Roundtable
Sustainability : is it just a line in your P & L ?
During an EN sustainability roundtable , exhibition organisers discussed in depth how the industry can work together to achieve Net Zero . Joe Gallop reports
Sustainability could not be a hotter topic for event professionals right now . While it is certainly nothing new , sustainable action is no longer something that is advised for venues and companies but is now a necessity . Venues and organisers are having major discussions on how the industry can increase its sustainable commitment and help save the planet from what many believe to be a serious climate emergency . An example of such a discussion was the recent EN roundtable in association with Olympia London , which took place in Mayfair on 4 November , while the world ’ s eyes were focused on COP26 in Glasgow . Chaired by EN publishing director Duncan Siegle , the event , titled ‘ Sustainability : Is It just a line in your P & L ?’, saw 10 representatives from companies such as Hyve Group and Clarion Events chew over some of the steps that the industry can take to accelerate the transition to Net Zero . Here is some of what they had to say …
Should businesses commit to becoming more sustainable ? While the answer may seem obvious , there is of course the unavoidable issue of cost for venues and event organisers , which was not overlooked by the roundtable group . Olympia London commercial director Anna Golden says it would cost £ 50,000 to work with a consultant to analyse and research what a company is currently doing and to implement a plan to get to Net Zero by 2050 ; which she also says is a realistic target and could happen sooner .
“ We have to invest , and we ’ ve got to change that mindset to ‘ it ’ s an investment for the business , not a cost ’,” she says . “ You only have to do a bit of research to see how much more investable businesses are when they have environmental , social and corporate governance ( ESG ) embedded in their culture and they have a plan that ’ s deliverable .”
Clarion Events managing director
18 — Winter