Sustainable Event Procurement: The Indirect Spend Question for Many Organisations

The Sustainability Dilemma of Events

Events, especially if they are in-person, by their very nature are not sustainable. That should not mean we ignore the impacts and waste generated (along with the impact on communities and society). The scale and frequency of industry events today (barring of course the entertainment sector) do not match up to those organised and held pre-COVID. When I engage with clients in the government, local authorities, universities, or even large Tier 1 contractors, one of the areas of spend that they grapple with is events.

While it may not be a top priority spend category, it is always a question that comes up, as those events are the medium through which you engage your supply chain and other stakeholders.

‘Event organisers and suppliers share responsibility for implementing and communicating sustainable practices to their stakeholders​’ (source: Events Industry Council)

Sustainability for events encompasses that all important triple bottom line sustainable procurement that applies to every sector, industry and geography.

Environmental Considerations:

• Conservation of resources, including water, energy, and natural resources
• Waste management
• Carbon emissions reduction and management
• Supply chain management and responsible purchasing
• Biodiversity preservation

Social Considerations:

• Universal human rights
• Community impacts
• Labour practices
• Respect for culture
• Safety and security
• Health and well-being

Economic considerations:

• Collaboration and partnerships
• Local support, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
• Stakeholder participation
• Equitable economic impact
• Transparency
• Responsible governance

These align with all the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The Importance of Sustainable Event Practices

Why do we need to do it? Implementing sustainable practices can result in a 20–30% reduction in costs and a 60–80% reduction in waste (Events Industry Council). 

What do you need to think about in the planning stage? All the important sustainable event considerations can be grouped under:

Production:

• Are you having early supplier discussions to design for reuse and refurb? Are circular economy principles being adopted and waste being cut out right from design stage?
• Are the assets stored in a safe way and in easy to access locations therefore avoiding frequent re-order of items that are in stock?

Travel and Transport:

• Can the event be run virtually or is there a need for a hybrid event?
• Is the venue centrally located to airport/hotel/train stations to avoid further travel?
• Can transport sharing be a solution amongst the various supply chain provider for the events, thereby reducing van and truck movements?

Food and Water:

• Are menus designed to reflect the natural growing or production period for the UK/locality
• Are the raw materials and ingredients locally and ethically sourced?
• Are you reducing waste form packaging and in the in-use phase?
• Do you have a strategy to combat food waste?
• Here’s a link to the Government Buying Standards for food and catering

Energy:

• Does the venue use an energy supplier that generates their own renewable energy, or does the venue itself generate its own energy?
• Are you collaborating with suppliers who have a policy of using energy efficiently and reducing energy usage wherever possible across events

People:

• Have you done due diligence on the event agencies and the subcontractors and suppliers they use for labour practices, human rights, safety and security, wellbeing and health?
• Do you have traceability of the supply chain?

For more information or to explore how Action Sustainability can support your organisation, please contact our team.