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Friday 25 January 2019

With global sustainability issues hitting the headlines ("the Attenborough Effect"), the London Summer Event Show put sustainability in the events industry front and centre of its content at last week's London Summer Event Show.

As partner and sponsor of this event, Venue Search London wanted to recognise some of the great work venues in the industry are already doing to make themselves more sustainable.

We have audited our exhibitors on their sustainability credentials with the help of sustainability experts Good Business.

They surveyed all 40 venues who were exhibiting via a questionnaire and from this created the ‘Most Sustainable Venue Award’.

Giles Gibbons, CEO, Good Business concluded his packed seminar on this core industry challenge with a strong message

"In an increasingly virtual world, live events have become the tip of the iceberg, the front door, in expressing what a business stands for (and critically what it does not). If companies are not living these values through their events, the credibility of their commitment to sustainability will be rightly questioned by customers and staff alike"

Below our the top five venues as reported by Good Business from the 20 respondents and the reasons they have made it onto our winning shortlist:

Barbican – WINNER

• Ambitious targets for energy reduction: To reduce our energy consumption by 40% by 2025 compared to 2008
• Zero waste going to landfill and extensive efforts to reduce single-use plastics from the venue
• Staff Sustainability Action Group and competitions to engage employees on sustainability issues for the venue
• Extensive efforts to increase biodiversity with reed beds and bee colony

Royal College of Physicians – 1ST RUNNER UP 

• Zero waste to landfill. All non-recyclable waste used for energy recovery & high recycling rates
• Efforts to reduce single-use plastic include recycled bamboo food containers
• 3 star SRA ratings, detailed sustainability criteria for ingredients
• Detailed breakdown provided for employees and London Living Wage as a minimum for all suppliers too
• Insect hotel and wormery currently onsite

BMA House – 2ND RUNNER UP

• Mindful Garden within grounds
• Can provide carbon emission per delegate for events
• Recycling and energy saving efforts translated to saving 1,342 trees and equivalent energy to power a house
• 3 star SRA caterers
• Working with local partners to create a clean air walking route from Kings Cross for delegates
• London Living Wage paid to all staff

Regent’s Conferences & Events – HIGHLY COMMENDED

• 100% renewable energy
• Efforts to increase biodiversity – green roofs, bug hotel
• London Living Wage paid to all staff

St Martins in the Fields – HIGHLY COMMENDED 

• Efforts to reduce single-use plastic include bamboo cutlery
• Zero waste goes to landfill
• London Living Wage as minimum for all employees
• Community engagement with local charities, supporting refugees and homeless people in London

 

Good Business is a strategic consultancy, working with global businesses to integrate sustainability in core business operations.