How sustainability is reshaping life science events
By Ellie Gadd, Communications and Marketing Associate
Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration across the life sciences sector. Organisations are asked more questions about how they operate as well as what they produce. This applies across the sector, from therapeutics and research technologies to laboratory science.
As a result, sustainability is no longer confined to environmental teams. It is influencing procurement decisions, funding applications, supplier selection and how companies choose who they work with. Those expectations also extend to scientific meetings, customer engagement and the events organisations run throughout the year.
The life sciences sector remains an industry built on collaboration. Scientific conferences, product launches, customer workshops and advisory boards are important for sharing knowledge, building relationships and supporting commercial objectives. Building sustainability into event planning from the outset will reduce environmental impact while continuing to deliver the face-to-face experiences that make those events valuable.
Planning sustainable life science events
Many of the decisions that shape an event’s sustainability are made long before delegates arrive.
The choice of venue affects far more than the delegate experience. It influences how people travel, the infrastructure available on site and the suppliers that can support the event. Procurement shapes the wider supply chain. It determines both the suppliers involved and the standards they are expected to meet.
Exhibition stands and event materials can be designed for repeated use rather than a single event. Production schedules affect how equipment is transported, whether freight can be consolidated and how much unnecessary movement is built into the project.
Sustainability also extends beyond environmental impact. Accessibility is part of the same planning conversation. It influences decisions around venues, formats, technology and how people participate in an event. Considering it from the outset helps ensure that sustainability reflects the social as well as the environmental impact of an event.
Few delegates will ever see these discussions taking place. Yet they often have a greater influence on an event’s overall impact than the more visible initiatives introduced on the day.
Supplier selection and sustainable procurement
Supplier selection is where many sustainability decisions begin. Conversations with venues, caterers, production companies and other partners help organisers understand how materials are sourced, waste is managed, transport is planned and where opportunities exist to reduce environmental impact.
At a recent planning meeting for a major client event, the caterer was able to map the provenance of ingredients sourced within a ten-mile radius of the venue and share that information with the client. It was a good example of the level of detail that can sit behind supplier decisions.
Local sourcing is only one part of the picture, but decisions like these can contribute to wider sustainability objectives while maintaining the quality of the delegate experience.
For Minnac, supplier selection starts with understanding our clients’ priorities. We look for partners whose standards and ways of working support their sustainability objectives.
What is ISO 20121?
Many of these principles are reflected in ISO 20121, the international standard for sustainable event management.
ISO 20121 provides a framework for considering sustainability throughout the event lifecycle, from identifying stakeholders and setting objectives to procurement, supplier management and post-event evaluation.
For Minnac, working to the standard means applying that thinking consistently across the events we manage, while adapting our approach to the priorities and objectives of each client.
Putting sustainability into practice
Most life science organisations do not have sustainability specialists within their marketing or event teams.
Marketing managers and event leads are expected to deliver engaging events while balancing commercial objectives with an increasing range of sustainability considerations.
Developing that expertise internally is not always practical alongside a busy programme of scientific meetings, congresses and customer events.
As an ISO 20121 accredited event management company, Minnac works with life science organisations to integrate sustainability into the planning process. From supplier selection and procurement to delivery and post-event review, we apply practical measures that support our clients’ objectives while keeping the event focused on what it is there to achieve.
Sustainability that supports your event
Whether you’re planning a scientific conference, product launch, customer workshop or internal meeting, we can help you integrate sustainability into the planning process while delivering an event that supports your scientific, commercial and sustainability objectives.