The agency joins a growing number of event companies both achieving and striving for the certification. Its achievement also underlines the diversity of businesses, from every sector of the event, exhibition, and experience industry, contributing to sustainable business.

As part of the process, limeblue has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, having met the very highest standards of social and environmental standards, including Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers, and by providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.

Kim Scillitoe, Managing Director, limeblue, commented, “This is all about values. We’ve always been a business that values sustainability and doing the right thing for and by our customers. The event industry is making progress on its approach to ESG, and we can pack that in at design and concept stage. We can have a real impact, and we take that seriously. It’s why we’re delighted to receive B Corp certification.”

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, commented “We are delighted to welcome limeblue to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that limeblue are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward”. 

A Blueprint for Sustainable Business Travel

With travel accounting for up to 80% of an event’s carbon footprint, this flight-free trip proved that sustainability and exceptional experiences can go hand in hand. The journey was co-created by Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (SCIB), Zurich Convention Bureau, Lucerne Convention Bureau, Eurostar, TGV Lyria, Metropolis DMC and Evolve Events.

The train itinerary included an exclusive Eurostar carriage, rapeseed-fuelled coach transfer in Paris and a double-decker TGV Lyria with engaging and mindful activities onboard. The final leg featured the vintage Red Arrow train through the Swiss Midlands with alpine views.

Inge Bauwens  Senior Lead, Eurostar for Business & MICE, explains: “Eurostar’s offering for business travel goes beyond just transportation. It’s about making the journey part of the event. With our expanded network now reaching beyond hub cities, Eurostar offers an even more sustainable way for business travel across Europe.”

Lucerne: Responsible Luxury & Circular Thinking

In Lucerne, sustainability was embedded at every turn; from a QR-code itinerary printed on an apple to accommodation with local sourcing initiatives. Dinner at Neubad, a repurposed swimming pool turned cultural space, showcased adaptive reuse.

Delegates explored the city on foot, with highlights including public fountains offering free, drinkable water. Lunch and networking with local suppliers on a low-emission boat and a ride up the Rigi Bahn (Switzerland’s most sustainable mountain railway) led to a Kirsch tasting hosted by a charismatic local whose family has been making the cherry spirit for generations.

Zurich: Where Innovation Meets ESG

The final stop, Zurich, offered a deep dive into sustainable urban living. Delegates stayed at the 25hours Hotel Zürich West and dined at Michelin Green Star restaurant Elmira (like the entire trip menu, vegetarian)

Split into walking and running tours, participants explored green spaces, visited FREITAG’s recycled bag HQ, and enjoyed pastries at St. Jakob bakery, a social enterprise.

A Circular Economy Workshop led by Zurich Convention Bureau introduced the “5 R” framework, followed by a hands-on cooking class tackling food waste. The trip ended with a vintage tram apéritif tour and dinner at Zurich’s oldest restaurant, Haus zum Rüden, accompanied by live music from a local folk band, delivering a memorable evening of authentic culture and connection.

Impact & Industry Shift

“Go Sustainable  wasn’t just a passive study trip – it proved that FAMs can do more than inspire, they can influence change.” said Anna Peters, Creative Director at Evolve Events.

The numbers speak for themselves. The carbon savings from London to Zurich alone were staggering: 11kg per passenger by train versus 195kg by plane; the equivalent of lighting the Eiffel Tower for an hour versus two full days.

“This trip highlights the power of collaboration within the MICE industry and demonstrates how Switzerland is not only leading in sustainable tourism but offering a model for global destinations to follow,” said Reto Konrad, Manager at SCIB UK & Ireland. “Switzerland’s commitment to sustainability is deeply embedded in our culture, from our transport infrastructure to our event venues. This trip showcased how effortlessly sustainability can be integrated into business events, offering planners a practical and enjoyable way to meet ESG targets.’

By trip’s end, participants felt not just inspired but empowered: “It felt like a working model of what the future of sustainable events could look like, and left me feeling hopeful for the future.”  said Charlie Pepperell of From Now.

Fast Facts

• Dates: 3–6 April 2025
• Delegates: 35 UK event professionals
• Project Partners
  Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, Zurich Convention Bureau, Lucerne Convention Bureau, Eurostar, TGV Lyria, Metropolis DMC, Evolve Events and event:decision

• Distance by Train: Approx. 1,902km
• Travel Time: 10 hours (including scenic transfers)
• Carbon Emissions: London to Zurich | Train: 11kg CO₂ pp vs. Plane: 195kg CO₂ pp 
• Tip: Bring a refillable bottle – Swiss tap water is world-class

Learn More:
Eurostar for Business
Meetings in Switzerland

Salon Privé is the first Certified B Corporation automotive event in the world 

Salon Privé, the UK’s most prestigious automotive event, has announced that it has become a Certified B Corporation (B Corp). 

Following a rigorous 18-month process, Salon Privé, which celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year, joins a global community of for-profit leaders pledging to use business as a force for good, alongside the likes of other esteemed British brands, including The Cotswold Company, Farrow & Ball and Gü Indulgent Foods. 

Just one of 3,300 UK businesses to be B Corp Certified, Windsor-based Salon Privé achieved an overall score of 91.2 in the process, which verified the company’s social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.  

Run by B Lab, a non-profit organisation, which issues the certification, B Corps are evaluated across five impact areas: community, customers, environment, governance, and workers – and must meet a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment. 

The news comes as Salon Privé’s plans are underway for its tenth year hosting the exquisite Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance at Blenheim Palace in August 2025. 

Andrew Bagley, CEO and Co-Founder of Salon Privé, said: “This is a huge milestone for Salon Privé, not just to become B Corp Certified, but to do so as the world’s first event in the luxury, automotive space. We’re honoured to join a global community of businesses that are committed to making a positive impact on both people and the planet.  

“The automotive sector tends to be viewed negatively when it comes to environmental impact, but we have worked incredibly hard to implement a range of practices that align with B Corp’s values, and we aim to continue building on this year after year.” 

Among its many exceptional standard practices, Salon Privé uses only locally sourced produce and suppliers, waste reduction initiatives to minimise food-waste across the event, no disposable packaging is used on-site, and no plastics are sold. Additionally, only biofuels are used in generators, and they are also exploring Park and Ride collection points to reduce visitor pollution and keep visitor car numbers low. 

Salon Privé only operates at eco-friendly venues, and 2025 marks its tenth consecutive year at Blenheim Palace, which has impressive environmental credentials, and is on track to be carbon neutral by 2027. 

Dominic Hare, CEO at Blenheim, said: “We congratulate the Salon Privé team on their B Corp Certification. This is a fantastic achievement which will no doubt pave the way for the wider event and automotive sectors. Salon Privé’s work across environmental and customer areas of the business is especially impressive.  We are excited to learn valuable lessons from Salon Privé to apply within our wider businesses and we look forward to continuing to host them at Blenheim for many more years.” 

Salon Privé works within the Principles for Sustainable Events, which addresses all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For more information, visit: www.salonpriveconcours.com

Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has announced a major leadership restructure to support its continued expansion and ambitious growth plans within the events and experiential marketing sector.

This marks a formal leadership shift as Simon Hambley and senior colleagues transition to group-level roles focused on strategic growth across the wider agency portfolio. Day-to-day leadership of Strata will now be led by a new executive team comprising Cole Mulkerrins as Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Bishop as Managing Director and Giles Cattle as Chief Growth Officer.

Simon Hambley, formerly CEO of Strata, now serves as Group CEO, a move that reflects the business’s evolution and its goal of accelerating growth across its group of agencies. He will focus on shaping overall strategic direction, performance and integration across the group’s brands, working closely with recently appointed Non-Executive Chairman John Farrell and leveraging support from investment partners at Ethos.

Joining Hambley at group level are Paul Querfurth (Chief M&A, Integration and Transformation Officer), Phil Staines (Chief of Staff), Jake Shuckburgh (Chief People Officer), Julie Phillips (Finance Director) and Liz Gear (Head of Business Systems). Together with Farrell, this expanded leadership team will drive the group’s long-term strategy, integration efforts and operational excellence.

The new Strata executive team brings deep experience and continuity, having all held long-standing leadership roles within the business. Their appointments reflect the agency’s commitment to strengthening leadership from within and building a future-ready structure capable of scaling with continued demand.

“This transition signals our intent to grow further and meet the evolving needs of our clients,” said Cole Mulkerrins, CEO of Strata. “I’m incredibly proud to step into the role at such an exciting point in Strata’s journey. We’ve achieved strong momentum, built a brilliant team and delivered outstanding work. I’m looking forward to leading the business into its next phase and continuing to raise the bar across everything we do.”

This leadership evolution ensures Strata is well-positioned to deliver exceptional client work while exploring new opportunities for innovation, integration and group-wide collaboration.

• The UK events industry produces a huge amount of waste annually – over 100,000 tonnes of waste per year which mostly ends up in landfill or being incinerated.
• TerraCycle’s new solution for the events industry, EventCycle, provides all events organisers whether for tradeshows, conferences, fundraising galas, concerts, or weddings for example, a convenient and simple to implement solution to recycle their hard-to-recycle waste and divert it from landfill or incineration.

International recycling leader TerraCycle®, launches EventCycle eventcycle.co.uk, a recycling solution to help all event organisers create more sustainable events and reduce the amount of waste which is sent to landfill and incineration, by providing a convenient and simple to implement solution to recycle many of the hard-to-recycle types of waste they generate large volumes of. 

Every conference, marathon, concert, tradeshow, or wedding produces hard-to-recycle waste that ends up in landfills. According to a study from Ecobooth*, it is estimated that the UK events industry creates over 100,000 tonnes of waste per year which mostly ends up in landfill or being incinerated. TerraCycle is fighting against this by offering a simple solution to help the event industry become more environmentally friendly and reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill or incineration. This is how EventCycle was developed and launched.

EventCycle offers a wide variety of different Zero Waste Boxes to suit every event and to collect different waste streams from snack wrappers and other food packaging, to name tags, lanyards, party supplies, race bibs, and more. Each box is available in 3 different sizes, ranging from small, to medium and large.

You can find more information and the wide range of boxes available at the following link eventcycle.co.uk.

Julien Tremblin, General Manager, TerraCycle Europe, commented: “We are delighted to launch EventCycle in the UK, as the amount of waste produced by the event industry is substantial. When developing EventCycle, we took into consideration all different types of events – whether you are planning your wedding, organising a marathon, a tradeshow, a corporate away day, amongst many others – we want to provide a solution to suit all needs and waste streams. We encourage all event organisers to explore our offerings and to help make the event industry more sustainable.”

Emily Jaundoo, Expo Manager & Operations at AMI, a leading organiser of international events gives an insight into what event organisers can now benefit from following the launch of EventCycle: “AMI uses TerraCycle’s Name Tags and Lanyards Zero Waste Box as it ensures that event materials, which might otherwise contribute to landfill waste, are responsibly recycled and repurposed, reinforcing our dedication to driving positive change within our industry. Attendees to our events such as the Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels, Belgium from 4-5 June and the Polymer Engineering for Energy conference in London in December, will be able to use the box and help to reduce the amount of waste generated. This initiative aligns perfectly with AMI’s commitment to reducing waste and advancing the circular economy, while also reflecting our core values of sustainability, responsibility, and innovation. You can register for your free tickets to attend the Textiles Recycling Expo in June and join our efforts in reducing waste.”

How EventCycle works: 

• Order – Event organisers can order EventCycle Zero Waste Boxes which are shipped directly to their location of choice.
• Collect – EventCycle Zero Waste Boxes are placed in designated high-traffic areas at these events to easily collect the various categories of items and packaging.
• Ship – Once full, the event organiser sends the Zero Waste Box(es) back to TerraCycle using the pre-affixed UPS shipping label. 
• Recycle – When TerraCycle receives your Zero Waste Box, the waste is sorted, cleaned and processed into raw materials. Materials such as plastics, metals and rubber are processed and remoulded to make new recycled products like metal sheeting, flooring tiles, shipping pallets, and outdoor furniture. 

To learn more about EventCycle, please visit eventcycle.co.uk. To learn more about how TerraCycle works with major manufacturers and retailers to recycle products and packaging that would normally be thrown away, please visit www.terracycle.com/en-GB. 

Focusing on three waste streams that are traditionally more difficult to recycle – compostables, paper towels and coffee cups – the service guarantees 100% specialist recycling, helping organisers to meet sustainability targets.

Grundon’s Stephen Hill says: “While compostables such as plant-based cutlery and food trays have become increasingly popular – especially since the ban and restrictions on single-use plastics – the opportunities for correct disposal of these items aren’t widely available.

“The same applies to coffee cups and paper towels*, all three of these items need specialist reprocessing and, as a result, they all too often end up in general waste.

“RecyclePlus solves that problem by offering a disposal route for all three products via one simple collection service. Not only can events and festival organisers significantly increase recycling rates, further benefits include reducing the weight of general waste collections and enabling the collection of more detailed waste data, helping to meet waste targets and shape future sustainability programmes.”

Organisers and planners can decide if they want to adopt all three of the different waste streams or choose just one or two elements. Grundon provides colour-coded bins and waste sacks, with clear signage to demonstrate which items go into which section.

Once collected by one of Grundon’s latest fully electric zero emission vehicles, the waste will be sent for onward reprocessing at a number of specialist partners.

Compostables are sent to Envar, where a shredding and blending process produces a peat free high-quality PAS 100 compost; the paper hand towels are returned to Tork, where its innovative Tork PaperCircle^® recycling service ensures used towels are recycled into new tissue products. The cups are transported to James Cropper, one of only two facilities in the UK with the capability to recycle coffee cups, where its CupCycling^TM process turns the waste into paper.

*paper towel collection service only applies to Tork paper towels.

The Resort beat strong international competition to win the award which recognises the successful implementation of new ideas and practices.

Operations Director Simon McMahon was presented with the trophy at the IACC Americas Knowledge Exchange Conference at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center.

The team won for its Room2Give scheme, its latest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiative that not only reduces energy consumption but also enables the Resort and its guests to support local community organisations.

Guests staying at the venue’s Woodlands Event Centre or Willows Training Centre for more than one night are able to choose which of three local charities to support by opting out of room cleaning. Every time a guest opts out, a donation is made to the Room2Give fund. Guests actively choose which charity their contribution supports by hanging the corresponding door hanger.

Steve Jones, CEO of Wyboston Lakes Resort who attended the conference said; “To win another major international award for our sustainability initiatives is remarkable and puts the continually innovative efforts of our team into a new global perspective. I’m very proud of what the team has achieved. Room2Give made such a strong impression that several property managers asked us for further information about how it works!”

This is the second time that Wyboston Lakes Resort has won this global award, having taken the prize in 2023 for Room2Grow, the predecessor of Room2Give. As a consequence of its success, after just 30 months, the Resort team is in the process of planting more than 60,000 trees around its 380-acre estate.

Copper Skillet

Lena Cybulska, a 24-year-old chef at the Resort came very close to winning the highly coveted Global Copper Skillet competition in Texas. The chefs had just 30 minutes to devise a menu and cook it in front of the audience and judges.

Steve Jones said “Lena did exceptionally well to produce a great menu under such pressure. I’m very impressed with how well she did – she should be very proud of herself.”

Ends

For more information, please visit www.wybostonlakes.co.uk/business

NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, on behalf of Destination North East England, announce the partnership with event:decision as part of a regional drive to support the visitor economy’s regenerative journey which seeks to prioritise decarbonisation, local supply chain innovation, investment in people and places, connecting communities, and the restoration of nature, landscapes, culture and heritage.

Through the partnership, NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau and event:decision are creating a bespoke version of the Impact: Responsible Event Review digital platform to provide event organisers with unique advice on how to improve the sustainability and social impact of their event in North East England.

The digital tool provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating sustainability of events beyond just carbon footprints. It will allow event organisers, who bring their event to the North East of England, to benchmark their event and compare its impact to industry averages.

Organisers will be able to input information about their event and receive information including pointers toward how to partner with local colleges and universities to offer student volunteering opportunities, information about local food donation programmes, delegate volunteering opportunities or advice on offsetting their carbon emissions in the region.

Caroline Reed, Senior Manager of Business Events at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, said:

“We’re delighted to be the first global destination to take advantage of Impact: Responsible Event Reporting, giving our event partners a great understanding of the impact of their events in North East England, how our offering compares to other destinations, as well as direct access to a local, sustainable supply-chain.”

Matt Grey, CEO at event:decision, said:

“We are excited to partner with NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau to champion responsible event practices in the region.

“Together, we aim to demonstrate the destination’s ability to deliver not only memorable, but responsible and sustainable experiences that benefit both organisers and the local community.”

The partnership between event:decision and NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau marks a significant step towards a more sustainable future for events in North East England, setting a new standard for responsible event management across the UK and beyond.

“We are extremely proud of our Net Zero 2050 commitment and the immense amount of passion and dedication it has taken us to get to this point. Due to the complexities of our business, we understand how ambitious our plans are but we’re confident that by collaborating with our partners and working in tandem our plans are more than achievable,” said Jason Stead, President – GES EMEA Exhibitions.

“We’re delighted to be able to share our ambitious plan, while also acknowledging just how far we have come, too. During the past 12 months alone, GES has been awarded the ISO:20121:2024 by BSI and the ESSA Sustainability Accredited Tier 5 certification, in addition to publishing our first Progress Report relating to our work in the field of ESG. Our roadmap is another significant step forward in our journey and provides a clear sustainability framework for our business,” said Kate Holliday, Head of ESG – GES EMEA.

As an early adopter of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge, the report helps to cement GES’ commitment to leading the way in the field of event sustainability. Its team is focused on working alongside partners to conserve natural resources, prevent pollution, and continuously improve environmental performance, all while respecting the ecosystems the business impacts.

“Our focus on sustainability is key to our ethos and has the full support of the business leadership. We recognise how essential sustainable practices are for modern businesses and the importance of minimising our impact on the world” added Jason.

To view the roadmap, please click here.

This year’s awards have been expanded to cover 15 categories with 5 new categories that include:

–               Water, Waste, Resource & Recycling Project of the Year

–               Outstanding Achievement in Carbon Reduction & Net Zero Progress

–               Organisational Engagement & Cultural Change

–               Supply Chain Engagement

The awards, which are now in their third year, highlight and celebrate organisations and individuals that are making a real difference to delivering more responsible business travel, accommodation, meetings and events, and related sustainable products and services.

The shortlist was selected by an independent panel of judges who are leading specialists in their fields:

–               Jo Austin, Sales Director and C&E Sustainability Lead at Lime Venue Portfolio

–               Tommie Eaton, Director of Clean the World Global

–               Kirsty Given, Director of CSR and Sustainability at Clarity Business Travel

–               Kayleigh Lee-Simion, Lead – Plastics and Circular Economy at CDP

–               Judith Dix, Sustainability Specialist at Conference Care

–               Sammy Connell, Head of Events at NASUWT

–               Justine Meek, Business Development Manager at Warwick Conferences

–               Louisa Watson, ESG Director at Beam

–               Carina Jandt, Owner and Founder of Event Cycle

–               Anna Snoep, Director of Operations and ESG at Inntel

–               John Stokoe, ESG Manager at Village Hotels

–               Gavin Lendon, Founder at Sustainology UK

Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Solutions said: “The standard of this year’s entries hit a new high.  Our independent panel of judges were astounded by the level of commitment to making meaningful change that our entrants showed.

“We can’t wait to announce our winners and celebrate change makers at our awards ceremony in May.”

The awards ceremony will take place on 9 May at BMA House in London.  Tickets for the awards lunch and post event drinks reception are available through the Greengage website.

The full short list is:

Hotel & Accommodation Provider – Single Site

Brooklands Hotel

Doubletree by Hilton London Excel

Good Hotel

Harper Luxe

Sofitel London St James

Hotel & Accommodation Provider – Multiple Site

Charles Hope

De Vere Group

Lamington Group

Mansley Serviced Apartments

The Oak Ridge Group

Village Hotel Club

Meeting / Event Venue

ACC Liverpool

BMA House

EICC

IET London

Lambeth Palace

Warwick Conferences

Wyboston Lakes Resort

Travel Management Company (under 100 employees)

arrangeMY

Business First Partnership

Good Travel Management

Ison Travel

MIDAS Travel

Travel Management Company (over 101 employees)

Clarity Business Travel

Inntel

Key Travel

Event Management Company

ACF Events

Brighter, part of Clarity Business Travel

Eventurous

veSpace

Viva Esprit

Innovative Product

Event Cycle

mission: net zero

Paradigm 24

Rail Delivery Group

Thrust Carbon

Wyboston Lakes Resort

Supply Chain Engagement

arrangeMY

Central Hall Westminster

Water, Waste, Resource & Recycling Project of the Year

Clean the World

Manchester City Football Club

Organisational Engagement & Cultural Change

Clarity Business Travel

Hilton Birmingham Metropole

HTS (Hotel and Travel Solutions)

Manchester City Football Club

Village Hotel Club

Outstanding Achievement in Carbon Reduction & Net Zero Progress

15Hatfields

Church House Westminster

Marylebone Cricket Club

Village Hotel Club

Sustainability Team of the Year

De Vere’s Cranage Estate Green Team

De Vere’s ESG Steering Committee

Discover the World’s Champions Team

Inntel’s ESG Team

Village Hotel Club’s Sustainability Steering Group

Zia Bia Sustainability Team

Social Enterprise/Charity

Clean the World

Event Cycle

Good Hotel

Just One Tree

Sustainability Champion (Individual)

Ellie Cashmore – Eventurous

Kit Aspen – Thrust Carbon

Nathalie Burger – Key Travel

Patricia Neal – De Vere Group

Tommie Eaton – Clean the World

Rising Star (Individual)

Amy Unsted – Reservations 2000

Anisha Tansley – Clarity Business Travel

Austin Eaton – BambuuBrush

Beth Hanson – Conference Care

Lauren Hughes – HTS (Hotel and Travel Solutions)

For more information visit www.greengage.solutions