Case Study: Zurich INTERNATIONAL AGENT EVENT TOGETHER STRONG 1 3 March 2010
Case Stu y: Zurich Case Study Content The main event objectives of the Zurich International Agent Event 2010, was to provide a unique learning opportunity through peer to peer interaction, with the ultimate aim to align the attention of the entire organisation on profitable growth in the midst of a changing world. Agents from around the globe were brought together to share their best practices through workshops and plenary sessions and then were challenged to re-think these practices in light of our changing world, markets and customers. As a globally recognised financial and insurance organisation, Zurich understands that it can have both positive and negative impacts on sustainability and so decided to implement measures to reduce any negative impacts at the event. The International Agent Event Together Strong was used as a practical illustration for the implementation of BS 8901. Self Certification BS 8901 Specification for a Sustainable Management System can be self-certified, second or third-party certified. The Zurich Internal Events Team were confident that they had strong evidence of the implementation of BS 8901 and chose to self-certify. As part of the self-certification evidence, Zurich created and issued documentation that was made available for comment by their stakeholders, including: Summary of a ie ment ma e ailable to sta e ol ers using an online reporting system www y.com. The International Agent Event Together Strong took place on the 1st - 3rd March 2010 in Lucerne, Switzerland with delegates staying in three local hotels and the main conference and dinner at the local KKL Convention Centre, Luzern. The event was attended by over 250 delegates from ten different countries from across the world. The event program included a Welcome Reception on the first evening, business workshops, plenary sessions and a Farewell Evening Dinner. One of the event objectives was to showcase the hosting country, Switzerland. Catering for the Farewell Dinner was provided by three star michellin Swiss Chef, Philippe Rochat and entertainment included music by Swiss Alphorn Musician Eliana Burki and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. Sustainable Events Ltd advised the Zurich Event Team on the implementation of the BS 8901 management system. Steps taken to achieve compliance included onsite monitoring and measuring; using the online event reporting tool m and supplier engagement at the event. BS 8901 is t Britis stan r Specification for a Sustainable Management System wit Gui ance for Use, which is a way of working that considers environmental, economical, and social impacts. The BS 8901 process involves several key stages: Setting the Scope Before embarking on the implementation of BS 8901, an organistation must first establish the scope of what is to be covered by their event sustainability management system. Zurich set their scope to cover one event, The International Agent Event Together Strong. Zurich can amend and extend their scope in the future and will consider implementation of the standard for future events. Identifying Issues Zurich communicated with their internal staff, supply chain and consulted industry best practice to determine their key sustainability issues. The largest issues identified by Zurich were: Waste T
Setting Objectives and Targets From the key issues identified through a gap analysis session, realistic objectives for Together Strong were set; in conjunction with these objectives measurable targets were set so that performance could be evaluated after the conference. For each of these objectives numerous Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were identified and for each of these KPIs a quantifiable target was established. As Together Strong was a one off special event, setting measurable targets to reduce areas was difficult given that there were no measurements to benchmark against. However, it was agreed that by detailing the number of initiatives created for each objective, targets could be set. Examples of these for each objective were; Issue Objective KPI and Plan Outcome Travel Measure delegate mileage to event location. 100 % of delegate travel to event to be captured through online registration system. 482, 433 Air Miles 8, 81 Car/Taxi Miles 7,715 Train Miles Waste Reduce waste by providing sustainable solutions. Number of recycling bins onsite. Number of exhibition stands to be reused. Conference waste to be segregated for recycling. 2 recycling bins in event production areas and 2 bins in open areas around hotels and conference centre. All pop up stands and shell schemes produced on sustainable materials and in a format that can be reused for future events. KKL Luzern venue segregates conference waste for recycling. Further measures included: In house production team hired which reduces mileage. All documents printed double sided. Education and Awareness Communicate sustainability objectives with stakeholders, staff and suppliers. Include Sustainable Development policy details within to 100% of delegates. All delegates received a Welcome Pack with the events sustainable objectives outlined. All suppliers were engaged pre event, onsite and post event with regards to meeting sustainable objectives. Social Inclusion Identify local charities or organisations that could benefit from the event. 2 charities or organisations to be identified. Floral arrangements from gala dinner donated to local residential homes for the elderly. Materials from staging donated to local community project. Inclusion of cultural initiatives; Catering for the Farewell Dinner was provided by three star michellin Swiss Chef Philippe Rochat and entertainment included music by Swiss Alphorn Musician Eliana Burki and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. Economic Benefit Show economic benefit of implementing sustainability. Work with suppliers and event team to find sustainable alternatives that are cost effective. Estimated 17% of budget saved due to sustainable solutions. Stakeholder Engagement A vital part of the BS 8901 process is to engage all stakeholders with sustainability issues. It was decided by Zurich management that the event should be organised in a sustainable way, Sustainable Events Ltd were brought on board to help with the implementation of BS 8901 and worked along side the Zurich events team, liaising with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure their sustainable objectives were worked towards. Engagement took place with stakeholders at key stages of the process through varied communication mediums such as face-to-face meetings, conference calls and emails. KKL Luzern takes sustainability seriously, we realise that events produce a lot of waste and so we ensure that our waste is segregated and recycled, the KKL Luzern was built with sustainability in mind and parts of the old building have been re purposed as part of the new building. We are also in the process of updating our audio/visual equipment to the latest more energy efficient products. When Zurich asked for certain sustainable measures to implemented, we were only too happy to help. Daniel Buchmüller, Director of Marketing and Communications
Roles and Responsibilities Helen Redfern, Zurich s event management team member was identified as the sustainability champion and added sustainability as an area of responsibility. According to the standard, the system requires top management agreement, obtained in this case, by Jacqui Matthew-Davies Head of Events for Zurich. Implementation The implementation stage is where steps must be taken to ensure the objectives set earlier in the process are met. Examples of steps taken by Zurich to achieve their objectives included: Regular recycling stations including delegate, team and crew areas Where possible, materials recycled and all print collateral printed on FSC materials Function carpets reused for future Zurich events Local and seasonal produce used for catering including fish served from the local lake Shuttle coach transportation to and from airport to hotels, mileage recorded for attendees Non-Conformity Throughout the process, the Zurich Event Team reviewed nonconformities. Non-conformity is when the team looks at what is working and what is not and the actions that can be taken to rectify these with the aim of achieving their objectives. This was achieved through reviewing documentation such as the sustainability development policy, task lists onsite monitoring and through communication with the supply chain. Benchmarking Part of the benchmarking process included the collection of measurements from the conference as well as evidence of implementation. Zurich used an online sustainable event management tool (www.eventsustainability.com) to monitor their measurements. Item Electricity usage for three hotels * Water usage for three hotels* Gas usage for three hotels* Zurich Staff travelled by air, train and coach Schwiezerhoff Hotel staff travelled by car, train and bus Staging materials travelled ** Hired furniture travelled ** Table decoration and flowers for gala dinner travelled Audio Visual mileage travelled Total Consumption 5,370 KwH 249 M3 1,290 M3 7,295 Miles 193 Miles 6 Miles ** * Based on an average over 3 days ** Based on return journeys
Management Review Zurich put in to place an event debrief after the event that identified whether the sustainability objectives were achieved. The results showed that Zurich achieved the following in relation to their objectives: Edu at susta ty t u u at susta e su e s a d d at te a s t a u ty e ts. Zurich will use the results of the Together Strong event as a development point and setting personal objectives for the Events Team. They aim to set sustainable objectives for the future, these include: Over the last few years our team identified that we feel it is important to start looking at more sustainable solutions within our event planning. By implementing BS 8901, this has not only benefited our budgets in this rocky economic time, increased staff motivation and training but also given us a clear way forward for the future. Conclusion The main sustainability objective that Zurich set out to achieve through the Together Strong conference was to implement the standard and provide the event team with a learning process so that their future events can also benefit from sustainable solutions. By implementing, the Zurich internal event team have ensured that they are leaders in their field by positively changing the way events are organised. Further Information Organise This: www.organisethis.co.uk BSI: www S :2 S e at a susta a e e e t a a e e t syste t u a e use sets out the requirements for planning and managing sustainable events of all sizes and types, supplemented by guidance on how to meet, and surpass, these requirements. BS 8901 encompasses the entire range of events ranging from large scale conferences and unique events such as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games to music festival and air shows. It is aimed at: Venues can help: P ese t tu t es e e e t a a d e u a e Use s ta e st t e e e ta a ts su as a t t aste a e t a d e ts d e s ty; y. S provides guidance in the form of easy to understand practical information designed to assist the user to implement the requirements and those in event management to manage their environmental, financial and social risks and impacts spanning all aspects of event management.