Dear EVENTS:review,

EIA (Events Industry Alliance) read with interest the comments made by Julian Pullan of Jack Morton regarding BS 8901, featured at EVENTS:review.com and within the last e-newsletter. It is always pleasing to hear that other events-related companies are taking steps to improve their 'green' credentials, and we are delighted that Pullan believes that BS 8901 makes good recommendations.

EIA won the right to produce this standard, and employed experienced consultants ARUP to write BS 8901, whilst taking on extensive feedback and suggestions from industry stakeholders and BSI committees along the way. We agree with Pullan when he states the standard can seem difficult to follow, and appear complex with regard to its practical interpretation and resultant implementation. As Pullan conveys: this is the case with all BSI standards, and 8901 is no different.

However, we would like to reassure Pullan, and those with similar fears, that EIA is fully prepared and focussed on 'championing this cause', and, as Pullan suggests, is ready to step forward and create the much-needed simple, practical recommendations and guidelines for compliance with BS 8901.

This has always been our intention, and the systems for creating such guidelines are already in place and ready to go (as soon as the standard is published), via the executive and the established working groups / committees of EIA's owner organisations, the AEC (Association of Exhibition Contractors), AEO (Association of Event Organisers) and AEV (Association of Event Venues). EIA Project Director Chris Skeith will drive this cause across the group, and aims to provide workable solutions to the three key event member stakeholder communities.

Finally, on Pullan's prediction that companies may create paper trails to show compliance, without actually altering their practises significantly; we agree that this would indeed be a great shame. EIA can pledge that we will do our up most to assist those within the events industry that share our desires to lessen our impact on the environment, as we have done throughout the lifecycle of the BS 8901 project.

EIA is confident that BS 8901 has what it takes to succeed amongst those determined to make a sustainable difference; AEC, AEO and AEV are standing by to aid those who agree.

Tom Treverton
Events Industry Alliance (EIA)