A dozen leading event agencies have come together to create isla, a new organisation that will support businesses to implement consistent standards of environmental impact, measurement and management of events.
Isla has outlined its core objective of "accelerating the event industry’s transition to a sustainable future", with the collaboration between agencies, brands, suppliers and in-house departments at the heart of its strategy. The organisation will look to initiate change by facilitating knowledge sharing within the events community, provide education and training, while also creating robust measurement and reporting metrics, allowing events to track progress against standardised sustainability ambitions.
The creation of isla comes as many event businesses look to implement a ‘green recovery’ and consider new ways of working that are positive for the global environment. Isla is intended to build on some of the existing work being implemented by agency partners, encouraging knowledge sharing of best practice. The organisation will provide guidance to members, enabling them to better track the impact of their events using science-led environmental targets.
Isla will also be working with other third parties to reduce the barriers that can inhibit the sustainability of many events, including the use and waste of materials and the lack of circular design within the production process.
“When it comes to sustainability, collaboration beats competition and we’re delighted to have some of the biggest event brands in the world supporting our mission to accelerate the industry’s transition to a sustainable future,” said Anna Abdelnoor, one of the founders of isla. “To do this we need a mix of knowledge sharing, education and robust metrics, this is the role isla will fill.”
While isla will be an independent organisation, ensuring parity and transparency, it has already secured the support of agencies including: Amplify, Brandfuel, Cheerful TwentyFirst, DRPG, emc3, George P. Johnson, Jack Morton Worldwide, Owl Live, Set Creative, Smyle, WRG and XYZ, with more joining the organisation and committing to the standards of measurement and commitment laid out by isla.
“The agency community have been with us from the very beginning and have supported the creation of isla and how we are shaping the products and services it will provide for the industry,” added Abdelnoor. “We’re calling for more to join our movement; from within the agency community, in-house organisers within business, and from venues and suppliers who want to help their clients in delivering sustainable event programmes. It’s amazing what can be achieved when we work collaboratively.”
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
