About Us
As of February 2024, Positive Impact has a community of almost 2,000 global event professionals, over 40 corporate Head of Events, over 40 Corporate Head of Sustainability, over 160 SMEs with a Race to Zero commitment, over 5 memorandums of understanding with United Nations bodies.
We are the only event sector body to be a Race to Zero Accelerator, UN SDG Action mobiliser and to have education certified by the world’s largest and leading CPD accreditation working across all sectors, so our education is accessed by heads of marketing, HR and sustainability.
For over 15 years not for profit Positive Impact have been providing engagement, collaboration and education to create a sustainable event industry. You could describe Positive Impact as the ‘critical friend’ of the global event sector.
Our funding comes from everywhere and nowhere, and every penny, cent or yen is used to advance the event sector so every time an event happens the UN Sustainable Development Goals are advanced and events are recognised as ensuring 'participation and inclusion in decision making’ (UN SDG16).
This is a timeline of Positive Impact's journey and the creation of a sustainable event industry. It reflects initiatives from:
The United Nations
Positive Impact
CEO Fiona Pelham
Key developments in the creation of a sustainable event industry.
Supporting the global event sector to participate in the revision of ISO 20121
During 2023, ISO 20121 was revised and Positive Impact provided toolkits so event professionals, national standard bodies, industry associations and other liaison bodies could give their input to the revision. This innovative approach delivered successful results and ISO 20121: 2024 revision was completed to be used at Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
During 2023 ISO 20121 was revised and Positive Impact provided toolkits so event professionals, national standard bodies, industry associations and other liaison bodies could give their input to the revision. This innovative approach delivered successful results and ISO 20121: 2024 revision was completed to be used at Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
An event sustainability management system suitable for ensuring events leave a positive legacy.
Originally inspired by The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a revision due to be launched for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games ISO 20121 is a standard to enable sustainability to be considered at every decision point in the planning of an event.
The ISO/TC 250 web page provides an overview of standard development activity.
Are you interested in understanding more about what ISO 20121 means for the future of events and how human engagement happens?
This 90 minute webinar is a must-watch for:
Anyone responsible for delivering events (sport, business or cultural)
Part of the supply chain who make events happen
Associations whose members represent the event sector
National standards bodies ready to contribute to a global sustainability standard
Learn about the opportunity for the global event sector if ISO 20121 launches before the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
View case studies from four organisations who have trialed ISO 20121.
Learn about how human rights considerations can be advanced with ISO 20121
This 90 minute webinar is a must-watch for:
Anyone responsible for delivering events (sport, business or cultural)
Anyone part of the supply chain who make events happen
Associations whose members represent the event sector
National standards bodies ready to contribute to a global sustainability standard
The Chair of the ISO 20121 working group provided an update on the progress of revision in June 2023.
Learn about how SMEs are implementing ISO 20121
How can I contribute to ISO 20121 and advance a sustainable event sector?
Are you interested in trialing ISO 20121 and providing comments during the revision stage?
FAQs
How could I contribute to a revision of a standard?
Review Positive Impact’s resources above which will support you if you are working in a job role which is part of the event sector; if you are an event sector association; if you are in a position of influence in the event sector; and if you are national standards body.
Providing free sustainable event management education for the UN Global Week Unite to #ACT4SDGS
A free 48 hour online event during the week of 18th - 24th September to access aspects of our education, which is accredited by CPD (the world's leading and largest independent Continuing Professional Development accreditation body).
Positive Impact is a mobiliser for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Action campaign and was happy to provide this free event as an opportunity for engagement in sustainable event management education.
This was a 48 hour online event between 18th and 20th September 2023, where attendees were able to access aspects of our education, which is accredited by CPD (the world's leading and largest independent Continuing Professional Development accreditation body).
The event provided an insight into the CPD courses that Positive Impact provides, which will help organisations to explore sustainable event strategies and education and further the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Content included speakers from UNICEF UK, The Race to Zero, ISO, Paris24 and the International Olympic Committee
This event was available to anyone responsible for:
Implementation of sustainable event strategy in their organisation
Fulfilling CPD training courses to further their organisation’s event sustainability education
Unite to Act ISO 20121 Liaison and National Standard Bodies Sessions
As part of Positive Impact’s wider campaign to help the event industry to advance the SDGs, we created an opportunity for liaisons to ISO 20121 and National Standard Bodies to present their own sessions during the event.
Input from the liaisons to ISO 20121 and National Standard Bodies shaped this part of the event, and speakers were invited to add their own sessions to the Positive Impact website.
Positive Impact facilitated the opportunity by:
Providing technology for the delivery of a session
Providing materials to support the promotion of the event
The sessions included:
How to design events that inspire climate action
Francesca Harris, CEO/Founder, 4GOODSmall Company, Mighty Impact: Delivering Sustainability, One Drop at a Time
Laura Notarbartolo, CEO, Italian Special OccasionsZero waste events - Why and how
Rishita Sharma, Founder, Green UtsavStorytelling your sustainability success
Ulrika Mårtensson, Owner, IMPROVEMENTSustainability measures taken in our convention centre
Paula Blomster, Congress Manager, Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention CentreEco-production: Exploring the Environmental Impact of events + An Assessment of Sustainable Event Practices
Hatem Ben Haj Hassine, Eco-Producer Event Sustainability Manager, suun sustainabilitySustain Your Sustainability Momentum - Small Steps, Keep Learning
Jacqueline Beaulieu, Director, Strategic Marketing & Client Engagement, Poretta & Orr | Exhibits & Events
Discussing how sustainability is shaping the future of events
Fiona Pelham, Chair of ISO 20121 and CEO of Positive Impact, led this 1 hour event in Copenhagen on 16th May to learn how climate change, EU sustainability reporting regulations and international standards including ISO 20121 are shaping how events are delivered.
Fiona Pelham, Chair of ISO 20121 and CEO of Positive Impact, led this 1 hour event in Copenhagen to learn how climate change, EU sustainability reporting regulations and international standards including ISO 20121 are shaping how events are delivered.
Date: Tuesday May 16th 2023
Time: 8:30 - 9:30am CET
Location: BLOX, Bryghuspladsen 8, 3. DK-1473 Copenhagen
This was an in-person event and attendance was limited to 45 people.
This event included:
Insight into what is shaping the future of events from ISO 20121 to the Race to Zero
Inspiration in the form of an example of a side event to The World Congress of Architects being held in Copenhagen in 2023
Participation in a facilitated discussion exploring how sustainability will shape the future of events and Denmark's opportunity for strategic leadership
Exploring the event sustainability standard ISO 20121 on the future of events and gender equality
On 8th March 2023, to celebrate International Women’s Day, Positive Impact hosted a webinar with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the UN Global Compact Network UK.
On 8th March 2023, to celebrate International Women’s Day, Positive Impact hosted a webinar with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the UN Global Compact Network UK.
The webinar explored:
The role of standards in advancing gender equality
How ISO 20121 could impact the future of events and gender equality
Why is gender equality important?
Watch this animated video to understand the importance of UN SDG 5 for sustainable event strategy:
Creating resources with Unicef UK for the consideration of Human and Child Rights and Safeguarding
In 2019, Positive Impact Events began a collaboration with Unicef UK to produce resources to support an event to be planned with the consideration of Human Rights and Child Rights. This guidance is a consultation draft that will be able to be used as part of an event organiser’s implementation of ISO 20121.
In 2019 Positive Impact Events began a collaboration with The UK Committee for UNICEF (Unicef UK) to produce resources to support an event to be planned with the consideration of Human Rights and Child Rights. This guidance below is a consultation draft that will be able to be used as part of an event organisers implementation of ISO 20121 once completed.
Positive Impact and Unicef UK also created resources to support events planners with their implementation of Human and Child Rights and Safeguarding.
Positive Impact Events and Unicef UK also asked for feedback on the final guidance for the consideration of human and child rights and safeguarding using the form below.
