Brandfuel, Cheerful TwentyFirst, DRPG, Jack Morton Worldwide and Smyle are among 12 leading UK event agencies to have put their support behind the creation of a new event sustainability initiative called isla.

The independent, non-profit organisation said its core objective is ‘accelerating the event industry’s transition to a sustainable future’ with the collaboration between agencies, brands, suppliers and in-house departments at the heart of its strategy.

isla will facilitate knowledge sharing within the events community, provide education and training, whilst also creating robust measurement and reporting metrics, allowing events to track progress against standardised sustainability ambitions using science-led environmental targets.

Announcing its launch on social media, the organisation said: “It’s universally recognised that going back to ‘how things were’ is not an option, and while the impact of coronavirus on the events industry has been astounding, as events restart we have an opportunity to do things differently.

“Sustainability is a complex topic and the challenges posed cannot be solved by one company or individual. isla was founded by agency leaders and event professionals to offer an industry wide response to the climate crisis, focusing on standardisation, measurement and reporting and equipping our teams with the skills, education and knowledge they need to deliver truly sustainable events.”

Whilst isla will be an independent organisation, it has already secured the support of leading agencies including: Amplify, Brandfuel, Cheerful TwentyFirst, DRPG, emc3, George P. Johnson, Jack Morton Worldwide, Owl Live, Set Creative, Smyle, WRG and XYZ, with more joining the organisation and committing to the standards of measurement and commitment laid out by isla.

isla will also be working with other third parties to reduce the barriers that can inhibit the sustainability of  many events, including the use and waste of materials and the lack of circular design within the production process.

“When it comes to sustainability, collaboration beats competition and we’re delighted to have some of the biggest event brands in the world supporting our mission to accelerate the industry’s transition to a sustainable future,” commented Anna Abdelnoor, one of the founders of isla.

“We’re calling for more to join our movement; from within the agency community, in-house organisers within business, and from venues and suppliers who want to help their clients in delivering sustainable event programmes. It’s amazing what can be achieved when we work collaboratively.”

Find out more at www.weareisla.co.uk