Sustainability Policy
A message from our CEO
Our overarching goal is to continue to reduce the carbon
footprint of our events. Each year we measure every event we
run and use those results to find ways to reduce our carbon
footprint for future events.
Our plan is simple, we aim to do this every year as reducing
emissions is hard and wil take a long time to achieve.
We know that sustainability includes many different aspects
but at the moment we focus on CO2e as we see it as one of
the most urgent and most relevant goals to our business. As a
business we believe that by setting clear reduction targets
we can create behaviours change within our business, our
exhibitors and our suppliers.
We do not rely on offsets for our reduction targets, change
must happen within our business so that ultimately we emit
less every year
Mike Seaman, CEO
Our Sustainability Strategy
How are our goals evolving?
The path we are on is known as a “Net Zero” strategy. We have actively avoided picking a long term year for achieving Net Zero (a 90% reduction) as it is so hard to predict and would take too long to calculate. Time which we feel could be better used on near term goals which we can start influencing today.
When we first set out on our Sustainability journey we, like many others, set ourselves the goal of being Net Zero in a relatively short time frame. We achieved zero emmissions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions in just 2 years, but as guidance and criteria and definition of Net Zero has changed, we know now that achieving that goal by 2025 is unlikely to be possible.
While achieving Net Zero status is still the ultimate goal, we now better understand how much that relies on the behaviour and choices of others and so, while we remain 100% committed to continuing the trajectory of carbon reduction, we are aware that that lofty ‘Net Zero’ status may take some wider cultural and infrastructure shifts outside of our control. In the meantime, we will focus on everything within our own control, working to reduce our carbon emissions, whilst simultaneously actively influencing and incentivising others to make smarter environmental choices.
As a growing business (we have launched and acquired 18 events over the last 6 years) we want to allow for growth while being transparent about our emissions. In order to track this we measure our emissions per visitor.
Our goals – what’s next?
Goal 1 – Achieve and remain Net Zero in Scope 1 & 2 emissions in how we operate as a business.
Currently Net Zero – our aim is to maintain that despite business growth in 2024/25.
Goal 2 – Reduce our UK event emissions per visitor.
Currently 21 kg per visitor (a 12.5% reduction from 22/23), aim is to achieve a further 15% reduction in 24/25. Work with venues to reduce energy and waste at each event.
Goal 3 – Reduce our US event emissions per visitor.
Currently 40 kg per visitor (a 29.8% reduction from 22/23), aim is to achieve a further 15% reduction in 24/25. Work with venues to reduce energy and waste at each event.
Goal 4 – Reduce our newly acquired event emissions per visitor.
With an aggressive growth plan in place our focus wil be to ensure we continue to reduce event emissions for al new launches and acquisitions.
Goal 5 – Influence and incentivise reduced visitor emissions to impact Scope 3 emissions.
Make low carbon travel easier, encouraging and incentivising travel by public transport, cycling, car sharing and even electric cars.