We had some incredible speakers on the isla Stage at Event Sustainability Live 2024 who gifted us with many important takeaways. In the spirit of the festive season, we’ve listed 12 key tips to help you approach event sustainability in 2025.

1. Leadership involvement – Engaging leadership is vital for embedding sustainability into business strategies. Their support and visibility can drive significant change and ensure sustainability becomes a priority across the organisation.
2. Reliability of battery systems – Battery systems can provide a stable and reliable power supply for large-scale events, even in the absence of grid connections. This reliability has been proven in high-profile events like Coldplay concerts and Lollapalooza.
3. Importance of educating clients about seasonality – Educating clients on the benefits of seasonal and local food helps them understand the environmental and taste advantages, fostering a more sustainable food culture.
4. Collaboration and pragmatic approaches – Collaboration across the supply chain and between different sectors is essential for achieving net zero goals. A pragmatic, incremental approach that balances growth with carbon reduction is necessary for meaningful progress.
5. Setting clear sustainability expectations – IMEX’s approach of setting clear sustainability expectations for exhibitors, such as using renewable energy and reusable materials, has proven effective, with minimal resistance.
6. Data-Driven decisions – Measuring carbon footprints and using data to inform decisions is crucial for identifying priorities and tracking progress. This approach helps in setting realistic sustainability goals and achieving them effectively. Tools like TRACE, can be used to collect the data you need to measure your carbon footprint.
7. Employee engagement – Training and engaging employees in sustainability initiatives creates a supportive culture and inspires individual actions. This grassroots approach can amplify sustainability efforts and hold leaders accountable.
8. Practical tools like supply chain roundtables and checklists can enhance sustainability – Establishing roundtables and checklists helps ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and accountable, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in sustainable event planning.
9. Transparency and accountability are key to sustainability success – Chorus’s commitment to regular audits, reporting, and transparency has been vital in their sustainability journey. They continuously review and improve their practices, ensuring they meet their sustainability goals.
10. Innovative design can reduce environmental impact – Speakers highlighted the use of reusable materials, modular systems, and 3D printing as innovative solutions to minimise waste and carbon footprints in exhibitions.
11. Three-step process for sustainable event travel – Onboard:earth’s approach involves measuring travel emissions, funding environmental restoration projects, and reporting the impacts. This structured method helps event organisers effectively reduce their carbon footprint and engage their audiences in sustainability efforts.
12. Tools for tracking travel emissions – Onboard:earth offers various tools, including a travel emissions app and an online carbon calculator, to help individuals and organisations record and understand their travel impacts. These tools promote awareness and encourage reductions in carbon footprints.

The summaries from every session at Event Sustainability Live this year are available to read.