 Sustainability is the answer!
In early January 2006, there was an announcement about a draft British Standard 8901 on Event Management Sustainability. NOEA became very actively involved in the process of consultation with the British Standards Institution and following numerous meetings on policy and technical matters, the final document was published on 12th November 2007.
Michael Bell (Bellensen Associates), Annemarie Chebib (Select Security & Stewarding Ltd) and Andy Grove (Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council) are specially thanked by NOEA for their major contribution in helping to make all this possible.
Original drafts of the documents created an industry wide reaction, arguing the documents were too complex and onerous. Since that time, documents had been redrafted, and NOEA had been a key player in regards to rewriting. At the standard’s launch, the document produced was vastly improved, yet there is still a need for NOEA to provide guidance to its members on the contents. An unprecedented industry-wide independent consultation group was formed to write guidance notes, and these are currently being compiled. The aim of this is to ensure that across the events industry there is consistency of understanding. NOEA, although deeply concerned at the outset, have been working with a proactive and positive outlook, to be a significant contributor to issues of sustainability. The importance of such issues is paramount to all operatives working in the events industry, from multi-agency, to promoters, and suppliers.
Throughout the re-drafting process NOEA had three aims which were: to make the document understandable by those in the industry, user friendly and a lot shorter. We certainly succeeded in the first objective, although progress in the other two areas was more limited due to the constraints within which the standard was being drafted. Discussing matters with some of the sustainability specialists, it is clear that the question in Europe is not whether there needs to be some control of sustainability, but what form this should take.
The two approaches are: BSI standards and certification, or on the other hand by proscriptive regulation. We believe that the standard’s route will not just be less onerous, it will enable creativity that prescriptive legislation will restrict and will be a more effective means of promoting the sustainability which is important, both to us in the industry and to our clients.
Photograph – Group of those attending the Official Launch of the British Standard 8901 for Event Management Sustainability - 12th November 2007 (Michael Bell is second from left back row)
Michael Bell.
Bellensen Associates
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