BEING REALISTIC ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN EVENTS

Dee Parsons

CEO and Sustainability & Outreach Director - The Better Green Group

Hi, I am Dee Parsons, Group CEO and the Sustainability & Outreach Director for The Better Green Group. Sustainability is an overused word. I have tried many, many times, even turning to ‘ChatAi’ (dont hate me) for other ways to describe sustainability compliance.

This blog shows what has worked for The Better Green Group.

First of all, for context, this is who we are.

Our footprint in the live events landscape of the UK is deepening. We've had the privilege of showcasing our expertise at some of the most prominent events in the country, this year including Reading Festival, Wireless Festival, COP23, Summer Sounds Greenwich, The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot, The Eurovision Song Contest to name just a few.

As CEO, I take immense pride in our strides towards sustainability and social responsibility within the events industry. We are reshaping industry standards with our clients and the brands. Our commitment to making a positive impact on the environment and society is not only genuine but also economically responsible. The label 'the most wasteful industry' should no longer be a fitting or comfortable label.

What are the steps?

Start with a core process. Here is our tried and tested 6 point internal process for sustainable working practices.

1) REVIEW - get it right from the start

Start by talking to the client. What do they need, how does that align with your own goals, can you set the KPI’s at the initial stage to ensure this is considered throughout. As a company we always review each new project in terms of their environmental impact and adhere to a strict ethos of sustainable production to help reduce negative impact. To do this we ensure each stage of our production process is scrutinised. Do all of this but with the client, at the beginning, reporting is then natural and successful.

2) PROVIDENCE - keep it current

Of course, it is much easier now to ensure all materials used come from verified sustainable sources that have the correct certification. All timber to be FSC approved and European. Bamboo, lead free, recycled. These are all on offer, dont be complacent and reach for the usual. Employe a temp, or a student that is reaching for this in their career, to list out the new products, prices and suppliers. Make it easy.

3) DESIGN - plan it all.

Develop designs and production methods that use predominantly natural and sustainable materials efficiently, minimising waste whilst ensuring durability. Provide your client with a design that is modular, can be updated and rebranded easily, research nearby  inexpensive storage solutions to store the clients items for next year. PLAN your derigs, thats right, plan them, how do they come back to you for storage. 


4) OFFSET - reduce the impact

As a company we actively off set our carbon emissions and partner with two companies; Ecologi in the UK and Trees4Trees in Indonesia. We are currently on track to far exceed our pledge of planting 30,000 trees in the next four years. 

As a case study, one of our significant accomplishments is the sustainable transformation of the Pepsi Max Tower at Reading and Wireless Festivals. Collaborating closely with iD Agency, we undertook this project with sustainability at its core. The Tower, has organically and sustainability grown, and is now twice the size of previous years, is a testament to our dedication to the methods above. We aimed to reuse as many existing materials as possible and even planted over 550 trees as part of offset projects.

5) OUTREACH - Donating Profits for a Direct Purpose

What truly sets us apart is our pledge to donate a portion of our profits to sustainability and outreach initiatives. We believe that the more we succeed, the more we can give back to the planet and those in need. Supporting handpicked charities in the UK and Kenya. We pick charities we can really get under the skin of. We have personal relationships. The money we send are for specific reasons and projects, and the feedback is direct and exciting. Beneficiaries include New Horizons, Showerbox, Trees4Trees, Ecologi, Faron Paul’s Whiteflag, Isle of Wight Youth Trust and Start Small, Kenya. We send messages, we receive messages, we know names, faces, we know the stories. Choose wisely.

6) DISPOSAL - Waste Disposal Matters

Our commitment to environmentally sound waste disposal is essential. We ensure that a minimal amount of waste ends up in landfills, with materials being recycled or reused in local businesses and community projects. For example, on de-commissiong the enormous Carlberg Danish Quarter project, we were tasked to find a home for all the beautiful larch timber. Over the course of a year we managed to break the set into usable stock and dispersed it throughout a number of local school and student building projects including a kids tree house as shown below.

7) MANIFESTO & ACCOUNTABILITY - have a clear manifesto, give yourself some accountability. Share it, publish it, make it happen, then update it and feel very proud everytime you do, here is ours Better Green Manifesto

About Better Green Productions & The Better Green Group.

Better Green Productions, a division of the Better Green Group, specialises in experiential marketing, event production, exhibitions, roadshows, and festivals. Our dedication to sustainability, creativity, and excellence has been the driving force behind our success, even during challenging times.


To learn more about Better Green Productions and proud impressive portfolio, I invite you to visit our website at Better Green Productions to learn about the Group as a whole follow the link here Better Green Group.