Progress, not perfection: how to drive sustainability through the event supply chain

It’s no secret that all events, big or small, inevitably have an environmental impact. As brands, producers and agencies, it’s our duty to minimise that impact – not just for the planet (which should be a given), but because key stakeholders are now demanding it.

At Event Concept, we’ve set our own ambitious targets for 2030: cut our baseline emissions by 50%, reach zero waste-to-landfill across our operations, and eliminate single-use plastic from our manufacturing process and facility.

But the problem is that behind every event lies a complex supply chain. Venues, set builders, caterers, rental companies, logistics providers – each brings its own impact and approach to sustainability.

That’s both the industry’s biggest challenge, and its biggest opportunity.

So the question is, how do we make sure our supply chains meet our sustainability needs? And how do we bring our suppliers on that journey with us?

Get to know your full supply chain

Progress begins with understanding where the real impact lies. That means looking at suppliers not just on the event day, but across their entire lifecycle: how they source materials, manufacture, transport, package, and deal with waste afterwards.

With us, every new supplier goes through an automated survey covering the basics of policy, certifications and commitments. From there, I follow up directly with more targeted questions and conversations. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about seeing the whole picture of how they operate and where improvement is possible.

The more we know, the more informed the choices we can make. We can spot where logistics partners might be able to cut travel miles, for example. We can evaluate whether one supplier is the better choice over another. We can also pass those insights on to clients, helping them choose the most sustainable path.

And contrary to popular belief, sustainable choices don’t always cost more. More often, they’re about avoiding duplication, cutting waste and creating efficiencies. Those steps save money as well as carbon.

Start conversations for change

Our most powerful tool in driving sustainability through the supply chain is often the simplest: talking to people. It sounds obvious, given how collaborative the events industry is. But conversations about sustainability are often missed, when in fact, your supplier might have valuable information to share.

Bring your challenges to them. See if they have existing solutions or new ideas.

Take carpet, for example. We use a lot of it across events, which historically created huge amounts of waste. After asking our supplier for alternatives, we discovered they had a recycling scheme we could plug into. Last year, we diverted the equivalent of 100 football pitches’ worth of carpet from landfill.

Or Amazon. By opening up a dialogue we gained access to detailed data on our buying patterns, and found we were rebuying the same cheap items again and again. By switching to durable versions built to last, we cut significant waste.

But these solutions only came to light because we asked the question and worked together on the answer.

Encourage suppliers, don’t blacklist them

Not every supplier is in the same place. Smaller partners may lack formal sustainability policies, but they’re often nimble and willing to adapt. Larger suppliers can have more resources, but shifting their practices can be like turning a cruise ship. The right approach depends on who you’re working with.

As a general rule, I believe in carrot over stick. I don’t think we should blacklist suppliers who currently fall short of our sustainability needs. Doing so closes doors that we should be opening.

Sustainability isn’t about purity or perfection. It’s about progress. So rather than shaming businesses for not doing enough, we should use our influence to support suppliers and their own sustainability journeys. Encourage them to pick one focus, like eliminating single-use plastics and commit to it fully.

Honesty, collaboration, and the difference they make

Sustainability in events is difficult. Nobody has all the answers, and we shouldn’t pretend otherwise. In fact, I genuinely believe that honesty is what drives us forwards. When we’re transparent with clients, open with suppliers, and realistic with ourselves, we move further, faster.

I see that in my role today. On top of saving reams of carpet from landfill, last year we significantly reduced PVC tape use by switching to reusable alternatives, partnered with TerraCycle to responsibly dispose of hard-to-recycle items, cut on-site fuel use year on year, and reduced the emissions associated with our operational waste by 34%.

We still have a long way to go, but what we’ve managed so far has been the result of curiosity, persistence, and a shared willingness to do better together.

Perfection is a myth. Progress is a mindset. And every honest conversation brings the events industry closer to the future we all want to build.