Four events and seven suppliers are the first organizations to meet the new sustainable event standards launched by the Events Industry Council (EIC) last September.
The standards are a central initiative of EIC’s Centre for Sustainable Events. Formerly the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards, the new standards maintain the same level of rigour while improving their ease of use and adoptability.
“Accelerating the adoption of responsible environmental and social practices in the events industry is a top priority,” said Amy Calvert, CEO of the Events Industry Council, the global federation of more than 30 organizations that led the development of the standards. “Against the backdrop of Earth Day and in anticipation of our industry playing a leading role in the recovery of our global economy, we are honoured to share these standards and recognize the organizations that are leading the way.”
The events that have achieved the standard are, by level:
PLATINUM LEVEL
- Informa Connect’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo | Nov. 19-22, 2019, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Informa Markets’ Natural Products Expo East | September 11-14, 2019 Baltimore, MD, USA)
GOLD LEVEL
- IACC Europe Knowledge Festival | October 4-6, 2019, Brussels, Belgium
SILVER LEVEL
- Informa Markets’ ArchitectureBoston Expo (ABX) | November 6-7, 2019, Boston, MA, USA
The suppliers that have achieved the standards are, by level:
PLATINUM LEVEL
- Javits Center and Cultivated | New York City, NY
GOLD LEVEL
- Marina Bay Sands | Singapore
- Salt Palace Convention Center | Salt Lake City, UT, USA (Salt Lake Green Team Partnership)
- Utah Food Services | Salt Lake City, UT (Salt Lake Green Team Partnership)
SILVER LEVEL
- PSAV at the Salt Palace Convention Center and Mountain America Expo Center | Salt Lake City and Sandy, UT (Salt Lake Green Team Partnership)
- Visit Salt Lake | Salt Lake City, UT (Salt Lake Green Team Partnership)
BRONZE LEVEL
- Mountain America Expo Center | Sandy, UT (Salt Lake Green Team Partnership)
“The Events Industry Council congratulates the first organizations to achieve the EIC Sustainable Event Standards,” said Calvert. “They demonstrate a strong commitment to the environmentally and socially responsible practices that are needed to support long-term sustainability in our industry.”
About the new standards
The revamped sustainability standards place greater emphasis on regional relevance, social justice, accessibility, and diversity and inclusion. They were released with a one-year provisional status to allow for additional input from early adopters. More than 100 of the event industry’s leading practitioners, including representation from 15 countries, contributed to the development of the new standards.
The standards include seven assessment categories in core sectors of the events industry related to sustainability in the areas of environmental and social responsibility. They collectively establish the framework that event organizers and suppliers should follow when incorporating sustainability initiatives at their events and in their operations.
In addition to this overarching structure, event organizers and suppliers are assessed on sector-specific criteria. As such, events and suppliers are recognized separately according to their achievement of these criteria.