SUSTAINABLE HORIZONS
beam ’ s new sustainability director , Louisa Watson , says businesses – not consumers – must lead the way on sustainability
ustainability has returned to the top of business agendas after slipping down the priority list during the pandemic . This is why creating the position of a sustainability director within beam couldn ’ t be timelier . The UK trade association for the business events , accommodation , and meetings industry has appointed Louisa Watson , director of marketing at Wyboston Lakes Resort , to take the board role .
A passionate and long-time pioneer on sustainability , Watson was previously the association ’ s sustainability chair . She has also assisted the ‘ Green Team ’ at Wyboston Lakes Resort to become multi-award winning and now represents the resort within Greengage ’ s Platinum Inner Circle , an expert group with a sharp focus on sustainability best practice .
Here Watson talks about beam ’ s new role , plus her ambitions , frustrations , and future predictions on sustainability .
Why has beam created a sustainability director ? Sustainability is so high on business agendas now . Prior to the pandemic , sustainability was pushed to the bottom for many businesses . Now , many agents and suppliers need bespoke support to help them catch up and get to where they need to be . It is vital to encourage and support each other in our sustainability journeys . It ’ s not about competitive advantage . It ’ s about ensuring our sector is fit and stable for the future .
What are your objectives ? To help beam members achieve a good standard within sustainability that they are proud of and can grow from . I ’ d like to take away some of the frustration , cloudiness , and confusion . I want us all to be on a plateau together , almost holding hands and saying , how do we take ourselves up another level ? If we don ’ t get there of our own volition , the government is going to bring in so many restrictions anyway – they ’ ll drag us there . We ’ d better to get on with it ourselves and encourage and support each other .
How do you plan to achieve your goals ? First , we need to understand where everybody is on their journey . We will release four main criteria to help identify this . We have a Sustainability Action Group to support suppliers and agents , addressing things such as waste energy accreditations and sustainability policies . We have a great mix of talent and strong individuals in the group , www . conference-news . co . uk