His Royal Highness Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex visited the Worcestershire-based creative communications agency to understand how DRPG had coped with Covid-19 and continued its contribution towards sustainability.
During the visit on Thursday 27 May, Prince Edward toured the Covid testing centre and spoke to the team about how the pandemic had affected the business.
DRPG saw a 60 per cent drop in sales in the last year but developed a virtual event offering which is now worth £9m. During this time, DRPG also implemented the biggest investment programme in the company’s history, with more than £4m spent on infrastructure, facilities and the employment of 80 new people.
Prince Edward’s visit coincided with the launch of DRPG’s CSR Review – its annual progress report on the sustainability objectives set out in the Group’s 2020 CSR Charter. It was also Day 17 of DRPG’s #40Reasons countdown to the close of its 40th Anniversary.
During the visit, Prince Edward was invited to plant a tree to mark the occasion, alongside members of DRPG’s sustainability team who were onsite creating a new initiative to encourage biodiversity and increase environmental awareness on the 4.5-acre studio complex.
Group CEO Dale Parmenter said: “Despite the challenges of the last 14 months the DRPG team have really taken sustainability to another level. Our CSR Charter cements our position in really driving this into the business agenda, we all have a responsibility to positively contribute to our communities, society and the environment.
“As a business, we are stronger and more prepared than ever to take on the challenges and opportunities in the future”
Andrew Davies, DRPG integrity manager added: “The CSR Review 2021 provides transparency to our stakeholders and really holds us to account in the way we operate.
“Having passed the recent external international sustainability audit with the highest marks attainable, we’re proud of our progress in leading the industry with what we have achieved, however, we recognise there is more to do and we hope our journey can inspire clients, suppliers and the wider industry to collaborate towards making a meaningful difference.”
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
