“ For us it was quite a clear decision ,” asserts Davies . “ We already used EventsAIR as our registration system ( pre-Covid ). They have what they call onAIR , which is a virtual platform portal . It was a seamless flow from registration right the way through to the virtual event . Therefore , it was a no brainer for us to use that system .”

Striving for sustainability Composition is striving to take a leading role in sustainability throughout the web of industries it interacts with while organising events . “ I feel quite passionately about sustainability in the sector ,” Davies comments . “ What a great thing for us as an industry to get on the sustainability bandwagon . We ’ ve got such a ripple effect that if we do one small thing it can reach thousands of people .”

When organising an event ,

Composition sees sustainability as another issue that must be brought up in the early planning discussions . Davies states how it is crucial to ask questions of clients from an early stage . “ Where ’ s your food coming from ? Can you choose a vegetarian option ? Can you make sure your wine source is local ? What are the transport options ? How close are they to the airports ,” she says .

Once many of these issues are brought up early in the organisation process , events can maintain their quality while also being sustainable . “ We don ’ t have clients that have bags filled with a whole lot of stuff anymore ,” states Davies . “ If things are being given out , they ’ re given because of their quality not of quantity . This is a complete change from how it was years ago .”

Yet the Composition director doesn ’ t just see this as an issue that

“ We were getting delegates nearly every day emailing to see if they could come in-person … but we had closed borders .”

can be achieved through event planners alone . Davies argues that change is “ really important across the whole supply chain . There is still lots of areas where more can be done .”

When asked if clients are driving the issue of sustainability , Davies stated that the picture was mixed and often depended upon the industry they were from . Some associations still needed a push and others were heavily invested in making change .

Davies thinks it ’ s about building these partnerships with clients and learning from each other in the process . “ One client is asking us to help them count their entire carbon footprint ,” says Davies . “ Weighing everything , such as how many tea bags have been used . This will allow us to measure how much certain materials cost the environment . We can then use it as a template going forward for different clients .”