wish you a very peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

As I write this, Barack Obama is on his feet making what could be the most influential speech of the two week Copenhagen Summit. It will probably take months, if not years before we can give an accurate assessment of whether it's been worthwhile or a collosal waste of time. What we can say is that once again a face to face meeting has proved to be the most effective way of getting world leaders together. This is a tremendous endorsement of our industry.

It would have been unthinkable for the organisers of COP 15 not to consider the sustainable impact of the event itself, and I have been very interested to follow Guy Bigwood from MCI's reports from Copenhagen. As you might imagine there is good news and bad news - the organisers have been implementing BS8901 at the event and have had some success in raising the profile of the standard. There have also been major logistical challenges with many more people attempting to gain entry than could be accommodated, leading to extraordinary queues at the registration desks. To find out more about Guy's experiences at COP 15 you can read his blogs here about their engagement with BS8901 and here about the problems they faced with accreditation.Huge congratulations to Guy and his team on their hard work over the past few months.

Whatever the next decade brings us, sustainability is not going to be a passing fad in the events industry. I hope 2010 is a year when all of us continue to engage with sustainable development and work towards a fairer, greener, more efficient industry.

Conferences - a waste of money?

2009-12-01T12:12:00Z

Not sure how many of you saw this opinion piece in The Times on Friday - apologies if it's already been discussed:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6934083.ece

Basically, Matthew Taylor from the RSA is saying that conferences in the public sector are a waste of money and time. Before the event, he comments,

"As usual, there was little or no briefing before my talk. When I asked what the audience might want to hear: “Oh, the usual stuff, you know, the way forward and all that,” the organiser cheerfully told me. It wasn’t until I entered the overheated windowless hall and was given the final programme that I realised my speech had acquired a new and mystifying title."

The main bugbear seems to be the cost not only in terms of ticket price but also from lost work hours back in the office. Though he does add,

"I have been to good events. I’ve even hosted them — times when the speakers have been well briefed, the event has a clear purpose, the questions addressed have been relevant and engaging. But to be honest they are the exception."

Is this something we just shrug our shoulders at and say "well, we've got to make a living mate"? I don't know of anyone who would consciously try to run a poor conference, but how can we show a return on investment for events like these which will convince (very influential) people like Matthew that they're worth participating in?

This may not be a "green" issue as such, but I genuinely feel this is an issue of sustainability - for those attending as well as us in the industry who host and organise these events.

Baby you can('t) drive my car

2009-11-23T17:44:00Z

I was having an amusing spot of banter on Twitter with Mike Bell (@mikebell3d) this morning who was taking me to task for using a Green Tomato car (www.greentomatocars.com) to get to a meeting rather than public transport. It struck me that perhaps not everyone knew what we were talking about, so I figure a brief introduction is on order.

Green Tomato cars are an environmentally friendly car service based in London. Their fleet is exclusively made up of Toyota Prius hybrid cars, which run on a tandem petrol and electric supply. These make them significantly greener than regular cabs (less than half the CO2 emissions), and are also super quiet which makes it a lot easier to take and make calls. They're also very reliable, and their growing fleet means they can usually get a car to you within 15 minutes.

We've used Green Tomato cars since we started Seventeen and what impresses me is the genuine passion that the founders obviously have for sustainable issues. They have turned a green idea into a profitable business, and that's good news for all of us. Although I'm not knocking the tube and bus which are obviously better options in terms of their raw carbon footprint - and let's not forget that walking is the greenest option of all (though perhaps not in this weather!).

Twitter lists

2009-11-06T12:30:00Z

Since Twitter still seems to be the subject du jour in the events industry (with the upcoming Social Media Active event a good case in point - an excellent first step for anyone totally bamboozled by the whole thing, http://www.eventia.org.uk/html/article/Social-Media-Active) I wondered what everyone thought about the new Twitter lists function?

The idea is that you can compile lists of similar people to allow you to track their tweets more easily. I'm not sure I entirely see the benefit of it (is it just a glorified Follow Friday?), but the Twitterverse seems to be embracing it so far. So what are your favourite lists? Here's a few to get you started...

http://twitter.com/SeventeenEvents/green-events - our list of green event people, all of whom you should all follow straight away!

http://twitter.com/squaremealvande/events - the lovely people at Square Meal bring you all of your favourite event characters on one list.

http://twitter.com/guardianeco/copenhagenclimatesummit - all the news from the upcoming Copenhagen summit on the Guardian.

Who else is making the lists that matter? Add them here if you have a favourite...

Used Event Stuff

2009-09-16T10:58:00Z

A lot of what we talk about when we discuss sustainability comes down to the same classic ideas - reduce, reuse and recycle. If we could apply these ideas to more of what we do, we're likely to be acting more sustainably.

There has been a flurry of Twitter chat from the likes of @squaremealvande, @liz_madden and @carmenhere about a new venture which has launched in the States - www.usedeventstuff.com. The idea is pretty straightforward - you've used something at an event, you don't need it any more, you advertise it on the site and someone who needs it buys it from you. A neat little example of sustainability saving money and promoting better resource use. So it's eBay for events - with a sustainable twist.

So far so good. But is there an appetite for this kind of thing in the UK? It's something we at Seventeen have discussed with suppliers for the past couple of years - isn't there something we can do with that leftover carpet, that box of bubble wrap, those seats, etc etc. Nine times out of ten we can find a good home for things, but it can be frustrating when try as you might you can't find a taker for something - especially when you know that someone, somewhere is probably spending good money on it.

Would you feel happy telling a client that their set was second hand? Would they feel confident enough to see it as a positive step rather than a cost cutting exercise? Come to that, in the current climate would they be pressing you to get the most you possibly could from a site like this to save their budget?

I'm also curious as to how this would work commericially, i.e. how much would you really be prepared to pay for something that had already been used. Would the site - like eBay - turn into a shopfront for existing sellers rather than geuine resellers?

Lots of questions, and don't get me wrong - this is an idea I want to see work. First I'd be interested to hear whether anyone thinks this has legs or whether it's one of those great ideas that doesn't quite cross the pond.

An easy way to make your delegate management greener

2009-08-21T13:40:00Z

Joelle, one of our Event Managers, came across a handy tip the other day if you use Eventbrite to manage your delegate bookings. Eventbrite is great as it allows you to manage delegate bookings digitally, and if your event is free it's actually free to use too, as your fee is a percentage of the ticket price.

Anyway, the standard confirmation letter tells delegates to print out the confirmation and bring it with them - often unnecessary as nine times out of ten organisers will have a guest list, delegate badges, etc at the registration point on the day. The good news is you can edit this - log in to your event and click on "Edit Order Confirmations" under Orders on the left hand side. This allows you to edit the page guests see when they register, as well as the confirmation email they receive. For example, for a conference we're running next month we've changed the confirmation to:

"You will not receive a paper ticket or confirmation, and you do not need to print anything out to gain entry to the conference. We will have your name on the guest list at the registration desk."

A quick and simple way to make a greener option even more environmentally friendly.

A Greener Festival Awards

2009-08-17T16:46:00Z

I know the festival season is well underway, but if you're involved in organising a big outdoor bash this year, why not consider applying for a Greener Festival Award? Check out their website at www.agreenerfestival.com. It's a reasonably simple process to apply and even if you don't win this year it could be an excellent chance to do a bit of benchmarking for years to come.

We were delighted that the Isle of Wight Festival were awarded a Greener Festival Award in the first round of results, having worked with their environmental partners Eco Action Partnership on the event. The Awards also tie in to the Julie's Bicycle (see earlier post) Industry Green mark.

Given all the kerfuffle about the footprint of U2's touring monster, it's worth thinking about practical ways of reducing the negative impact of big festivals. I'm not advocating the end of the festival or suggesting we go back to sitting round in village greens watching wandering minstrels instead - i don't think there's a quick way of putting the genie back in the bottle on this one. Hopefully by harnessing the campaigning power of huge acts like U2 there's a message that can be spread about sustainability.

Connecting People

2009-07-15T15:31:00Z

Ahoy there Event bloggerazi,

Hope you're well, I'm at home with a swollen knee - make up your own joke here - a perfect time to send a quick communique to you all. No flowers please...

Some of you may have seen my recent column in The Wharf newspaper about the excellent Connection Crew, but I just wanted to draw these guys to your attention in case any of you aren't familiar with them. Connection Crew are based out of Connection at St Martin's in central London and were set up with training and support from Gallowglass. Connection at St Martins is a housing charity which supports people in central London who have nowhere to live. Their newly refurbished centre offers anyone who needs their help a space to rest, eat, start looking for a job and get their life back on track.

All the profits made by Connection Crew go to fund the work of the charity, and as the demand for their skills expands they have begun to offer some of the people they help placements to get them back on the job ladder.

We're working on a memorandum of understanding which will commit us to asking all of our suppliers to use Connection Crew if possible. Many already do, like Ultimate Experience. If you need some crew and want to know you're getting great service as well as benifitting a fantastic cause, give Jamie from Connection Crew a ring - check out their website at www.connectioncrew.org.uk.

Let's unite against the racist BNP

2009-06-10T13:32:00Z

Just when you thought the repulsive figure of Nick Griffin couldn't get any more ridiculous, he decides to treat us to his views on green issues. Global warming, he told Nicky Campbell, is a hoax, presumably perpetuated by "illegals," Johnny Foreigner and asylum seekers. The European elections on Thursday actually saw the Green Party win a greater share of the vote than the BNP, but inevitably it was our own wannabe goose steppers who grabbed the headlines.

What has this got to do with the events industry? Well, now that they have two seats in the European parliament, the BNP have access to previously untapped resources. They will want to seize the initiative and build momentum while they have the media spotlight. That will mean roadshows... party conferences... forums and debates... events in other words. I don't think anyone in the UK events industry should work with this group of ignorant thugs.

I have no problem at all with free speech. In fact I agree with Billy Bragg when he said that the BNP should be allowed a platform so that their grubby little world can be exposed for what it is. But that freedom also extends to our right as an industry to withdraw our services from individuals or groups which we find abhorrent.

As an agency with a focus on sustainability we're often asked which companies we would or wouldn't work for, and it can be difficult to know where to draw the line. It would depend on the individual circumstances and the attitude of the client concerned. But with the BNP there would be no such dilemma.

So let's spell it out. Here's my three point manifesto for the UK events industry:

1. Seventeen Events will never work with the BNP (that's the easy bit), or with any company or individual that works with the BNP. So lighting, photography, AV, staging, trucking, whatever - you work with them, you can't work with us.

2. I call on the UK event industry trade bodies to demand that their members do not work with the BNP. I would like to see Eventia, AEO, AEV, ESSA and the like saying to their members - if you work for the BNP, we will expel you.

3. Name and shame those who decide to put a quick buck ahead of principles. Let's expose anyone who does work for the BNP and ensure that potential customers know who they could be dealing with.

I have absolutely no delusions of grandeur about all of this - and you may well think that this is all a bit pompous. But the sight of people like Griffin trying to claim our country for their own narrow, extreme ends should be enough to make us all say "enough."

On your bike

2009-05-14T15:43:00Z

Had a great time last night at the launch of the latest Julie's Bicycle research on CD packaging. As you may know, JB (www.juliesbicycle.com) work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the music industry which has a huge effect on the live event sector - festivals, gigs and the like all come under their scrutiny. Last night's bash focussed on packaging. A move to card sleeves for CDs would have a huge effect on the carbon footprint of the music industry.

Coincidentally, I spent yesterday morning up in High Wycombe delivering a lecture on sustainable event management to students on the events & music course at Bucks New Uni. Great to get out of London for an hour, and it's exciting times for the University as they're moving to a new campus over the summer. All the students seemed really interested in how sustainability could work in the events sector, which is very encouraging. These guys are the future of our industry and it's vital that we impress upon them how important a sustainable approach is.

Finally, don't forget the Sustainable Events Summit next week - www.sustainableeventssummit.com. More news in a separate post - but look out for added Twitter on the day!

Keep on running

2009-04-27T11:56:00Z

Did any event people run the marathon yesterday? Hats off to you if you did - I watched it from the end of Commercial Road and it was knackering enough just as a spectator. I have a theory that marathon day is the east end's equivalent of Hogmanay - it seems to inspire absolute chaos and a level of boozing which seems slight disproportionate to the supposedly sporty aims of the event.

Anyway - the marathon has been doing its bit to make the event greener - check out an article I wrote last week for the Wharf newspaper:

So far so good, until you see the mountains of Vittel bottles being discarded by the thirsty joggers. To be fair these were nowhere to be seen this morning so well done to whoever cleared them up, but is it really necessary? In their defence Vittel are running their fleet on zero emission vehicles and have donated caps to volunteers made from, er, recycled bottles. Maybe this is best practice and there's no more that could be done. I don't doubt that the runners definitely need the water. Is anyone aware of an organiser going the extra mile as it were?

Doing it for the kids - Power Shift 09

2009-04-06T13:30:00Z

Had a fantastic meeting on Friday with the energetic and enthusiastic organisers of Power Shift 09. These guys are so full of get up and go it made me feel even older than I actually am. They're planning a fantastic event in Manchester in August which is going to bring together thousands of young people to discuss, debate and plan action around the issue of climate change. It's being headed up by the UK Youth Climate Coalition - more details to follow soon on their website, www.ukycc.org.

We're going to be helping out on the sustainability side of the actual event itself. I see offering our services for events like this on a pro bono basis as fundamental to our ethical approach. It also allows us to learn from the drive and determination of the next generation of sustainability professionals.

In the meantime, you can check out what the event looked like in the States... exciting stuff.

new venue at Battersea Power Station

2009-03-26T15:58:00Z

We had a great event on Monday night for Wandsworth Borough Council - a repeat of our inward investment last year, which single-handedly persuaded our American cousins to move their embassy to Battersea! I think that's what it was anyway.

Last year we used the amazing Toyo Ito pavilion and this year Treasury Holdings have gone one better and built their own cool new space - it looked great, and as well as offering flexible entertaining space it also contains a fascinating exhibition about the future of the development. Nine Elms has the potential to be a major new destination in London. Check out the visuals:

Even better is their plans for the sustainability of the development. Apolgies for the cut and paste job:

"Alongside the existing power station there will be a new landmark building which will be the cleanest and greenest building in London. A spectacular chimney and Eco-Dome will dramatically reduce carbon emissions of the 15.38 hectare development and will also house apartments with panoramic views over London.

The largest solar driven natural ventilation system ever conceived will eliminate the need for air conditioning for the commercial accommodation within the Eco-Dome."

This is literally a case of "watch this space" - exciting times...