Events done differently: Issue 9
Rob Woodhead
Dad to two, husband to one, outdoor lover, stoic thinker and experienced CEO and business leader.
It’s been a busy few months for us at sbHQ, and we wanted to share some of what we’ve been up to with you. In?this edition of our newsletter, we're excited to dive deeper into our sustainability practices, exploring how we're supporting people, the planet, and truly living our purpose of 'making people's lives better'. From creating engaging event experiences, activations and brand campaigns with a focus on environmental and social sustainability, to recognising the importance of mental and physical wellbeing in our team, plus a showcase of?our talented team members stepping into new roles and bringing fresh perspectives, we're covering it all.
So, please feel free to explore?our featured articles, learn more about our sustainable practices, and discover how we can collaborate to create unforgettable yet sustainable event experiences.
Sustainability is something we take very seriously at simplybetter. In the last edition of this newsletter we shared with you some of our sustainability goals and pledges for 2024 . We put a tremendous amount of time and effort into our sustainability credentials, from our day-to-day activities through to every experience we create.
We firmly believe being sustainable is as much about mindset as it is about the actual detail. It doesn’t just happen by accident. You have to really want it, believe in it and be committed to doing what it takes to push your events, campaigns, activations, and your organisation towards greater sustainability. If this seems daunting, don't worry we're here to help.
Sustainability. It’s all in the planning
As we’ve grown, so has our ambition to be more sustainable within every aspect of our business – from the most mundane of everyday activities right through to each and every experience we create for our clients and partners.
Creating engaging events with an innovative, ambitious and environmentally aware strategic partner is a great way to underpin your own sustainability credentials. However, what we do day-to-day here at sbHQ means that sustainability is built in from the ground up. And you can do the same within your own organisation. None of it is rocket science. It just takes thought, commitment and planning – and you can seriously upgrade your in-house sustainability.
Sustainable event experiences. Great minds think alike
As we all become more sustainability focused, for many the focus is on environmental sustainability. But social sustainability goes deeper. It’s about people – working with companies who value difference, inclusivity and wellbeing. Companies who value their people and the contribution they make tend to have a more stable, engaged workforce that works together, shares ideas and is open to change.
Building strong, long-term relationships with like-minded organisations can reinforce and boost your existing strengths, allowing you to push yourselves, your clients, colleagues, customers and suppliers towards greater sustainability in all its forms. For us, these relationships mean having the scope and support to imagine, to innovate, to design and to produce unforgettable yet sustainable events, campaigns and activations.
A shared vision led to an award-winning sustainability initiative
Skipton Building Society share simplybetter’s vision for a more sustainable future. We have worked in close partnership with them for over a decade now, creating events with sustainability in mind. They tasked us with making their annual Leadership Event their “most sustainable ever”. A bold brief, and one that we grasped with both hands, designing and delivering a cutting-edge event experience that had sustainability at its core.
That shared vision, our strategic partnership and building sustainability in from the ground up, led to an award-winning event with people and planet at the heart.
领英推荐
Promoting our people
As you hear us say all the time, our purpose is to 'make people's lives better'. Whether that's our clients, our partners or our team. And we really mean it when we say that, so we've been making some changes internally...
We’re thrilled to announce that some of our very talented team members are stepping into new roles. They have all been truly instrumental in our success as a business, giving their all and delivering excellence through their expertise into every project. These promotions are so much more than a change to their email signatures, they’re testament to the wealth of experience each person brings to the table.
With their new positions, Katie Ramsden , Lisa Roberts-Jones , Floss Clifford , Abbie Hignett and Ellen Harrison will bring a fresh wave of creativity, strategy, insight and innovation to our creative events and engagement agency as well as almost 50 years of experience combined. Their extensive knowledge of the industry will benefit everyone who comes into contact with simplybetter.
Together, we’re shaping a future where every project is an opportunity to exceed expectations. So, here’s to our amazing promotees and all our team. With our combined knowledge, leadership, experience and creativity, we’re set to take simplybetter to new heights…
Social sustainability
As we mentioned above, ESG is so much more than just environmental. The sustainability of our people, the community and culture we create as equally important to us. We’re so proud of our team, their dedication and passion, but we want them to be proud of where they work too. And that means having an employer that looks out for them and their needs.
It's no secret the events industry can be tough, and it's been ranked as one of the most stressful industries globally, due to the pace, fixed deadlines, and the constant last-minute changes. So, we've been reviewing all our policies and practices, to take any undue pressure and stress off the team and help everyone prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing, no matter what we have going on day to day.
simplybetter forest
As part of our Sustainability pledge, and our work with isla , the event industry’s sustainability body, we’re proud to say we’re now using their TRACE platform to track and report on event carbon emissions.
We're offsetting our carbon emissions by planting trees in our very own simplybetter forest, in association with Tree-Nation . To kick-start us on our offsetting journey, each member of our team was gifted 2 trees to plant in our forest. By planting them, we offset 2.95 tonnes of CO2 and reforested 0.02 hectares of land.
Not only that but we've also embedded a smart label into our website that keeps track of the number of views we get, and the amount of usage it experiences. So, there's never been a better time to take a look at our website and do a good thing for the planet.
simplybetter
award-winning sustainably led event experiences
If you need to create event experiences, activations and campaigns that demonstrate real value to your business and stakeholders and engage your audience without compromising our planet, we're here to help. You can rely on our hard work to uphold your sustainability credentials, meaning one less thing for you to worry about.
Check out our knowledge hub for ideas, inspiration and expert advice on delivering ingenious event experiences and unconventional conventions. If we’ve sparked your interest, get in touch for a chat about your next event, campaign or activation