Published by Neil Thompson
Event sustainability industry body, isla, in partnership with its Print Working Group has developed the Better Buying for Print - An Event Planners Guide. The free resource is available to the entire events industry to support planners in making better print choices for events.
Graphics and signage are an integral part of any event, they guide delegates around a space and provide unique branding opportunities, but the temporary nature of events often means they are designed for single-use. The use of synthetic resins and harmful chemicals in dyes or inks also have huge negative implications both on the planet and managing the end of life of graphic products. A study by Ecobooth found that 100,000 tonnes of waste were burnt or sent to landfills from the UK events industry alone.
The project has been spearheaded by Laura Fell, isla Print Working Group Lead and Head of Graphic Production at GPJ. Laura says “We recognise that wasteful graphics for one-time use needs to be a thing of the past. This re-think of event planning cannot fall only to print suppliers. With this guide, we're hoping to empower event planners across the industry to make better choices and educate their clients to make more informed decisions too. This will, in turn, enable large format printers to forge better relationships with the supply chain, and will one day eliminate really wasteful single-use signage materials.”
The Print Working Group, which launched back in April is specifically focused on solving the challenges of graphic and print impact on our event footprint. The group has pooled their expertise and research to develop the guide and see this as an opportunity to facilitate more informed conversations with suppliers around sustainable print.
“There is a lack of knowledge of the complexity of upstream and downstream impacts of material choices which invariably leads to confusion and poor decisions. At isla our MO is collaboration and having access to these brilliant brains to develop this guide will be the first step in trying to create zero-waste print and signage projects ”
Anna Abdelnoor, isla co-founder
Matt Phipps, Business Development Manager, MacroArt, one of the first member’s of the group said “The complexity of delivering truly sustainable results in the world of events is often underestimated and can be daunting. It involves an extensive array of skills, materials and processes, covering the entire lifespan of a project. A guide of this kind will be an invaluable key to making the selection of sustainable choices more accessible, easier and more effective. ”
Designed to take an event planner through the process of scoping and designing a project in the most efficient and environmentally considered way - the guide includes a traffic light system to support better material choices, key watch-outs and alternative solutions to ensure sustainable credentials.
Download The Better Buying for Print - An Event Planners Guide from the isla website.
If you’re interested in being part of the solution for sustainable graphics and signage, or want to gain access to more resources like this guide become an isla member - https://weareisla.co.uk/membership/
