Getting Gold!

In January 2020, Utah Food Services became the first organization in North America to certify on the Gold Level through the Events Industry Council’s Sustainable Events Standard. Our Green Team, spearheaded by our sustainability director, Doug Curry, worked hard to make sure our team could meet the rigorous standard & all 71 categories required for Food & Beverage (including prerequisites).

What is this standard all about?

From the Events Industry Council’s website:

Principles for sustainable events

Definition for event sustainability

Sustainability for events means taking action towards preserving our natural environment; promoting a healthy, inclusive society; and supporting a thriving economy.

Four Principles of Event Sustainability

1. Event organizers and suppliers share responsibility for implementing and communicating sustainable practices to their stakeholders​

2. Basic environmental practices include:

• • • Conservation of resources, including water, energy and natural resources
  • • Waste management
  • • Carbon emissions reduction and management
  • • Supply chain management and responsible purchasing
  • • Biodiversity preservation

3. Basic social considerations include:

• • • Universal human rights
  • • Community impacts
  • • Labor practices
  • • Respect for culture
  • • Safety and security
  • • Health and well-being

4. Sustainable events support thriving economic practices through:

• • • Collaboration and partnerships
  • • Local support, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
  • • Stakeholder participation
  • • Equitable economic impact
  • • Transparency
  • • Responsible governance

As one of the launching signatories to endorse this standard, we are very excited to announce this benchmark! We believe in creating sustainable events and supporting our community as much as we can. Want more information or ideas on how to make your event more sustainable? Leave a comment or reach out to our team! We love sustainability!