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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_00: Hello, it's Angela Faye from Canada's podcast.
[00:09] SPEAKER_00: Today, we are discussing the number one problem with traditional events.
[00:15] SPEAKER_00: And we're going to offer valuable insights on how to leverage events to create an upswing in profits and client fulfillment.
[00:21] SPEAKER_00: So this is a must-listen podcast for all event producers and entrepreneurs who are in the business of bringing people together for positive impact.
[00:29] SPEAKER_00: With me today is Leo Lior Rothschild, an author, keynote speaker, and consultant with over 20 years of sustainable business experience.
[00:39] SPEAKER_00: You have met Lior before here on Canada's podcast.
[00:43] SPEAKER_00: He was executive director at the Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, where he was leading the charge to aggregate the best of sustainability heroes into a powerhouse for good.
[00:54] SPEAKER_00: And he led a 500% membership growth.
[00:56] SPEAKER_00: So you're introducing, once again, Lior, he is the senior director at upswing solutions.
[01:03] SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk a little bit about upswing later.
[01:07] SPEAKER_00: But right now, he is just launching a book called How We Gather Matters.
[01:13] SPEAKER_00: Lior makes the case for better utilizing major events as a powerful platform for societal change.
[01:19] SPEAKER_00: And we're going to lay out a bit of a blue plant for you for a more purposeful, inclusive, sustainable approach to bringing people together.
[01:27] SPEAKER_00: Lior, welcome to Canada's podcast.
[01:31] SPEAKER_02: It's such a pleasure to be back with you.
[01:34] SPEAKER_02: I so loved the experience we had previously.
[01:38] SPEAKER_02: And so great that we can build on it.
[01:41] SPEAKER_02: And also talk about a subject that's quite new and different.
[01:45] SPEAKER_02: And I think really topical as everybody's gearing up for the spring and summer events season.
[01:51] SPEAKER_02: There's so much happening, whether it's music festival, sporting events, conferences and trade shows.
[02:01] SPEAKER_02: So all of this is in scope of the kinds of things that I'd like to elevate on. People's radar.
[02:08] SPEAKER_00: Awesome. And I mean post COVID, right, where we've been trapped in our in seclusion now is also a fantastic time.
[02:18] SPEAKER_00: Any other reasons why now is actually the best time to then any other time in history, why events are important from your perspective?
[02:27] SPEAKER_02: Well, yeah, so many reasons. So let me let me just draw out a couple.
[02:32] SPEAKER_02: You know, starting with what you just said, during the pandemic, the events industry was decimated.
[02:41] SPEAKER_02: No live events were happening for at least a couple of years.
[02:46] SPEAKER_02: Some of the events are just coming back now, in fact.
[02:49] SPEAKER_02: And the event organizers certainly financially went through a lot of difficulty.
[02:55] SPEAKER_02: And what one of the things we learned in that period, even as so many events pivoted to online events, there were a lot of studies that came out that actually showed that people's brain development were affected by this sudden change.
[03:13] SPEAKER_02: And that there is a legitimate case to make from a mental health point of view, overcoming isolation.
[03:22] SPEAKER_02: And that we know now more than ever that the experience of stimulating ones brain through human connection and attendance at events that stimulate people and have them meet new people and learn new things and experience.
[03:42] SPEAKER_02: And it's something out of the ordinary is something that we need fundamentally awesome and that it's not just a nice to have.
[03:51] SPEAKER_02: It's really important for human development. So I think that is that case is stronger now than it ever has been before.
[04:01] SPEAKER_02: So I think that's one thing. The other really interesting thing is that if you were a younger events professional graduating from university going into the industry right at the time that the pandemic hit that's like a few years without any work as you just as you're just starting your career.
[04:24] SPEAKER_02: So a lot of young people pivoted away from events went and took on other jobs that were more in line with sort of the virtual isolation kind of creators and jobs that existed.
[04:42] SPEAKER_02: And many of them have not come back and will not come back. And so there's a bit of a lost generation of people. And so the events industry is now in this moment where they're coming back with a bang.
[04:56] SPEAKER_02: So I think we need these events more than ever. And there is not as much capacity and desire to want to sort of make up the you know the financial gap that existed.
[05:10] SPEAKER_02: And when you add in this element of like well, hey preferences have changed since you last did this.
[05:17] SPEAKER_02: Now there is so much more focus on diversity and inclusion than there ever has been before. There's such a focus on climate change and sustainability in a way that has never been seen before.
[05:31] SPEAKER_02: And these and these folks who are putting on these events are challenged to incorporate this kind of thinking because their resource constraints and and the and the spaces just moved really fast in this direction.
[05:47] SPEAKER_02: So I love events. I just like really like I've always loved attending them. I've loved working on them. And and for me, I've seen that you know so many events are wasteful.
[06:03] SPEAKER_02: You know, I've had this kind of like I want to say front row view, but it's actually more like a behind the scenes view of what's what happens at so many different kinds of events.
[06:15] SPEAKER_02: And so many of the wasteful things don't need to happen. And and from the point of view of all these people are traveling and flying to your event like how can you justify that?
[06:29] SPEAKER_02: In a in a world where we're trying to reduce our carbon footprint, we're you know these these events are sort of like carbon events on steroids. And so and so I've written this book as a way to help people maneuver through these, you know, constantly changing rapidly evolving issues and deal with what I think are some of the biggest most important.
[06:58] SPEAKER_02: Issues that event providers event producers are facing right now.
[07:05] SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to add a little bit, which is, you know, the technology advancements that we have now right from a, you know, biometrics and digital events and, you know, I see a huge opportunity for hybrid events right that the incorporating the health and longevity and wellness.
[07:28] SPEAKER_00: And this factor of being in person with, you know, the global distribution, the on demand sort of factor with the technology and the digital side of it as a huge opportunity, huge huge opportunity that, you know, takes takes a different mindset and a different level of experience like you offer in order to deliver those events.
[07:51] SPEAKER_02: That's a great point, Angela, and let me just build on that to say that I think that probably if you're in the events business, you're you're hearing a lot of like vendors telling you, you know, if you want to keep up with your competitors, you need to go to all this like event tech, you know, stuff that's emerging and has been developed over the last few years and that's that's going to be way to continue to compete with others who are in this space.
[08:20] SPEAKER_02: And my feeling on that is one yes, obviously, like that space is also evolving quickly, but if you want to move into that space, it's important to answer the question, how does this align with the kind of purpose and culture that I want to establish in my event, especially if I'm trying to cater to an audience that's increasingly concerned about climate issues and about like equity and equity.
[08:49] SPEAKER_02: And justice issues and inclusion and if you're like, you know, sort of vendors are helping you get there, then great, but if they're just kind of selling you the latest gadget and whatnot, then it might be an opportunity to say hang on, this is a critical juncture, we're not just going to continue to spin our wheels and look at our limited resources and you know, you know, a nice superficial way, but actually look at how to deepen the meaning of these kind of human connections and gatherings that we're all response.
[09:20] SPEAKER_01: So stay ahead of the game with our expert tips and strategies that will help your business thrive in a digital era.
[09:27] SPEAKER_01: Canada's podcast dot com subscribe now.
[09:30] SPEAKER_00: So we are going all over in my sort of, you know, list of questions, but I want to go back a little bit to put some context and some measurables around what is the problem with traditional events.
[09:44] SPEAKER_00: We talked generally about them, but if we can put this, you know, into a what can an event producer or a business director owner do on Monday to know, you know, what is the problem with the events that they've got coming up for the or the way that they've been thinking about events in the past.
[10:05] SPEAKER_00: What are the risks, what are the, what is the actual cost of those problems, could you elaborate on that a bit for me?
[10:13] SPEAKER_02: Sure, sure, and you know, it's it's always tough to to summarize all kinds of events, right, because we're, you know, what in in my book, how we got a matter is I'm speaking to people that attend and organize music festivals, sporting events, conferences and trade shows and each one has like very different dynamics and challenges and opportunities.
[10:37] SPEAKER_02: But if you're certainly if you're in the outdoor events business, the idea of like being fined by municipalities and like in local governments for the, you know, the messy lead behind the land you disrupt.
[10:53] SPEAKER_02: You know, if, if waste goes into the local river watersheds like these are significant issues that are now associated with fines like they never happened or so that's kind of like a significant change.
[11:09] SPEAKER_02: The cost of everything is going up as we know the cost of suppliers is going up the possibility of suppliers is going up so actually thinking through a more kind of like meaningful way to build relationships with suppliers who are also very committed to the environmental goals that you have as an organization is is one more way to really bring your suppliers closer not only to your purpose.
[11:39] SPEAKER_02: But also into the process of actually delivering something that will help you to get to where you want to be and are there some cost savings associated with that potentially yes.
[11:53] SPEAKER_02: But more importantly, it is a way to sort of build a loyal and and dependable supply chain, which is really important.
[12:02] SPEAKER_02: And and and similarly, I would say that, you know, the the clients, the sponsors, the and the people who attend events are so much more aware that they're, you know, publicly stated values are showing up at these events.
[12:26] SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, if a client is saying, OK, I want to hire you as an event organizer to put an event on for me by like, I don't want you to increase the, you know, like significant climate footprints in your greenhouse gas from footprint that I then take on as my scope three emissions.
[12:46] SPEAKER_02: I want you to be committed to my goals that my investors, the telemeas important. And so therefore we've made a public commitment around.
[12:56] SPEAKER_02: So it is a way to get more business. It is a way to demonstrate to your clients and your audiences that you are aligned with the priorities they have.
[13:06] SPEAKER_02: So, you know, in this movement towards more carbon constrained economy and future.
[13:14] SPEAKER_02: And I'll just add one more thing, although I could add more than just one more thing. But one other that is really important is that, you know, we're seeing a chef that, you know, gone are the days when it was sort of like really exciting to create like these exclusive kind of experiences for a very sort of, you know,
[13:35] SPEAKER_02: kind of like a elite sort of, you know, a group of people who could pay for these experiences.
[13:43] SPEAKER_02: If we know that events are aligned with this idea of like overcoming isolation and being part of a community and potentially a movement if the event is really trying to do something.
[13:57] SPEAKER_02: For example, if you're organizing a climate conference and having to actually engage your audience and how they can reduce their comfort, might be missing an opportunity to create a movement around your goals.
[14:09] SPEAKER_02: Right. So that's kind of an example.
[14:11] SPEAKER_02: But all these things require reaching more audience members, reaching more diverse people who have been traditionally left out of the conversations, removing barriers to people who might identify in certain ways.
[14:27] SPEAKER_02: Or have mobility or hearing challenges and really the things that I'm speaking about in my book are ways to make barriers really more inclusivity and I'm really think through the kind of footprint and the quality of the event experience.
[14:49] SPEAKER_00: So just as a recap, and I know it's we've got actual costs, right, which are things like fines, you know, you might have more expensive expenses dealing with, you know, companies or suppliers that aren't in alignment with you.
[15:10] SPEAKER_00: There's a potential cost of breaching your integrity or trust of your of your principles and but also there's lost opportunity, right.
[15:20] SPEAKER_00: And the lost opportunity, some of them, you can't see them. Usually you can't see them because you don't have enough perspective and that's where somebody like yourself can come in.
[15:30] SPEAKER_00: And and we can and say listen, here's opportunities in our network and spheres of influence that we see that we could add value to to your event.
[15:39] SPEAKER_00: So there's at least two, two things that we talked about and that.
[15:43] SPEAKER_00: Can we also talk a little bit about.
[15:48] SPEAKER_00: Can we also talk a little bit about other upswings? You mentioned them, but you quickly touched on bigger business opportunities.
[16:00] SPEAKER_00: More fulfillment. Just can you expand on what that means for you?
[16:06] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so really the, you know, kind of the tagline of the book is, you know, grow your audience,
[16:17] SPEAKER_02: shrink your footprint, change the world. And so really what I'm talking about is an approach that is more purposeful, more sustainable and more inclusive.
[16:27] SPEAKER_02: And so yes, in terms of the opportunities, it really is around ensuring that you're differentiating yourself and attracting more clients, more sponsors, organizations that want to be aligned with your event.
[16:46] SPEAKER_02: And so it's really important to, because it's a way to demonstrate like their brand, their impact, their purpose.
[16:53] SPEAKER_02: And so the alignment there is really important. And I think is a, an opportunity that isn't always clearly achieved.
[17:03] SPEAKER_02: And sometimes it's not achieved because, you know, events are events like they're on autopilot, we know we need to, you know, open the doors by this date.
[17:12] SPEAKER_02: And, et cetera. I'm inviting people to sort of look at the bigger picture and imagine all these opportunities and some of those opportunities also really are about attracting that next generation of young people who are going to be the event professionals, but also the event goers, you know, right.
[17:35] SPEAKER_02: We're at this like, like passing of the torch of baby boomers who are now, you know, no longer the majority of like income earning demographics in the market.
[17:49] SPEAKER_02: And so therefore, perhaps a phasing out of that demographic as like the key clientele for many event organizers and many businesses across the economy.
[18:01] SPEAKER_02: If you want to attract a newer generation of people that are going to be loyal to these events and go every year and want to like work for these event organizers, like they want to see values alignment.
[18:14] SPEAKER_02: And, and, and it's a much more diverse workplace and workforce than there has been in history, very educated people coming from all around the world and they're picky.
[18:29] SPEAKER_02: And with the virtual work situations that exist, they can literally work for, you know, just about anybody, they have options. And so you want to attract talent in your, in your workforce and in your audience.
[18:43] SPEAKER_02: Like these are a set of, you know, very practical tools that align with the progressive values that many of the many of the younger demographics hold today.
[18:55] SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to jump a little bit. Let's, let's talk about if you could share with us a couple of stories of events that you've been part of or you witnessed or you've consulted with that.
[19:07] SPEAKER_00: But, that have actually produced an upswing. Could you give us some case examples?
[19:14] SPEAKER_02: Sure, sure. So one story in my book that I like really love.
[19:21] SPEAKER_02: I love telling this story and I loved actually helping to create this story in case study. And it was with one of Canada's largest events.
[19:31] SPEAKER_02: So the Calgary Stampede, which takes place in Calgary every year and has taken place for more than 100 years. So quite a proud institution.
[19:43] SPEAKER_02: And, you know, one of the other reasons I love telling stories about the Calgary Stampede is because I think it, I think some people have a bit of a love hate relationship with it.
[19:50] SPEAKER_02: So it kind of takes over the city and, you know, and it does have a big footprint and it's got this sort of cowboy kind of reputation where some people when I have told them that I've worked on environmental programs with the Stampede, they say, oh, really they do that.
[20:09] SPEAKER_02: I would have thought the, you know, like roll it up, burn it, shoot it out of a cannon or something.
[20:14] SPEAKER_02: I love, I love, I love dispelling the myths around that because the story that that I share is really one that talks about social impact combined with the environmental program.
[20:29] SPEAKER_02: And so the Calgary Stampede shut down after like a hundred years of like doing it through hell or high water, but the pandemic was with the thing that made the Calgary Stampede cancel for the first time.
[20:45] SPEAKER_02: It was a couple of years before they started to really bring back the key programming around the environmental impacts.
[20:55] SPEAKER_02: And, and when they called me and said, hey, we need you to come back and do that great environmental program where he captured all the recycling compost across the, across the site.
[21:09] SPEAKER_02: I had to tell them, you know what, like I'm quite busy with some other projects and I, you know, sort of wrapped that environmental services business that I had when, you know, when the pandemic hit.
[21:20] SPEAKER_02: Why don't you call a few other people they, they call me back and said, yeah, all those people went out of business too.
[21:28] SPEAKER_02: Let's come on, let's figure this out. Let's, let's make something happen. And I called around to, you know, old crew members who helped to deliver that program.
[21:36] SPEAKER_02: It is, you know, kind of, there's a lot of people involved in that.
[21:40] SPEAKER_02: You know, so and so moved on to banking, you know, this person's doing this, you know, a waste management work with a municipality.
[21:47] SPEAKER_02: Anyways, I took the opportunity to the Center for newcomers in Calgary.
[21:53] SPEAKER_00: Okay.
[21:54] SPEAKER_02: And they were able to help staff this program and help train them up to be able to have a number of people who were refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, and other places.
[22:07] SPEAKER_02: So that they were delivering this, you know, world class environmental program for the stampede for these people to have the Calgary stampede on their resume as their first Canadian job.
[22:20] SPEAKER_02: It's kind of a big deal.
[22:22] SPEAKER_02: And at the Calgary stampede wound up hiring a number of them on full time after the day.
[22:36] SPEAKER_02: Wow.
[22:36] SPEAKER_02: I have terrific measurable results.
[22:39] SPEAKER_02: And provided valuable service to the food providers who were on site.
[22:46] SPEAKER_02: But I think equally or maybe more important is they were able to create this incredible community impact for people who frankly don't have, you know, access to the same opportunities that the average local cast Calgary would have.
[23:06] SPEAKER_01: Canada's podcast is your gateway to success in the world of entrepreneurship.
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[23:13] SPEAKER_01: Canada's podcast dot com subscribe now.
[23:16] SPEAKER_00: We are we talked about the Calgary stampede.
[23:18] SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's one of the biggest events in on earth.
[23:20] SPEAKER_00: I think they call it the biggest greatest showcase on earth.
[23:22] SPEAKER_00: So let's go on.
[23:24] Speaker UNKNOWN: Greatest out there.
[23:25] SPEAKER_00: Greatest out there.
[23:25] SPEAKER_00: Sure on earth.
[23:26] SPEAKER_00: How about for the small and medium business owner?
[23:29] SPEAKER_00: Let's.
[23:30] SPEAKER_00: We can just make it the next part of this conversation a little bit more relevant for them.
[23:34] SPEAKER_00: And I understand you have some launch events coming up where you.
[23:38] SPEAKER_00: And what about so are you incorporating some of your best practices from your book in some of these events?
[23:44] SPEAKER_00: Can you share some details?
[23:46] SPEAKER_02: Thanks for asking that.
[23:48] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, having researched so many of these best practices, I'm able to incorporate them into my own events.
[23:56] SPEAKER_02: And so as you noted, I have got a bunch of launch events where we're we're going to celebrate the launch of the book in in different online and in person forms and different cities.
[24:09] SPEAKER_02: And some of my favorites sort of ways to incorporate some of the sustainability and inclusive kind of initiatives that I'm writing about in the book, include like a very.
[24:22] SPEAKER_02: A fairly inexpensive solution for audience members who might be more hard appearing.
[24:30] SPEAKER_02: And so there's an AI powered close captioning technology that you can get.
[24:37] SPEAKER_02: And there's a number of service providers that that offer this.
[24:42] SPEAKER_02: So it's it's it's just generated live on demand.
[24:46] SPEAKER_02: And and for anybody that might be looking away from the screen or or or not, you know, seeing the screen that can even access it on their mobile device.
[24:54] SPEAKER_02: So they can they can still be part of the conversation, even if they can't hear everything.
[25:00] SPEAKER_02: Another really interesting initiative that I think is really easy to incorporate and very few people that I've seen.
[25:06] SPEAKER_02: And do this at their events is like an onsite childcare program where you can get an organization like like an organization called.
[25:17] SPEAKER_02: In a pinch event services and they actually have like trained professionals who have all their background track all their background checks and lots of licensing and and credentials to work with young children.
[25:33] SPEAKER_02: And they can actually take some of the young children and create arts and crafts with them that align with the theme of the event.
[25:42] SPEAKER_02: So I'm doing us.
[25:43] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's what that's what.
[25:44] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so they're doing like a sustainability themed arts and crafts thing with young children.
[25:50] SPEAKER_02: And what's great about that is so many people say, you know what I would I would love to come to the event, but I just need to see if I can figure out childcare for that night.
[26:00] SPEAKER_02: It's kind of like bring the kids right.
[26:03] SPEAKER_00: We got that solution.
[26:04] SPEAKER_02: Child care on site right so it's a it's a more inclusive way to include include parents in the important conversations that we want to host.
[26:15] SPEAKER_02: And then of course food is such a big part of any event.
[26:20] SPEAKER_02: And so really working closely with a food vendor and selecting the right caterer or food vendor that that has really thought through the sourcing of the foods ideally like vegetarian and vegan has the has a lower footprint than meat, then meat products which are associated with methane emissions, for example.
[26:46] SPEAKER_02: And so but but really putting thought into like really unique pieces that that you know can be offered to audience members.
[26:57] SPEAKER_02: And then for any food that's left over having a you know a partnership already established so you don't have to like rapidly figure it out after the event, but like having something set up with an organization like leftovers or second harvest or another food rescue.
[27:15] SPEAKER_02: And then you program where and you left over food is donated to a great cause and there's a great misconception out there that oh there's liability issues associated donated food that's usually a myth.
[27:28] SPEAKER_02: There's lots of cities, states, provinces that have past legislation to protect people who donate food.
[27:37] SPEAKER_02: But the best thing to do is just partner with a local organization who already has those existing relationships, you know they know where to send the food, you know how it needs to be boxed up and they can come in and actually do that at the end of the event to make sure it gets to people in need that there is nothing nothing that's going to be wasted.
[28:00] SPEAKER_02: And there's a lot of thought put into the overall footprint associated with the food at the event so for anybody who's coming to one of my launch events, you can see these things in action.
[28:14] SPEAKER_02: So I don't just need to you know talk about it that I can I can show you and that I think that's that's the most important thing that event organizers can do is walk the talk.
[28:26] SPEAKER_02: People when people see it in action they're like oh my gosh this is we're living in the future now why can't I know this reality in every event I go to why can't I have this every day and not just the few hours or a few days that this event is taking place.
[28:43] SPEAKER_00: There are just want to highlight and I'm just going to encapsulate what I heard you said which is a lot but what we have in common is you know this the future is happening right now there's a lot of solutions that you can incorporate to make your event bigger with very simple solutions like bigger impact for more people I think in our sort of preliminary interview we're talking about how you know and don't underestimate that.
[29:13] SPEAKER_00: That your event where it might be 20% impact has a ripple effect of impact that not only just in the event but it's ripple effect and it becomes infectious so if it's you're setting a new standard in in events and your pillars that I heard so far just in this interview is zero waste right like up leveling the client experience so that you.
[29:39] SPEAKER_00: The that they you've taken care of all of the details so it's almost a there's no reason for them not to say no to attend right you've removed all the barriers you you it makes it so much more fun so fun is a third factor it's healthier right for yourself in the environment and you know overall it's a it's a holistic experience so for those who are.
[30:06] SPEAKER_00: What a demonstration can you give us an idea or a where your launch events are happening yourself your launch events where where where can we meet you and tap into your you know your expertise and and experience them for real.
[30:24] SPEAKER_02: Well thank you for that set up so yeah Calgary is my hometown so having a big launch event on May 9 really excited about that and would love for everybody to attend I am in the process of organizing a number of online events as well as events in Edmonton Toronto hopefully Vancouver maybe New York so if you are interested in the event and you're interested in.
[30:52] SPEAKER_02: And having me you know in partnering with me on an event in your hometown or having a book launch as like a side event for your big you know your big conference that might be on a similar theme.
[31:07] SPEAKER_02: Getting touch with me at leor dot c a that's where I'm posting about all these events so that's also where you can see the upcoming events that are planned and I'd love to get in touch with you and and collaborate.
[31:22] SPEAKER_00: And just to summarize because I know this so that the book is there the book is online now so you can you know there's absolutely different ways that you can get a hold of your book what are your favorite ways.
[31:35] SPEAKER_02: Yeah well thank you for that so leor dot c a is definitely an easy place to go to not only see upcoming events to get in touch with me but also to purchase the book you can also get it on Amazon but I also like to tell people hey you know what support your local bookstore go into your favorite local book shop and.
[31:59] SPEAKER_00: If they don't already have it on their bookshelf and ask them to order it in for you awesome also you you mentioned you are a speaker you've got not just speaking about why events matter but you've got some other keynote presentations up your sleeve can you just share a little bit about what what you could how you could speak at other people's events.
[32:23] SPEAKER_02: Yeah well thank you for that angel so I'm definitely like if you if you go to leor dot c a I've got a summary of the talks that I that I give and typically it is around sustainable events sustainable supply chains energy transition and and a few and a few other topics that I love to speak to more audiences about and so I have been doing a number of events and I'm going to talk about it.
[32:52] SPEAKER_02: I'm going to talk about a lot of public and keynote speaking events it's kind of like fun when you're putting out a book people like want to know what you have to say so I'm really enjoying that experience would love to do more of it and so certainly for anybody that's looking to have a speaker at their next event I'd love to know about that and connect.
[33:14] SPEAKER_02: But I'll also just add Angela that's my my my day job the main hack that I wear is as a sustainability consultant so up swing solutions is the company that I work with and we work with a real diversity of clients but certainly also work with event organizers and would love to work with more event organizers.
[33:38] SPEAKER_00: And it's both like if you've got an event that's already being planned I mean I think probably on the ideal it's it's in when you're in the idea phase you can work with you on the ideation and the and the design phase consulting but also on the you can come in now could you come in now and actually is with something that's part way in design and say hey we could here's how we can consult with you to improve it.
[34:04] SPEAKER_02: Can you do both absolutely absolutely and so there's some you know the you know that saying the best time to have planted a tree or started started a plan was you know like.
[34:17] SPEAKER_02: Yesterday 20 years ago you know yesterday maybe was also good time but the next best time is you know right now today and today yeah and so we can start any time in the the main message here is get started there's so much to be done and and there's demand for it there's absolutely there's the demand is there so it's important to get started and one question I often get is where is the right place to start.
[34:48] SPEAKER_02: I would say there's like two key things to keep in mind one is really understanding like what's important to your stakeholders so your stakeholders are you know your your clients your sponsors your funders your your partners your audience members your staff right so understanding what's important that that might be as like rigorous as that something that we call an sustainability consulting role the materiality assessment but it could also just be a simple thing.
[35:17] SPEAKER_02: So I think it's a simple survey to try and understand what's important to people and then setting a baseline and understand what are you currently measuring how can you expand what you're measuring and understand what is your current current footprint that's going to be the point you improve upon so if you don't know where you are you don't know where you're going and and really just start to understand what you're having so even if your event is tomorrow.
[35:47] SPEAKER_02: You can start to date to decide here's what we're going to measure this year could be our power could be the the weight of the ways that we offload to the landfill could be a number of other factors but it's just a matter of like can we measure it let's get a process in place so we can we can at least understand where we are and I'll just add this one more thing which is often when I talk to event producers I ask them do you think that the global
[36:17] SPEAKER_02: events industry has a bigger or smaller footprint than the fossil fuel industry and you know one could guess but nobody actually knows that information because the data isn't there.
[36:35] SPEAKER_02: Wow the data is there yeah and the events industry kind of does not have as like an industry you've got the wedding is you've got the conferences and trade shows you've got the you know like festivals.
[36:48] SPEAKER_02: One of the things that I'm really advocating for in how we got the matters is to see every single gathering every single event as an important part of changing the world and it starts with collecting the information so that we can roll it all up to say this is our collective impact as events around the world or events locally or events nationally if until we have that basic information.
[37:16] SPEAKER_02: We don't actually know how big the problem is so that's why I'm really advocating get started by just understanding your current footprint.
[37:26] SPEAKER_00: That is fantastic well and I have the privilege of you know having a little bit of inside scoop on what the contents of the book are so again we are talking about how we gather matters we you know we talked about the problem with traditional events we gave lots of insight lots of value thank you Lee are for listeners on.
[37:47] SPEAKER_00: You know generally what how you can improve your events but absolutely please reach out to Lee or if for you know the book or speaking opportunities or some consulting on how to improve your your event coming up or if you have an idea about an event that could make big impact now's the time to reach out to Lee or and for it is or anything that we missed Lee or that you feel like people should just.
[38:14] SPEAKER_00: Hang on to you.
[38:16] SPEAKER_02: I love doing these podcasts with you you're you're you're you're you're you covered a lot of ground and so I thank you for that i'll just end with encouraging people to once again visit we or dot c a getting touched and think about how to grow your audience shrink your footprint and change the world.
