The Brighton Centre
recently held its sustainability event, The Future and You, in
association with the Association of British Professional Conference
Organisers, Conference News and AVT Connect, with the aim of
showing how new technology is making it easier to organise sustainable
events that appeal to delegates and, in many cases, reduce costs too.
The
event, which was attended by 60 conference and event organisers,
industry suppliers and venues kicked off with Adam Bates, Head of
Tourism and Leisure at Brighton and Hove City Council unveiling news of
the new Sustainable Events Programme that helps event organisers make
their events more sustainable using the ISO 20121 Standard for
Sustainable Events.
A panel session discussing the future of
sustainable events followed, featuring Andy Mead, CEO and Founder of
Firefly Solar; Shelaine Siepel from Brighton and Hove City Council’s
Sustainability Team; Darren Johnson, VisitBrighton’s Conference Sales
Manager; and Tey Mossadeghi, Head of Client Services at AVTConnect.
Mead
discussed the benefits of renewable power at events, while Siepel
outlined the support available to event organisers through the
Sustainable Events Programme, as well as the initiatives that have
increased recycling and reduced energy and water use at the Brighton
Centre. Mossadeghi then showed delegates how hybrid events can widen
participation while minimising the environmental footprint of an event.
Delegates
were then asked to discuss the big issues they faced across a range of
sustainability-related principles, including waste and sustainable
materials, culture and community, transport and health and happiness in a
roundtable best practice session. Event organisers agreed during these
sessions that holding a sustainable event is as much about encouraging
positive benefits through initiatives such as using local food and
suppliers, as it is about reducing energy use.
“Our aim with
today’s event was to demystify what sustainable events are all about,”
said GM of the Brighton Centre, Howard Barden.
“I’m pleased that
98 per cent of delegates who attended the day said they would be
implementing sustainability actions at their future events.”
Delegates
were also taken on a tour of the recent renovations at the Brighton
Centre to demonstrate the improvements made to enhance its
sustainability. The venue’s conference team showed how new
daylight-mimicking LED lighting has reduced electricity at the centre by
85 per cent.
“Our task now is to get the message out to anyone
organising an event at the Brighton Centre or across the city that we
have a support programme in place that will help them focus on a few key
sustainability areas and put in place initiatives that will appeal to
their delegates,” said Barden.
A survey carried out by
Brighton-based events company AVT Connect during the event revealed that
98 per cent of event organisers in the southeast think that conference
and exhibition venues that do not meet sustainability criteria will be
disadvantaged in the future.
“These findings show that the
writing is on the wall for venues that cannot move forward and
demonstrate real progress in adopting sustainable practices in its
business model. They are now clearly going to be at a commercial
disadvantage,” said AVT Connect CEO, Jon Fox.
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