The Advanced Sustainable Events Course
Starting 29 January 2025 - enrolment is now open!
The Advanced Sustainable Events Course, curated by isla, is a 6-week online course designed to cover key sustainability topics that are central to deepening your understanding of sustainability as a discipline and how this manifests in events.
From legislation & regulations, communications, and measurement principles, to standards, certifications & accreditations, and system change - you’ll explore the impact of these areas at both an industry and event delivery level.
Learning is measured weekly through optional knowledge and confidence level reviews and a final optional test at the end.
1: Legislation and regulations
Legislation responding to climate issues & key legislation to be aware of
Trends in legislation
What you need to know now & in the future
Benefits of regulation
The potential impact on events
What are the modules?
2: Greenwashing
What it is
How to spot it
How to avoid doing it
Other terms to be aware of
3: Communicating sustainability
The psychology of communication
What good comms looks like
Creating effective event communications
4: Principles of measurement
What to measure
How to measure & set targets
Scope 1, 2 & 3
Evaluating your data
5: Accreditations, Certifications and Standards
The function of these for you
The benefits & shortcomings
Understanding your supply chain
Strategies for supply chain engagement
6: Beyond climate
The wider sustainability landscape
Exploring system change
On the horizon…
ANNA ABDELNOOR: CEO & FOUNDER AT ISLA
Anna is the CEO & Founder of isla, a non-profit organisation focusing on a sustainable future for events. Anna is the driving force behind isla and articulates the sustainability vision with support from members, the board and specialist consultants. Having worked on large-scale events for global clients, Anna knows just how capable the industry is of delivering huge projects under pressure and believes the same collaborative attitude is integral to addressing the climate crisis within the events sector. She is also a member of The Meetings Show's Advisory Board.
Meet the presenter
Meet the guest contributors
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FOUNDER, WORLDS BETTER
Christianne Beck brings over 18 years of experience in the events and experiential industry, leading strategic projects for global brands like Shell, Virgin Atlantic, and Nissan. Driven by a deep passion for sustainability, she founded Worlds Better, a consultancy dedicated to helping businesses in the events industry implement sustainable practices that align with their goals.
Worlds Better provides tailored sustainability consultation, offering strategic advice and resources to transform policies into actionable, impactful practices. Christianne is highly qualified in Sustainability Essentials for Business from the University of Cambridge and is accredited to implement ISO 14001 and ISO 20121 management systems.
In addition to her consultancy work, Christianne is a Sustainability Lecturer at The Event Academy and a sought-after speaker at major industry events such as micebook, CVENT Connect, C&IT, and IBTM. She is also committed to mentoring women in the industry through initiatives like Elevate Mentoring and Fast Forward 15.
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SUSTAINABILITY SPECIALIST, ECLIPSE
With over 16 years of experience in planning, executing, and overseeing successful events for diverse clients and industries worldwide, Venetia Campbell has established a strong reputation for excellence, sustainability, and innovation in the events industry.
Venetia's core competencies include leading and managing high-performing teams, delivering exceptional client service, negotiating contracts and budgets, coordinating logistics and vendors, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. Known for exceeding company goals and client expectations, Venetia is dedicated to creating events that not only achieve their objectives but also make a positive social and environmental impact.
Some of Venetia’s recent achievements include reducing the carbon footprint of a major international conference by 50%, securing a large contract with a leading NGO for a series of green events, and winning multiple awards for excellence and innovation in event production. Venetia is passionate about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in event planning, ensuring that every event is both successful and sustainable.
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DIRECTOR - SPECIAL PROJECTS, IMAGINATION
Lee is an operationally focused, hands-on, senior business leader with a 30+ year track record of delivering exceptional experiences around the globe.
He is the Director of Special projects at Imagination. Imagination is an Experience Design Company headquartered in London, with 13 studios worldwide. Founded over 50 years ago on a principle of Independent Creativity - they bring together diverse groups of strategic, creative and practical people to find creative and inspired answers to client challenges. The company has earned a reputation for consistently challenging and changing the status quo, through their core offers of Consulting, Destinations, Content and Live. Imagination’s clients include LG, Ford, IKEA, LVMH, Samsung, Jaguar Land Rover, HSBC, Major League Baseball, 3M, Turkish Airlines, Shell and Telstra. Imagination was awarded silver at Campaign’s Global Brand Experience Agency of the Year Awards 2022, ranked 38 in Newsweek’s UK Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces 2022 and won the Grand Prix award at Campaign Tech Awards for their recent work with Visa Masters of Movement.
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DIRECTOR, EVENT CYCLE
Chantal Kerr-Sheppard is an unshakable optimist with a passion for sustainability. With extensive experience in global event management and 15 years of volunteering, she founded Event Cycle to help event planners reduce waste and create positive social impact. Her mission is to see events designed with social purpose at their core.
Raised in a household where "make do and mend" and recycling were daily practices, Chantal's commitment to sustainability was instilled early on. After joining the events industry, she was struck by the waste generated by unique event briefs and sought ways to address this challenge.
In 2019, while managing conferences in Barcelona and London, Chantal faced sustainability challenges despite ample budgets. The onset of COVID-19 and subsequent industry layoffs amplified the need for sustainable solutions, leading to the creation of Event Cycle alongside her former colleague, Carina Jandt.
Since then, Event Cycle has transformed event leftovers into resources that contribute to a zero-waste, circular economy, making a tangible difference to both the environment and communities. Chantal is dedicated to continuing this journey, ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of every event.
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HEAD OF MARKET INSIGHTS, NEWCASTLEGATESHEAD INITIATIVE
Shelley Johnson is a distinguished expert in sustainable tourism with a deep-rooted passion for North East England. As a CIM Chartered Marketer and a member of the Market Research Society (MRS), Shelley uses her extensive knowledge in data and insights to drive sustainable growth in the tourism sector. Her work at the NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) focuses on enhancing the sustainability performance of the region's visitor economy, working closely with the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. Shelley is dedicated to helping organisations and communities transition towards regenerative tourism practices that not only protect the environment but also ensure long-term economic vitality.
As a speaker on sustainable events, Shelley brings a wealth of experience and practical insights into how data-driven strategies can be leveraged to create impactful, sustainable outcomes. Her commitment to addressing challenges both large and small has made her a key figure in advancing sustainability initiatives in the events industry. Shelley's expertise and passion for sustainability make her an invaluable resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of sustainable tourism and event practices.
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TRACE SERVICES DELIVERY MANAGER, ISLA
Emily comes to isla with a passion for the power of the food system to drive sustainable change. Having managed a green Michelin star restaurant, she has spent her time finding solutions to the challenges that the hospitality industry faces. Including crafting a sustainable wine list and zero-waste cocktail offering, supporting regenerative growers, and developing a working environment when the health of the team is as important as the health of the environment.
She has also explored the food system from an academic perspective with a masters in international development where she focused on the value and role of a localised food chain within a globalised market.
Emily hopes to bring together her passion for sustainability, food, and events together in supporting lasting change in the industry.
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PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR , INIZIO ENGAGE XD
Andrew has been in the events industry for over twenty years, in both agency and corporate roles. As well as operational and account management positions, Andrew spent ten years with global Pharmaceutical, Pfizer. He led the Meetings and Congress Procurement category for Europe, designing and delivering a regional strategic meetings management programme. As Procurement Director for Inizio Engage XD, he uses his corporate procurement background to create value for clients in all areas of the client-supplier relationship.
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DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES, EMC3
Saskya is the Director of Client Services at emc3 - the event production partner of the world's leading brands including Google, HP, TikTok and Meta.
They're a Certified B Corporation which means they showcase the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability as an organisation.
EMC3 is on a mission to create groundbreaking events powered by strategy, content and creative underpinned by their collective commitment to a sustainable future for events.
Voted Global Agency of the Year at the 2024 Conference News Awards and recipient of the King's Award for Enterprise in 2024, the emc3 team is driving real change across the events industry.
Complimentary access to TRACE by isla
From business investors to event attendees, stakeholders are increasingly demanding greater transparency and accountability on the environmental impacts of activities, with mandatory reporting on emissions expected within the next two years. With this in mind, we’re thrilled to be able to offer all course students exclusive complimentary 6-month access to measure one event with TRACE by isla, the definitive carbon measurement platform for events, so that you can start your carbon measurement journey.
Brought to you by isla, the event industry’s response to the climate crisis, TRACE helps you measure and minimise carbon in real-time at live, hybrid and digital events.
Designed by event professionals for event professionals, TRACE offers clear visualisations of emissions, from catering to materials used, and provides insights to reduce an event's carbon footprint before it starts.
FAQs
Have we missed anything? For more information, check out our FAQs or get in touch.
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The course runs annually each January and during the summer.
The second edition will start on 29 January.
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The course runs for 6 weeks. You will have access to the course materials for approximately 10 weeks.
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The course will be hosted on our virtual platform, and you can watch the lectures wherever you are in the world as they're all pre-recorded. Joining instructions are provided shortly before the course begins.
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Yes, the course is accredited by the Continuous Professional Development Standards Office.
You will receive a certificate of completion after finishing the course, regardless of whether you choose to submit the optional test.
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£695 + VAT per student.
We also offer discounted rates for freelancers, charities/non-profits, and isla members - please contact Emily Roberts for more information: eroberts@ntmllc.com.
Or if you’re looking to make a group booking, we’re pleased to offer discounts for bookings of 2-3, 4-8, or 9+. Your discount will automatically be applied at the checkout.
For all bookings, you’ll have the option of paying via debit/credit card or invoice.
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There will be a live Q&A at the end of the course. You'll be able to submit any questions you have about the course before and during this session and a recording of the session will be emailed out to all students afterwards. You can also take advantage of the chat function within the virtual platform to ask any questions and discuss the modules with students.
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It is designed for agencies, corporates, and associations, and suppliers including hotels, venues, and destinations.
This course is aimed at event profs with an intermediate level of knowledge about sustainability within events. If you're a beginner - The Sustainable Events Course would be better suited to you.
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Yes, there are optional activities that you can participate in if you wish, such as quizzes and questionnaires. At the end of the 6 weeks, you will have the option of submitting a test using your learnings from the course.
As part of the course, you will receive exclusive complimentary 6-month access to TRACE by isla to measure one event. TRACE helps you measure and minimise carbon at live, hybrid and digital events.
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Yes, all sessions are pre-recorded and are available on-demand so that you can consume the course at your own pace. A new module will be released each Wednesday at 10:00 GMT, beginning on 29 January. You will have access to all course materials for approximately 10 weeks.
