25 In Focus
FOR THE INDUSTRY , BY THE INDUSTRY
Anna Abdelnoor , co-founder of isla , tells Louisa Daley how its network hopes to drive the events industry towards a sustainable future
Louisa Daley : What is isla ? Anna Abdelnoor : isla is an independent body that was established to support the event industry ’ s transition to a sustainable future . Through our network of members , we facilitate knowledge sharing and provide practical guidance and support on environmental issues to help members navigate these key challenges . Our training , tools and reporting , up-skill the industry and track our progress so we can confidently and consistently deliver sustainable events .
LD : How many event businesses have signed up ? AA : isla was launched in September 2020 , with 12 founding members including Amplify , Jack Morton and GPJ , and has since grown to over 85 , with the collaboration between agencies , brands , suppliers , and organisers at the heart of our
Anna Abdelnoor , co-founder , isla
strategy . We engage the supply chain , drawing on expertise from across the sector to create a powerful network . Our membership is continuously evolving and , with the post-pandemic resurgence , we do not see this slowing as event businesses prioritise sustainability within business growth and recovery . We are for the industry , by the industry .
LD : What are your guiding principles ? AA : We believe through collaboration over competition , we can create the rapid change we need across the industry .
“ Through our network of members , we facilitate knowledge sharing and provide practical guidance and support on environmental issues to help members navigate these key challenges ”
Sustainability should not be on one individual or business ; the climate crisis is a global issue which means we need to tackle it as an industry . Our three core aims are to transition the industry to zero waste events and a circular economy , drive 100 % renewable energy sources for events , with targeted carbon reductions aligned with global goals for a Net Zero society .
LD : What is the plan for the next one to five years ? AA : In the short term , we will be releasing TRACE , the event industry ’ s first real-time carbon impact reporting tool for B2B events . It is designed to capture the emission and waste data from live , hybrid and digital events . Through the membership base and event teams using TRACE , we will capture data at scale . In 2022 , isla will use this to release the first carbon report on the industry . This will paint the full picture of our current environmental impact and set out the event sector ’ s shared sustainability ambitions towards 2030 .
Over the next 18 months , we will develop additional technology tools that will enable event businesses to make further reductions , offset and create a positive impact across their event deliveries . We will also continue to evolve our thought leadership and education programme to create transformation , providing us with opportunities to deliver projects that focus on infrastructure improvements . Our ambition is to use this position to represent the industry at government level . We also plan to expand internationally , supporting even more event businesses as the global event sustainability body . CN www . conference-news . co . uk