Rachel Norris , producer , Chorus , says a collective effort from the industry will help move us towards a more sustainable future

ustainability has become this decade ’ s buzzword . With corporations promoting their online policies and promising their commitment to a better future . So why is it that some clients just aren ’ t practising what they preach ? From continuing to serve red meat , to failing to source items locally , it ’ s the duty of agencies to hold the industry accountable and lead the way . Despite widespread environmental awareness , progress is slow , many companies focus on ticking the sustainability box without making real change . How do we snap them out of bad habits , without breaking the budget ? How do we turn down the energy dial without dimming our event sparkle ? As a small creative agency , we are making small but mighty steps towards addressing these questions . For example , we ’ ve joined isla and its TRACE tool has helped us create detailed reports for all events , ( whether requested or not ), influencing our client ’ s sustainable thinking and decision making . Since events inevitably leave a carbon footprint , it ’ s crucial to educate and encourage the supply chain to explore the possibilities to minimise this impact .

We ’ ve made it our mission at

“ It ’ s the duty of agencies to hold the industry accountable and lead the way .”

Rachel Norris

Chorus to forge relationships with suppliers who hold the same core goals . As standard , we record and measure all travel and offset any emissions we cannot reduce . Recognising the environmental impact of meat , we ensure as a minimum that any onsite catering is

vegetarian and we use TRACE to calculate the carbon impact of guest menus , guiding clients to make conscious choices .

Whilst we encounter resistance , we also celebrate client successes . A recent client event saw us implement a vegetarian menu , resulting in over a 60 % reduction in carbon emissions to the previous year . We also contributed to the circular economy by using 100 % recyclable materials and sourcing decor from local charity shops which we later donated to a local arts school , a prime example of how being sustainable doesn ’ t have to cost the earth .

Where bespoke builds are required , we aim for a post-event life , such as a recent event for a whiskey client , where our art installation found a permanent residence at a distillery .

Playing your part The difficulty now , is that progress depends on the collective efforts of numerous contributors .

From venues , to supply partners , caterers , to trucking , change is incremental and shifting the operating practices of an entire industry will not happen overnight . It will take years for the events industry and others to be fully on board , but we must start somewhere . We are just a small business , chipping away at the bigger picture , refusing to give up . But what could happen if everyone gave that a go ? CN