Sustainable Events & The ISO 20121 Management System Standard

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What is an event?

 

It is:

• Something that happens, or is regarded as, happening.

• An occurrence, especially one of some importance.

• The outcome, issue, or result of anything e.g., "the venture had no successful event."

• Something that occurs in a certain place, within a particular time frame.

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Does "one size fits all" applies to events?

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Events come in all shapes and sizes:

• From rock concerts to Olympic Games.

• From the annual meeting of an association of small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises, to international trade fairs.

• From a village barbeque to raise money for a school trip, to a political summit of global leaders.

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Is there a downside to events?

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An event is considered successful if it meets the purpose, goal, and objectives for which it was created.

• However, there can be a downside to events.

• The “great time we had today ” can leave an aftermath of problems for tomorrow.

 

When people get together, particularly in large numbers, they can:

• Put a strain on local resources, such as water and energy

• Create significant amounts of waste

• Trigger tensions related to culture or sheer proximity with neighbouring communities.

 

An added challenge is the number of different partners and suppliers involved in organizing and servicing an event.

 

In response, companies, and individual professionals, organising and managing events, or contributing to managing same, have developed in-house frameworks, processes, tools to effectively address one or several of these challenges.

 

Why events must be organised and managed?

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Events can be organised for, e.g.:

• “Just having a good time” (nothing wrong with that!)

• Celebrating an achievement

• A particular seasonal purpose, such as Christmas party

• Providing the occasion for the signing of international treaties or commercial contracts

• Achieving sporting records

• Creating understanding between different communities, countries, and cultures.

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Events must be managed for similar reasons that projects are managed. Many different types of tasks, some more complex than others, must be completed on time, in the correct sequence, with the available resources, and within the approved budget.

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​What is event management?

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Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of small and/or large-scale personal or corporate events such as festivals, conferences, ceremonies, weddings, formal parties, concerts, or conventions. It involves studying the brand, identifying its target audience, devising the event concept, and coordinating the technical aspects before launching the event.

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The events industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to business breakfast meetings. Many industries, celebrities, charitable organizations, and interest groups hold events to:

• Market their label

• Build business relationships

• Raise money, or

• celebrate an achievement.

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The process of planning and coordinating the event is referred to as event planning and can include budgeting, scheduling, site selection, acquiring necessary permits, coordinating transportation and parking, arranging for speakers or entertainers, arranging decor, event security, catering, coordinating with third party vendors, and emergency plans.

 

Each event is different in its nature, so the process of planning and execution of each differs, depending on the type of event.

 

What is the role of the Event Manager?

 

He, or she, is the person who:

• Plans and manages the event

• Is responsible for the creative, technical, and logistical elements of the event.

 

This includes the overall event design, brand building, market and communication strategy, audio-visual production, script writing, logistics, budgeting, negotiation, and client service.

• These are tasks, that must be completed in the correct timing and sequence, and ... most important ... first time right.

-, event management is frequently cited as one of the most stressful career paths, in line next to surgeons, and air traffic controllers.

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What is ISO 20121, and why is it important?

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ISO 20121: Event sustainability management systems - Requirements with guidance for use, is a practical tool for managing events so that they contribute to the three dimensions of sustainability, i.e. economic, environmental, and social.

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What makes this standard important is that it:

• Provides state-of-the-art solutions for the event industry worldwide

• Has been developed by representatives of this same sector on an international scale

• Tackles the event industry’s challenges in all three dimensions of sustainability, at all stages of its supply chain.

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What are the benefits of adopting ISO 20121?

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The standard offers a range of benefi to all actors involved in the organization of an event, at all stages of the supply chain, i.e.:

• Organizers

• Owners

• Workforce

• Supply chain contributors, such as caterers, stand constructors, and transport companies

• Participants/ attendees

• Regulatory bodies

• Communities.

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Offering a common international language for events management, it provides a framework for global tendering and comparison of offers, encouraging international trade in the sector.

ISO 20121 supports commitment to sustainability and helps demonstrate it a globally recognized manner and context. Although events taking place in different geographical locations around the world must, or should, address different sustainability issues, they can be able managed by implementing the ISO 20121 framework.

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