Nicola MacdonaldEvent industry non-profit Positive Impact launched its sustainability report at the Sustainable Events Summit on 21 November.
The report found that while brands understood the importance of sustainability, it was not necessary being carried all the way through to event delivery.
Around 61 per cent of report respondents said that they thought the environment was the most important part of sustainability, while only 18 per cent share or publish their event sustainability reports.
The team at Positive Impact, commenting on the research results, stated: “The event industry, when it comes to sustainability, likes to know it is doing the right thing. The ultimate challenge with implementing a sustainability strategy is that there is no, one, right thing to do.
“Impact assessments will help you understand the long term impacts of decisions and research into local market capabilities will support your purchasing decisions. However, every event is unique (due to geography, climate, budget, size etc.) and the truth is you may not know the impact of your decision until post-event.”
The research comprised in-depth interviews with corporate planners from six global top brands and agencies plus over 100 online surveys from event professionals across the industry. The research questions were compiled by a committee of SES Executive and Research Partners that included Banks Sadler, The fresh Group, Showslice, drp, Fisher Productions, ExCeL London, GES, Smyle, Sustainable Events, Smart Group, International Confex and the Rachel Ley Consultancy.
In a change from previous years, the research findings drove the content for the Summit and formed the basis of the programme with a mix of presentations and panel discussions. The was also a keynote presentation by award-winning social entrepreneur, and global expert on the sharing economy, Benita Matofska, founder of The People Who Share (pictured above).