ICB is always associated with the colour red – but we’ve been taking substantial steps to make the 2024 Bookkeepers Summit as green as possible.
Here are some of the decisions we’ve made to reduce our impact on the planet.
It starts with the tickets
We use Ticket Tailor to record and process our tickets. The platform is carbon-neutral and B Corp certified AND donates money to global climate charities for every ticket sold.
A carbon compensated hotel
Not only is the Park Plaza Hotel in Westminster a beautiful, luxurious hotel overlooking the magnificent Houses of Parliament,it also has great green credentials. Part of the Radisson Group, the hotel partners with First Climate and uses the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) to calculate and compensate for the carbon impact of each meeting.
One of the most significant environmental impacts of any event is the creation and subsequent quick destruction of exhibition stands. So, we looked for a partner that took sustainability seriously.
We’re working with GES who partner with Seismic to address the environmental impact of events. In practice, this means that they aim to reduce resource consumption and emissions at each event by providing a range of sustainable equipment including rentals that lower the demand to extract, produce and ship raw materials. The company also reuses materials, provides a wide range of rental equipment, repurposes items wherever possible, and uses recycled/upcycled items to facilitate events services with the least amount of virgin materials possible.
ICB merch – reduce, reuse, recycle
ICB attends many, many events to meet many, many bookkeepers and we like to share branded goods that remind bookkeepers of ICB. When it came to the Summit this year, we looked at the options for new merchandise and we spoke to our advisory council. No matter how many sustainable options there are we couldn’t justify creating a whole new set of merchandise for our event. And, when we looked in the merch cupboard at ICB HQ we found a treasure trove! This is why when bookkeepers assemble in London on Monday 11 November, delegates will be able to choose from what we already have. Get to the ICB stand to collect your piece of ICB history – beanies, socks, a note pad, pens and even a handful of ICB bears. Let’s use what we’ve got before we even think about creating more ‘stuff’.
And remember – you don’t have to take merch home if you don’t want.
Where we do have to create things, we are sourcing sustainable suppliers. Our show guide is printed on recycled paper, and we use 4imprint who are committed to reducing their environmental impact (read more here). We have also switched from tote bags to jute bags. Jute bags are considered to have a positive environmental impact because they are biodegradable, renewable, and require fewer resources to produce than plastic bags. Thank you to our partners at Xero who have sponsored the bags and made this a reality.
Again, it’s a delegate's choice to collect a bag and a paper event guide.
We’re further reducing the environmental impact of the summit by offering a virtual option – with the two-day virtual summit 13 – 14 November. We also hold all agenda information on an app which means you don’t need to use a printed show guide.
We’re always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet. Please do share with the team your suggestions for future events.