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Are conferences ready for sustainable change ?
F or some time , global experience and events specialist GES has been exploring how it can continue to build on its ESG commitments and , in late 2023 , appointed its first ever head of ESG , Kate Holliday , to lead the charge . Kate has been tasked with reviewing the business ’ ESG achievements and processes to date , in order to inform its plans for an ESG roadmap .
Following months of data analysis and assessment , she has developed a detailed understanding of GES ’ achievements in the field and identified areas within which the business can improve the effect it has on surrounding communities as well as the wider world .
Kate has also looked closely at what the collective industry can do to ensure its commitments are not just powerful but achievable and meaningful , too . From this work she has identified three main areas that the conference market needs to consider and address :
Data is a huge challenge for the industry , but it also presents a huge opportunity .
It ’ s no surprise that gaps in data make effective reporting extremely difficult and Kate calls on the industry to better support the cause . By its very nature , the events industry can be diverse and disparate , and this has a huge impact on how we measure and report on things .
Within the world of conferences , GES recognises the importance of working closely with third parties – such as conference organisers and associations – to understand the data that matters to them . Businesses are so often working to their own , clearly defined agendas and therefore have their specific data targets and promises to fulfil , so it ’ s vital that service suppliers are able to understand
Left : Repurposing event furniture is an area where much good work is being done , says GES
Kate Holliday
and support them to achieve their objectives .
It ’ s incredible to think that a company like GES has some 250 suppliers , all doing things differently , and who in many cases are required to meet corporate standards that are not for discussion or debate .
It ’ s therefore fair to say this produces a challenging backdrop , against which the team must try to work together to produce a clear end goal . Parties need to collaborate and find common ground when it comes to data insights , as this could provide massive data sets , across sprawling industries , and from different perspectives . Then , real change can be tracked , measured and implemented across the breadth of the industry .
There are increasing opportunities to expand community engagement and exciting ways in which businesses can contribute to social change .
It ’ s important that when ESG is discussed , those conversations go beyond environmental sustainability and instead include social sustainability and the tangible impact events can have on communities .
While venues and production
20 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 133