The globally recognized ISO 20121:2012 accreditation for Sustainable Event Management, which FESPA is happy to announce, is a prerequisite for putting in place an efficient and sustainable event management system.
FESPA’s accreditation demonstrates the organization’s steadfast dedication to integrating environmentally responsible practices into its operations, minimizing the environmental effect of its events, fostering constructive community dialogue about sustainable manufacturing practices, and inspiring print companies to make significant progress toward more environmentally friendly operations.
The specialized print industry’s first events to operate under the accreditation, which offers a complete framework for organizers to prioritize sustainability without sacrificing success or quality, will be FESPA’s 2025 events in Berlin.
Waste reduction, energy efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, and stakeholder involvement are just a few of the major, quantifiable goals that FESPA addressed in order to obtain the ISO certification. The British Standards Institute (BSI) certified awarding organization, under certificate number SEMS 799937, independently evaluated and verified these activities and the system, confirming FESPA’s ability to provide its exhibitors and guests with the highest caliber sustainable event management services.
In addition, FESPA has set an example for others to follow by measuring its carbon footprint at its UK headquarters for three years running without being required to do so by law and by adding solar panels to produce renewable energy.
CEO of FESPA Neil Felton says, “We are ecstatic to have received the ISO 20121:2012 certification, which demonstrates our commitment to organizing ecologically conscious events and advocating for the need for the industries we serve to advance sustainability. Our staff understands how critical it is to run our events in a way that provides our exhibitors and spectators with outstanding value, all the while putting an emphasis on community involvement and environmental sustainability. We are excited to use the certified sustainable events management system for our 2025 events.
The following commitments form the basis of FESPA’s sustainability objectives, as well as targets for events within the scope of the certification:
- Planning: Recognising that sustainability must play a key part in the process and should be considered throughout the decision-making activities in the event management cycle.
- Environmental: Seeking to prevent negative impacts such as pollution by giving purchasing preference to products and services that have sound sustainable credentials, as well as implementing: reduce, reuse, recycle.
- Transportation: Reducing, wherever possible, the need for transportation (of sourced products) or seeking to reduce the length of the journey.
- Packaging: Committing to the reduction and elimination of packaging wherever possible, seeking to use reusable or recycled packaging where it is required.
- Product criteria: Researching the origins and manufacturing processes of key products to identify any process, ingredient or part which has a negative environmental impact, in order to assess the necessity, find an alternative and ensure that it can be disposed of within sustainability guidelines.
- Purchasing criteria: Committing to responsible, sustainable procurement practices and ensuring that all employees, whether permanent or freelance, are aware of and abide by specified purchasing criteria.
- Social: Committing to only collaborating with companies that share FESPA’s values with regard to the treatment of their workforce. Also, considering the local community in the planning and implementation of any event.
- Energy: Committing to improving energy use, consumption and efficiency and, whenever possible, using energy from renewable sources.
- Hazardous products: Committing to avoiding the use of hazardous products wherever possible. Where this is unavoidable, following the guidelines laid out in the UK COSHH regulations and ensuring that use of hazardous products is monitored and used within a controlled environment.
- Occupational health and safety: Taking a responsible attitude to all aspects of occupational health and safety.
The FESPA’s guiding principles and values—aspiration with stewardship, authenticity with integrity, authority, inclusivity, and transparency—are similarly in line with these promises.
The Sustainability Guides, which now include three new guides covering sustainability certification schemes, carbon calculations, and a glossary of sustainability terms, the Sustainability Spotlight live event feature, the provision of speakers for seminars and conferences that have already benefited over a third of the events of FESPA and its member associations, and the open sharing of thought-provoking, instructive, and inspirational content on this topic online all serve to guide and uplift members of the community as always.
FESPA is steadfast in its commitment to developing its event management techniques and expanding its sustainability programs. By incorporating sustainability concepts into its business practices, it hopes to encourage the specialized print industry to make positive changes that will lead to a more ecologically conscious and greener future.
