Event agencies Smyle and Sustainable Events Ltd have launched the Global Sustainable Events Summit Partnership, a new sustainable events community. The launch was held at Siemens's impressive new events site The Crystal at Royal Victoria Dock, East London.
This green forum, founded by the managing director of Sustainable Events Fiona Pelham and Smyle's MD Rick Stainton, will operate across live and digital platforms with the aim of supporting a community “which inspires the continuous development of a global sustainable event industry”. Pelham has chaired the international committee writing ISO20121, the new sustainable events standard replacing BS8901, while Stainton was an early adopter of the standard.
Pelham commented that up to now there has been no industry-wide body where planners can share information on sustainability. Its goals are far reaching – to enable members to engage across numerous media platforms, share innovative thoughts on sustainable event issues, network within a live forum sharing best practice examples, challenge and develop innovations, receive accredited education in chosen areas of expertise and to be part of the change in the events world. Other founding partners of the scheme include event industry heavyweights Gallowglass, Melville and Sportsworld, as well as Positive Impact, another Pelham initiative.
Pelham added that the initiative “is not just about green issues but strikes at the core of what are today's planners' three principal concerns: economic - a commercial strategy; social - an investment in efficiency and welfare; and environmental - a generation’s responsibility. Sustainability makes business sense.”
The Crystal, an events venue and sustainable cities initiative, was opened last month by electronics and electrical engineering giant Siemens, and is used to explore how humankind can create a better future for its cities. It will be the site of the Sustainable Events Summit on 24 January 2013, which has support from industry organisations including London & Partners, Eventia, Meeting Professionals International, International Special Events Society, International Visual Communications Association and International Confex. Registration will begin in early November.
Stainton added: “Crucially, the Summit is not just a stand-alone event. Delegates and partners will help to build the online community within the events industry before, during and after it, so as to further the cause of sustainable development, with regular live summits acting as the pinnacle of its engagement.”
Website www.sustainableeventssummit.com will be live from midday Thursday 18 October.
Pictured: Fiona Pelham
