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.
Asking what the UN Summit means for the future of human engagement
During UN Summit for the Future and New York Climate Week (September 20th - 29th 2024) The Pavilion for People was open to explore how we can include everyone’s voices in the key conversations of our time.
During UN Summit for the Future and New York Climate Week (September 20th - 29th 2024) The Pavilion for People was open to explore and:
Increase your knowledge on how events can be used to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Use your storytelling skills to take action against climate change
Explore how The Pavilion for People is enabling all voices to be heard
The Pavilion for People is an experiment in human engagement.
How can we include everyone’s voices in the key conversations of our time?
When you visit The Pavilion for People you will be part of creating a future where events are delivered within planetary boundaries and in a way that advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Enabling a sustainable event industry with ISO 20121:2024
On 22nd April, Positive Impact celebrated Earth Day with the launch webinar for the revised ISO 20121:2024. This was accompanied by a virtual engagement and exhibition area which was available for a month.
To celebrate Earth Day 2024 over 300 people gathered online for the launch webinar for the revised ISO 20121:2024.
Contributions were made to the webinar from: ISO Secretary General, International Olympic Committee Head of Legacy, UNFCCC Senior Director, Operations Coordination, Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, UNICEF UK, The Centre of Sport and Human Rights, The Race to Zero, Positive Impact Events and Our 2050 World.
Following the webinar a virtual engagement and exhibition area launched and was available until May 22nd. This area:
Supported visitors to understand the ISO 20121:2024 revision process and outcomes
Enabled them to relisten to the launch webinar
Empowered them to take their first steps with ISO 20121 by providing resources, case studies and more
Exploring the role of the event sector in SDG 5, target 1: Ending all forms of discrimination agains women and girls everywhere?
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Positive Impact hosted a free webinar on 8th March 2024 to explore the role of the event sector in SDG 5.
To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March 2024, Positive Impact hosted a webinar to explore the role of the event sector in SDG 5.
The webinar explored the role of standards in advancing gender equality, including:
The role of events in advancing SDG5
How best practice could impact the advancement of events and gender equality
You can also:
Learn from international standard experts, including Anne Hayes from British Standards Institute, about how event professionals can use standards to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere.
Be inspired by international sustainability experts, including Jane Eisenhart from Race to Zero
Watch the webinar content at a time that works for you
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:
