Louisa Daley talks to the most sustainable venues out there , and explores how they keep up with supply-chain expectations

he majority of clients are pushing for sustainability now more than ever . As a result , everyone in the industry from organisations and suppliers to corporates and organisers are changing for the better and making greener choices at all stages of the event life cycle .

But what are venues doing to meet these needs ? Being sustainable is no easy task , it often requires long term strategy and can be quite costly – particularly with the current energy crisis .

On top of this , there are multiple perspectives to consider – arguably making it even more challenging for venues to get sustainability right .

To find out how venues balance the expectations from all areas of the supply chain , Louisa Daley speaks to a panel of eventprofs , including Rebecca Hurley , venue marketing manager , BMA House ; Lee Dobson , head of event management , the Barbican ; Lucy Knill , senior client partner , TRO ; Mark Bannister , productions and operations director , Toucan

Lucy Knill

“ TRO have lots of considerations when we are selecting a venue . We weave sustainability in with everything else that we have to consider . We rank venues based on , yes , they fulfil this requirement well and , this requirement , not so well .”

– Lucy Knill

Agency ; and Charlotte Horler , founder , Nula .

Leading the charge

Everybody wants to be sustainable . But it can be challenging to get there – particularly for venues who , nowadays , are primarily chosen for their sustainability credentials .

The good news is , there are venues out there that are doing it right , such as BMA House and the Barbican , who have various sustainability accreditations and , therefore , a ‘ green ’ stamp of approval . Ultimately , making it easier for event organisers to pick them out in the crowd .

“ We have retained our gold accreditation with Green Tourism , which we have held since 2017 – it ’ s the highest level you can achieve ,” reveals Hurley . “ We have also recently acquired and gone straight to platinum level with Greengage ’ s ECOsmart .”

In terms of awards , BMA House took home silver for Best CSR or Sustainability Initiative at the 2019 London Venue and Catering Awards and Most Sustainable Venue at the 2019 London Summer Events Show .

Similarly , Dobson tells me the venue was awarded as ‘ winner ’ for both The Sustainability Award in 2021 and Best CSR or Sustainability Initiative in 2019 at the London Venue and Catering Awards . Most recently , the venue

The Eden Project

took home the Ethical , Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award at the 2022 London Tourism Awards .

As an arts venue , the Barbican also hold the Julie ’ s Bicycle Creative Green certificate , the only environmental certification dedicated to the creative industry . “ We were awarded four out of five stars ,” he reveals .

But a venue ’ s sustainability ethos goes beyond accreditations and awards . Knill tells me events agency TRO have a list of requirements when venue finding for its clients .

“ TRO have lots of considerations when we are selecting a venue . We weave sustainability in with everything else that we have to consider . We rank venues based on , yes , they fulfil this requirement well , and this requirement , not so well ,” she explains .

For example , TRO choose venues partially based on their energy ; location ; waste policy ; catering ; and most recently – if the