The programme, which commenced earlier this year, involves every part of the industry sector, from event clients to organisers, and venues to suppliers and features large corporate companies through to small and medium-sized enterprises.
This programme is managed by the Sustainable Events Group (SEG) and is due to run through until the planned review of the new standard early in 2009. Experiences from the programme will feed directly into the BS 8901 revision process undertaken by the British Standards Institution.
"The programme gives the UK event industry a real chance to lead the world in the application of sustainability principles to their activities and events," said Tim Sunderland of SEG. "This is pretty important when you've got one of the biggest events of all time, the Olympics, less than four years away from its London touchdown."
The organisations involved in the programme will be looking at every aspect of organising and delivering events, including planning, delivery and auditing their own activities. Management of supply chains, procurement and legacy issues are also all included in the process and each participating organisation will be seeking external verification of the work they have undertaken.
Although addressing negative environmental impacts is a fundamental part of the overall programme, Sunderland points out that the SEG approach also emphasises the opportunity to build on the industry's positive impacts in the true spirit of sustainable development. "Events by their very nature have a considerable benefit to society and the social dimension of sustainability and can play a key role in helping us progress towards a more sustainable future. Our programme ensures that organisations can achieve these social benefits. This will in turn help deliver more commercially successful events."
Sunderland went on: "Our initial programme was oversubscribed which shows that there is considerable interest from the industry in managing events more sustainably. We are therefore setting up additional programmes and if organisations are interested in becoming involved, then it is not yet too late to let us know. As BS 8901 is actually up for revision by the end of the year, we intend to use our learning from these programmes to improve the standard and support the BSI's efforts in making this a global standard."
Trade associations have taken a keen interest in BS 8901 on behalf of their members recognising that certification to BS 8901 will impart a competitive advantage in the medium term and will eventually become a requirement to do business in the long term. PLASA has taken a lead and is looking to establish a BS 8901 implementation programme through SEG specifically for its members.
"PLASA are participating in the initial programme being run by SEG," said Ruth Rossington, PLASA Executive Director. "We quickly realised that BS 8901 is going to be a critical factor in determining the future success of our members, hence, we are developing a programme to provide our members with a low-cost route to achieve conformance with BS 8901 learning from the experts in SEG who have been involved in writing the standard."
Whilst key event clients including the London 2012 Organising Committee and the Greater London Authority are likely to be key drivers in the adoption of BS 8901 within the industry, some organisations on the initial programme view BS 8901 simply as the 'right thing to do'.
As Tim Sunderland reiterates: "Through the programme, many organisations are discovering ways to manage their businesses more effectively through streamlining processes, improving communication methods and reducing costs. This is all contributing to a better sense of teamwork and a more motivated
