Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide

"Every year events of every possible description are held around the world. Be they community events, large academic conferences, business meetings or enormous music concerts, festival, expos, and sporting events, they all have a massive impact on our environment. It could be said the most environmental friendly event is no event at all. But that's no fun. Public parties and events always have been and always will be a part of the human story. Yet those who stage events have a social and environmental responsibility to reduce their impacts. If all event professionals kept sustainability at the core of their planning and decision-making then the cumulative outcome across the globe would be impressive. But where do you start? Written by a leader in the field, this new practical, step-by-step guide leads readers through all of the key aspects of how to understand and manage the impacts of events of any type and scale anywhere. The product of tried-and-tested methods used across the event industry, coverage includes an overview of sustainable event management and detailed discussion of energy, zero emissions options, carbon management and, transport, water, waste management and reduction, procurement and supply chains as well as communications and marketing. Numerous examples and case studies from across the UK, Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia are integrated throughout to illustrate key points including how to avoid common pitfalls. Users are also provided with checklists for actions across different types of events including conferences and meetings, sporting events, community events and festivals as well as additional materials for ongoing monitoring, compliance and feedback and review. The book references the emerging BSI British Standards BS8901 standard for sustainable event management. It is also coupled with a companion website that provides further materials, case studies, contacts for suppliers, discussion groups and more. This is the indispensable one-stop guide for event and facility organizers, managers and professionals who want to adjust their thinking and planning decisions towards sustainability and who need a powerful, easy to use collection of tools to deliver events sustainably.