This month hosted the first ever EMC conference, focusing on sustainability and how to adopt eco-friendly methods into events management. Last week, the Events Management Community (EMC) held their highly successful and well-attended inaugural conference. The event, themed "Greener Gatherings," focused on sustainability in event management. Attendees welcomed the opportunity to hear from expert speakers, participate in panel discussions, and network with University event professionals.Anna Abdelnoor, CEO and co-founder of Isla, kicked off the conference speaking about the future of events management and how everyone can adopt sustainable and environmentally-friendly approaches. Scott Davidson, Deputy Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability and Head of Sustainability at the University, delivered a thought-provoking session looking at the bad, the good, and the winnable (if extremely challenging) race. Illustrating how sustainability is promoted across the University and showing attendees the variety of support available. Maximillion added to the fun of the conference, organising brilliant team-building exercises, involving Irn Bru and Top Trumps! Cassie Mesouani and Liam MacDonough from Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE) provided an informative overview on how ACE is embracing innovative practices to minimise environmental impact while maintaining exceptional quality and service. Dawn Dodd and Catherine Hetherington rounded off the day reflecting on the remarkable community achievements from the last year. The session ended with a sneak peek into what’s coming soon and exploring potential directions for the future. Thank you to our EMC conference organisers for such an interesting and thought provoking day. I have walked away with a determination to assess the sustainability of the events I manage and enable. It has been wonderful to connect with colleagues old and new from across the university and share some of our best practices. I am very much looking forward to getting involved again next year Grace Harvey Events and Communications Administrator, Edinburgh Research Office Sustainability was emphasised across all aspects of the conference. Attendees were encouraged to think about ways of travelling to the conference sustainably, promoting public transport and cycling over driving. There were also no single-use name badges, and limited print materials, demonstrating simple but eco-friendly ways of organising and managing events.The delicious lunch and coffee breaks were proudly sponsored by the University’s Hospitality Collection, holding a 3-star rating with the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Directory. There were water stations to make good use of the reusable bottles, instead of single-use plastic water bottles, and even carbon footprint data appeared on the menus! Watch this space for future EMC events. What to know more about the EMC? Please contact Dawn Dodd (Dawn.Dodd@ed.ac.uk) or Catherine Hetherington (Catherine.Hetherington@ed.ac.uk). Publication date 29 Jan, 2025
