Manchester-based events agency Event Cement has launched a new division focused on providing carbon-neutral events.
Net Zero Events will offer full event management – for everything from large business events to smaller private parties – and will also audit and advise existing event planners on the best ways to reduce or eliminate their carbon footprint.
Jay TysonFounder and industry veteran Jay Tyson – previously with Reed Exhibitions, Euromoney and the Golf Show Group – explained the reasons behind the move.
“When I compare the 1990s to now, the industry has come such a long way in reducing waste,” he said.
“Venues, especially the larger exhibition spaces, all have recycling programmes, but if we’re serious about eliminating the impact our industry has on the environment, the ‘green stuff’ needs to be part of the initial planning, not AOB or retrofitted.”
He added: “We’ve spent a long time looking into it, talking to venues and suppliers, and learning from our clients in California on how they do things. It isn’t possible to deliver a carbon-free event but, with considerate planning and by offsetting what you can’t eliminate, we can produce a netzero event. This puts us in a great position to be able to deliver fantastic guilt-free events for our clients.
“The average conference delegate generates 1.89kg of waste each day. 61 per cent of that goes to landfill. And only 9 per cent of things you throw in the recycling bin actually get recycled.
“Scaled up, that means a one-day event for 100 people generates around 16,000kg of CO2. Which is - literally - tonnes.
“But your reasons for switching to carbon-neutral event management don't have to be purely environmental. There are sound commercial reasons too.
“For example: you can unlock new sponsors by differentiating your event from rivals; you can appeal to a new demographic of delegate; you can gain a reputational advantage over competitors; you can reduce your costs by reducing your waste. It's a win-win, as they say.”
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.
