Community Fair Coordination

When Dutch Grand Prix organizers announced in 2019 the goal of going car-free, they were ridiculed: "That's impossible!” decried critics. But they’ve made the impossible possible in Zandvoort, shifting behaviour with a bold vision, targeted investment, and effective cooperation. While an F1 race is an unlikely place for a sustainable transport revolution, the event’s 110,000 daily attendees were prohibited from arriving by car. Instead, organizers executed an integrated mobility plan; resulting in 98% of fans traveling by foot, bike or public transport. By strictly applying the STOMP principles: Stappen (Walking), Trappen (Cycling), OV (Public Transport), Mobility as a Service, and Private Cars, the comprehensive and flexible strategy could be adjusted each day in response to changing weather, demand, and other external factors. Given the coastal setting, planners were worried fans would hesitate to cycle long distances in wind and rain. But they were pleasantly surprised, and pedaling through the dunes to the 45,000 popup parking spaces has become a social and enjoyable part of the race day experience. The Dutch Grand Prix’s success is attracting attention and inspiring other big events like music festivals and sport competitions. The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee visited Zandvoort in 2023 to investigate how they could apply this aspirational model during the 2024 Games. With the target of 100% sustainable mode share within reach by next year, what began as an idealistic dream has become a concrete blueprint that can be replicated everywhere. After all, changing the world always seems impossible until you roll up your sleeves and make it happen.

How can we make sports more sustainable? With the Euros currently underway, it's encouraging to see UEFA prioritising sustainability. Efforts include investing 32 million euros in initiatives like renewable energy, clustered fixtures to limit travel, and public transport passes for ticket holders. These measures aim to reduce carbon emissions to about 490,000 tonnes, significantly lower than the 3.63 billion tonnes from the World Cup in Qatar. However, there are still opportunities for improvement, such as enhancing infrastructure for public transportation around stadiums to avoid delays and encourage more fans to use public transit. Similarly, the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics are making bold strides towards sustainability by utilising existing or temporary facilities for 95% of venues, focusing on reducing emissions in construction, transportation, and operations, and using eco-friendly materials to achieve a 30% emissions cut. Other efforts include installing solar panels on older buildings, offering a 60% plant-based food menu, and providing low-carbon transit options such as cycling routes, Metro trains, buses and other public transportation to all venues. I recently visited Technical University of Munich, where our nonprofit organisation, Rosberg Philanthropies, participated in their Sustainability Day. Students pitched innovative solutions to make fan travel more sustainable. I've always believed that sports can unite people in the fight against climate change, and witnessing these creative solutions firsthand truly demonstrated the influential power of sports in driving change. How do you think we can further aid sustainability in global sporting events? Share your thoughts in the comments below... #Sustainability #Euros2024 #Olympics2024 #RosbergPhilanthropies

*One of the Most In-Depth Event Systems I’ve Built in the last 4 Years* At IBTM Barcelona I got to join Julius Solaris and Stephenie Lintl-McLean on stage to talk about AI and automation in events. On my return I officially handed over one of the most comprehensive systems I’ve created. It starts with a simple Google Form... ...and ends with an event fully automated down to every detail. With tasks routed to the appropriate departments and a clear list of any remaining manual actions. This system supports a global team handling more than 70 events per year, where efficiency is essential. ✅ What it does do - Automates heavy lifting and repetitive admin work - Streamlines communication across multiple departments & stakeholders - Assigns tasks automatically based on roles and responsibilities - Captures essential data in a consistent, structured way - Reduces errors, delays, and unnecessary back-and-forth - Creates clarity on timelines and expectations from the start - Leaves only unavoidable manual tasks for the team to complete ❌ What it doesn’t do - This system does not replace experienced event managers. - It does not replicate the judgment required to ask the right questions when booking or confirming a venue, - the ability to foresee contingencies, or the intuition gained from years of working with diverse venues, stakeholders, and situations. - It also doesn’t remove the human nuance needed in real-world event execution. 🚀 What it should do - Create a clear, consistent, and scalable process - Ensure all expectations and requirements are gathered and communicated properly - Eliminate unnecessary manual work - Support teams rather than replace them Provide a strong operational foundation that improves with each event. You'd be amazed how short the tech stack was that we've used to create this, if you want more details comment 🤓 This is a sneak peek of the process ⬇️ Kent Martin - Claire Hunter - Jorge Eduardo Q. - Gus Hotchin - Katie Rose Hester

Too often, events and congresses are treated as standalone activations, disconnected from the larger engagement ecosystem. But in reality, they should be an integral part of a broader, data-driven engagement strategy, seamlessly integrated into systems like Veeva Systems, Salesforce, and omnichannel CRMs. How, you may ask: • If an HCP asks a specific question during a congress panel, that data should trigger tailored content recommendations in the CRM, instead of a generic post-event email. • Ensure that digestible short-form key learnings from live sessions flow into on-demand content libraries, allowing non-attendees to engage later. • A Veeva-integrated chatbot could automatically send relevant whitepapers, webinars, or advisory board invites based on what an HCP engaged with at the event. • A Salesforce-powered HCP journey map could ensure that a congress attendee automatically receives digital touchpoints (e.g., follow-up emails, LinkedIn discussions, or small-group webinars) aligned with their specific interests. • A company using Veeva Vault CRM (or other CRMs) + Events Management + Salesforce Einstein AI (or Copilot) can dynamically adjust post-event outreach strategy based on how an HCP interacted with content at the congress. • Sprinklr + Salesforce CDP for social listening enables Digital Opinion Leaders (DOL) Activation by tracking and analyzing post-event conversations across various social and digital platforms. The key takeaway is that events and congresses should be fully integrated within the CRM, digital engagement, and omnichannel ecosystem—ensuring that every interaction contributes to a seamless, long-term engagement strategy rather than just a single event touchpoint. Check the full episode with Pierre Metrailler at Onomi / SpotMe on demand: https://lnkd.in/dwg7BYiu And if you want to learn more about our expertise at The Palindromic across "Next-Gen CX Strategy" and "Expert Engagement & HCP360 Enablement" - drop me a note at claude.w@thepalindromic.com

Sports events give over 12,000 fans free transport tickets. Why don't business events do this? An ice hockey tournament in Mannheim surprised me with how seamlessly this worked, my event ticket included free public transport. It got me thinking: why so few corporate events do the same? Yet corporate events, often hosting international audiences in unfamiliar cities, continue to leave public transportation as an afterthought. For international attendees especially, it's a friction point for participation. Navigating a foreign transport system, dealing with different currency, and trying to figure out city zones, tariffs, and ticket options, all after an already long journey, adds unnecessary stress before the event even begins. Some resort to taxis out of frustration or fear of getting lost. Others arrive late and flustered, having missed opening sessions or networking opportunities. International attendees represent significant investment for companies: International flights, accommodation, time away from home and offices. Yet events keep letting the last-mile transportation experience undermine all that investment. It's one of those situations where the sustainable choice is also the more convenient one, but organizers must design it that way from the start. ➡️ How to make it happen ⏺️ Start by reaching out to your local convention bureau or transport authorities during your venue and destination selection process. ⏺️ Communicate it early. Include transport pass information visibility in registration materials. ⏺️ Provide simple route guides from major hotels and airports. Make it clear that this is included in their registration. ➡️ Time for a new standard If we can coordinate multi-day conferences with hundreds of speakers, complex AV setups, and elaborate catering, we can certainly arrange transport passes for our attendees. In competitive markets where attendee experience differentiates successful events from forgettable ones, this is low-hanging fruit. ➡️ What needs to change: Event organizers should treat transport access as core infrastructure, not an afterthought. RFP processes should include transport partnership requirements. Attendees should start asking for this as a baseline expectation, not a pleasant surprise. Should this be the industry standard rather than the exception?

4 steps framework for organizing a net zero event. (Offsetting your carbon footprint should be the last one) When planning sustainable events - most companies think of offsetting first. And other 3 important steps are usually skipped. If you don't want to make the same mistake. Follow this framework: Step 1. 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 Make a conscious effort to avoid venues, transport, or other activities that create more emissions than others. Step 2. 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Focus on improving efficiency, reusing materials, and minimizing waste to lower the overall carbon footprint of the event. Step 3. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Substitute high-carbon activities with low-carbon alternatives. Consider virtual or hybrid events to reduce travel-related emissions. Step 4. 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 Invest in carbon offset projects to balance out the emissions that cannot be eliminated, such as renewable energy projects or reforestation initiatives. Following these steps sequentially lowers your event's footprint to begin with. Minimizes waste and saves the natural resources along the way. And reduces offsetting cost too. So when you are organizing your next event. Focus on these biggest emission sources first. And apply the 4-step framework to each one of them. Start with 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Responsible for 45% of emissions. Use shared vehicles, public transport, or carpool. Offer virtual attendance options. Then consider the 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 Contributes to 20% of emissions. Choose venues with renewable energy. Opt for green or LEED-certified buildings. Then think about the 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 sources Makes up 15% of emissions. Source food locally. Offer plant-based options. Avoid food waste. And plan for 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 Adds 10% to the emissions. Select venues with waste management programs. Use biodegradable utensils and reusable items. And finally, 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 That contributes to 10% to the emissions. Use renewable energy sources. Schedule events during daylight hours. So by following this four-step process. And focusing on the bigger emission sources first. You can plan a more sustainable event without any external support. 🌍 And you don't have to be a sustainability pro for it! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that I've shared the framework and steps, excuses like 'We lack the expertise' or 'It will cost more' just don’t cut it. What’s your excuse now? Comment with the lamest excuse you’ve heard for not organizing sustainable events? #SustainableEvents #NetZero #GreenMeetings

Earlier this week, I saw something that might end one of my frustrations as an audience member watching a speaker: scribbling illegible notes while trying to capture a bad phone photo of an interesting PowerPoint slide. At Cvent Connect in San Antonio, thousands of attendees experienced a breakthrough in real-time speech transcription. As speakers talked, their words appeared instantly in the event app with virtually zero lag. When someone heard something worth remembering, they simply tapped a button—and the system captured a full minute of context around that moment. According to McNeel Keenan, Cvent's VP of Product Management, a future version of the app will capture the accompanying visual, like a PowerPoint slide, along with the text. I like this. No scribbling in the dark required. No trying to remember what my cryptic note was supposed to mean later on. Instead, one click saves a few paragraphs of what the speaker said, labeled and summarized by AI. This feature has another benefit: it reduces cognitive load. When you're simultaneously trying to listen, write, and photograph content, your brain is managing multiple competing tasks. What happens? You often miss the insights you're trying to capture. Cvent's solution eliminates this friction. Attendees can focus 100% of their cognitive capacity on listening and engaging, while AI handles the capture, summarization, and organization. From a behavioral perspective, there's something even more valuable happening: every tap creates revealed preference data. Instead of relying on sketchy post-event surveys, organizers can see exactly which moments resonated enough for people to save them. As a frequent speaker, I know when I see phones go up to capture my slides that I've hit something important to the audience. But after an hour on-stage, I can't always remember in detail which ideas sparked that response. Or, which didn't. Now, that engagement becomes quantifiable data. The friction we've accepted as "just how conferences work" isn't inevitable, it's a design problem waiting for a solution. What are your conference pain points? Can technology fix them?

I had the chance to catch Coldplay’s Music concert at Wembley Stadium; and beyond the music, the sustainability elements blew me away. Here’s how they’re setting the bar for green concerts: * Waste-free stadiums: reusable cups for drinks with easy returns. In India, organizations like Skrap and Hasiru Dala Innovations are doing incredible work managing waste at concerts. * Refill stations: fans stayed hydrated without single-use plastics, thanks to free water refills. In India, my friends at Greenlit helped roll this out at large-scale events. * Fan-powered energy: kinetic dance floors and stationary bikes that literally let the crowd help power the show. * Eco wristbands: LED wristbands made from compostable, plant-based materials. Impressively, 86% were returned and reused. Quick comparison on wristband return rates (as of early 2025): 1. South Korea: 99% 2. Japan: 97% 3. Finland: 96% 4. Singapore & Malaysia: 91% 5. Thailand: 89% 6. USA (Seattle): ~86% 7. UK (London, Wembley): ~86% 8. India (Ahmedabad): ~72% And the overall impact? A 59% reduction in tour carbon emissions, backed by renewable energy setups, reforestation, and better logistics. What struck me most was how the same tools that fuel joy; music, dancing, lights; were repurposed to fuel sustainability. Here is proof that sustainability and celebration can co-exist at scale. Now imagine if our public events served our cities like this too — Independence Day melas that become experiences of unity and sustainability, cricket matches powered by reusables and renewable energy, community festivals where waste truly goes to zero. The blueprint is here. The question is: how do we make it ours?

"Why should I spend money on Digital Twins? What's the ROI?" A prominent Event CEO asked me that last week. This question often arises among event professionals considering the leap into advanced planning technologies. considering the leap into advanced planning technologies. It's understandable, on the surface, digital twins might seem like sophisticated visual aids. However, their impact extends far deeper, fundamentally transforming decision-making and operational efficiency in event planning. At The Imagination Collaborative, we've observed firsthand how integrating digital twins can revolutionise event planning: 1️⃣ Accelerated Decision Making ✅ Digital twins provide real time, dynamic representations of event spaces, enabling rapid evaluation of various scenarios. ✅ This agility can increase decision making speed by up to 90%, as noted by McKinsey. 2️⃣ Enhanced Collaboration ✅ By offering a shared, interactive model, digital twins facilitate better communication among teams, vendors, and clients, reducing misunderstandings and aligning visions effectively. 3️⃣ Risk Mitigation ✅ Simulating various layouts and configurations within the digital twin allows for the identification and resolution of potential issues before they arise in the real world, minimising unforeseen challenges during the actual event. 4️⃣ Cost Efficiency ✅ Early detection of design flaws or logistical issues prevents costly last minute changes on site. ✅ Optimising layouts and resource allocation within the digital environment leads to more efficient use of budgets. 5️⃣ Revenue Growth & Stakeholder Buy In ✅ Digital twins help stakeholders visualise the full potential of an event, making it easier to gain sign off from decision makers and secure sponsorships. ✅ When partners can explore immersive previews of activations, they're more likely to invest earlier and at higher value. 6️⃣ Ticket Sales & Audience Engagement ✅ By crafting richer pre-event experiences and showcasing event highlights through digital twins, we've seen measurable uplifts in ticket sales and attendee anticipation. ✅ Enhanced audience understanding leads to better layout optimisation, increased dwell time, and stronger on site engagement, all contributing to higher ROI. Clients have shared their experiences, noting: ↳ "The digital twin allowed us to visualise the entire event setup beforehand, leading to a significant reduction in on site adjustments." ↳ "Collaborating through the digital model streamlined our planning meetings, cutting down coordination time considerably." In essence, digital twins are not just about visualisation; they're about transforming the event planning process into a more efficient, collaborative, and risk averse operation. Have you considered how digital twins could revolutionise your event planning approach? 🔔 Follow Iain Morrison for more Event Leadership, Design and Pre-Visualisation Advice ♻ Reshare to help others.

15 highly relevant and practical event tech use cases that'll make your events more sustainable: These categories are the most common ones I come across when working with clients. Use them as your starting point to better prioritize. ✅ Reducing Food & Beverage Waste - AI-driven catering demand forecasting to reduce surplus food - Food rescue & redistribution platforms that connect surplus meals to local charities - Compostable & reusable smart packaging with QR codes for waste tracking ✅ Cutting Down on Unnecessary Travel & Emissions - AI-powered attendee travel optimization to suggest lower-emission transport & carpooling - Hybrid & virtual event formats to reduce the need for long-distance travel - Carbon offset platforms for travel & logistics integrated into attendee registration ✅ Reducing Venue Energy & Resource Consumption - Smart venue management with IoT sensors to optimize lighting, heating, and energy use. - Real-time energy monitoring dashboards to track sustainability KPIs during the event. - Automated climate control & smart LED lighting that adapts to attendee movement. ✅ Eliminating Paper, Plastics & Waste on Site - Digital ticketing, apps & interactive schedules to eliminate paper use - RFID/NFC and QR codes for check-ins & networking to replace business cards & printed materials - Smart waste sorting bins to improve recycling rates at venues ✅ Making Exhibitors & Sponsorships More Sustainable - Virtual swag bags & digital exhibitor brochures to replace printed giveaways - 3D-printed, reusable booth structures made from recycled materials - Digital asset management tools to track & repurpose event materials Event tech isn't just about increasing efficiency. You can and should incorporate it into the most important factors that impact the sustainability of your event.