A survey conducted on behalf of UK Events Summit organisers Major Events International (MEI) found 62% of UK event organisers and their suppliers felt the industry was “behind the curve” when it came to addressing sustainability issues.

MEI COO Andy Rice said its UK Events Summit, which will take place at Emirates Old Trafford (pictured) in Manchester on 15 December, will focus on the sustainability, or lack of it, of major events.

Rice said he was surprised by the findings of the survey: “I had always felt that sports and music event organisers were on the ball when it came to trying to be sustainable. Perhaps they are more self-critical than I thought, or perhaps they are aware of the issues but are unhappy about what the industry is doing to address them. To play our part, we are working hard to address the issue at our own event.

Tim Smith, MD of event impact and legacy specialists EventID said, “Hosting major events in an ethical and sustainable manner has emerged as top priority for host cities and event organisers. The industry is moving forward but we are still some way off achieving truly sustainable event organisation at scale. We look forward to discussing this crucial topic with delegates at the UK Events Summit.”

The Summit will include a panel devoted to event sustainability, featuring representatives from the new E-Bike GP Series and Shambala Festival. The panel will be sponsored by Cube Modular, whose CEO Brandon Kelley said, “One of our company missions includes helping to find solutions for the events industry to reduce carbon emissions from travel and transport. We are continually focusing our activities on devising solutions to protect the environment, reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the challenges presented by climate change, thus making sustainability a natural and integral part of our business.”

You. Smart. Thing., which provides venue and event operators to provide bespoke routing and personalised guidance on accessible and sustainable travel, will also sponsor a UK Events Summit panel focused on sustainability. CEO, Chris Thompson said, “The promotion of pop-up cycle hire hubs on the UK City of Culture’s online travel assistant helped us influence visitor behaviour. We achieved a shift from the national average for cultural events to 55% of people opting for active travel modes, a step-change that benefits us all.”

Details of the event, which is free for rights-holding event organisers, can be found here.