About Us
As of February 2025, Positive Impact has a community of almost 2,000 global event professionals, over 40 corporate Head of Events, over 40 Corporate Head of Sustainability, over 160 SMEs with a Race to Zero commitment, over 5 memorandums of understanding with United Nations bodies.
For almost 20 years not for profit Positive Impact have been providing engagement, collaboration and education to create a sustainable event industry. You could describe Positive Impact as the ‘critical friend’ of the global event sector.
In 2023 we began to focus on bringing needed innovation to life by supporting two projects:
Technology to make it easier for your event to have a positive Impact
Positive Impact is the only event sector body to be a Race to Zero Accelerator, UN SDG Action mobiliser and to have education certified by the world’s largest and leading CPD accreditation working across all sectors, so our education is accessed by heads of marketing, HR and sustainability.
Our funding comes from everywhere and nowhere, and every penny, cent or yen is used to advance the event sector so every time an event happens the UN Sustainable Development Goals are advanced and events are recognised as ensuring 'participation and inclusion in decision making’ (UN SDG16).
This is a timeline of Positive Impact's journey and the creation of a sustainable event industry. It reflects initiatives from:
The United Nations
Positive Impact
CEO Fiona Pelham
Key developments in the creation of a sustainable event industry.
Celebrating Earth Day with #CSRshareDay
Positive Impact Events curated a 24 hour collaboration by event professionals around the world to share best practice examples of sustainable events on social media.
Positive Impact Events curate a 24 hour collaboration by event professionals around the world to share best practice examples of sustainable events on social media.
Reporting on sustainability at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games
The purpose of this report is to share learnings and inspire future events on how to implement a sustainability strategy which meets the guidelines of ISO 20121.
The purpose of this report is to share learnings and inspire future events on how to implement a sustainability strategy which meets the guidelines of ISO 20121.
Creating a toolkit for the event industry to #shareapositiveimpact
We asked the event industry to help us reach 2 Million shares of our #shareapostiveimpact campaign by December 2018. As part of this goal, we created a free toolkit that could be downloaded to make it easier for anyone to share an example of sustainability best practice in the event industry.
We asked the event industry to help us reach 2 Million shares of our #shareapostiveimpact campaign by December 2018. As part of this goal, we created a free toolkit that could be downloaded to make it easier for anyone to share an example of sustainability best practice in the event industry.
Sharing stories of collaboration for #GMID18
Positive Impact hosted a webinar for #GMID18 with IBTM and Caesars Entertainment on how collaboration can build a more powerful and sustainable events industry.
Positive Impact hosted a webinar for #GMID18 with IBTM and Caesars Entertainment on how collaboration can build a more powerful and sustainable events industry.
Celebrating International Women’s Day 2018 with our Girls Creating campaign
In 2018, Positive Impact celebrated International Women’s Day with our annual Girls Creating Campaign. Fiona wrote a blog on how the importance of women in making history.
In 2018, Positive Impact celebrated International Women’s Day with our annual Girls Creating Campaign. Fiona wrote a blog on how the importance of women in making history.
Engaging with UN Environment to leverage sustainable procurement practices
Collaboration with UN Environment to understand what sustainable procurement practices created to transform tourism value chains could mean for events.
Collaboration with UN Environment to understand what sustainable procurement practices created to transform tourism value chains could mean for events.
Creating a sustainability charter for SITE
In January 2018, the SITE Foundation provided a grant to Positive Impact to support the creation of a sustainability charter for SITE.
In January 2018, the SITE Foundation provided a grant to Positive Impact to support the creation of a sustainability charter for SITE. Working in collaboration with two members of SITE international board and the SITE sustainability committee, a best practice approach was taken. This report is a summary of that approach and could be used by SITE members to create their own sustainability charters to further their own sustainability strategies.
Providing opportunities for collaboration between the UN and event industry
UN representatives were invited to IBTM World to meet event industry leaders and associations to discuss the role of events in achieving the UN SDGs. The Event Industry Council, Joint Meeting Industry Council and their member associations were invited to meet - only 3 association representatives attended.
UN representatives were invited to IBTM World to meet event industry leaders and associations to discuss the role of events in achieving the UN SDGS. The Event Industry Council, Joint Meeting Industry Council and their member associations were invited to meet - only 3 association representatives attended.
Growing our ambassador community in 2017
In 2017 our ambassador community grew to 233 ambassadors. We provided our ambassadors opportunities to contribute to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
In 2017 our ambassador community grew to 233 ambassadors. We provided our ambassadors opportunities to contribute to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
Telling the story of the power of events during the UN Year of Sustainable Tourism
Positive Impact Events delivered a year long campaign to raise the profile of events during a UN year focused on Sustainable Tourism for Development.
Positive Impact Events delivered a year long campaign to raise the profile of events during a UN year focused on Sustainable Tourism for Development.
During the United Nations Year of Sustainable Tourism in 2017, a conversation began to tell the story of the power of events to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
A white paper was also produced as an update on how this conversation furthered in the following 12 months.
Celebrating Earth Day with #CSRshareDay
Positive Impact Events curated a 24 hour collaboration by event professionals around the world to share best practice examples of sustainable events on social media.
Positive Impact Events curate a 24 hour collaboration by event professionals around the world to share best practice examples of sustainable events on social media.
Discussing the future of the event industry for GMID
Positive Impact celebrated Global Meetings Industry Day by hosting a webinar with a panel of experts to hear how the focus of global governments and business will impact the meetings industry in the future. This webinar also discussed the future opportunities available to the event industry and what actions #eventprofs could take to make the most of them.
Positive Impact celebrated Global Meetings Industry Day by hosting a webinar with a panel of experts to hear how the focus of global governments and business will impact the meetings industry in the future. This webinar also discussed the future opportunities available to the event industry and what actions #eventprofs could take to make the most of them.
Providing an overview of our Share a Positive Impact campaign
We put together a simple one-page PDF to show how easy it is for anyone in the event industry to get inspired and #shareapositiveimpact
We put together a simple one-page PDF to show how easy it is for anyone in the event industry to get inspired and #shareapositiveimpact
Creating a toolkit to support event professionals have a roadmap to act on their sustainability goals
Positive Impact Events launch a toolkit supported by the SITE foundation which can be used as a first step in a sustainability strategy.
Positive Impact Events launch a toolkit supported by the SITE foundation which can be used as a first step in a sustainability strategy.
Relaunching our ambassador programme
The ambassador programme relaunches to provide resources to our ambassadors so they can act as a catalyst for conversations and action and help shift the global event sector toward more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable practice. In 2016, we had 43 ambassadors.
The ambassador programme relaunches to provide resources to our ambassadors so they can act as a catalyst for conversations and action and help shift the global event sector toward more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable practice. In 2016, we had 43 ambassadors.
Providing opportunities for the next generation
Positive Impact have a well-established internship programme that provides real skills and sense of achievement for those who take part. This note is from a former intern thanking the team for the experience.
Positive Impact have a well-established internship programme that provides real skills and sense of achievement for those who take part. This note is from a former intern thanking the team for the experience.
Engaging with event professionals to create a sustainable event industry
Positive Impact Events launch an in person summit, in collaboration with UK event agency Smyle, which takes place annually until 2016.
Positive Impact Events launch an in person summit, in collaboration with UK event agency Smyle, which takes place annually until 2016.
Inspiring the event industry to #shareapositiveimpact
In 2016, we created a short video which showcased the impact of our Share a Positive Impact campaign and how the simple act of sharing can create a snowball effect to inspire others.
In 2016, we created a short video which showcased the impact of our Share a Positive Impact campaign and how the simple act of sharing can create a snowball effect to inspire others.
Celebrating Earth Day with #CSRshareDay
Positive Impact curated a 24 hour collaboration by event professionals around the world to share best practice examples of sustainable events on social media.
Positive Impact Events curate a 24 hour collaboration by event professionals around the world to share best practice examples of sustainable events on social media.
Celebrating the first Global Meetings Industry Day
This year was the first Global Meetings Industry Day. Positive Impact celebrated by giving 10 top sustainability tips for events. You can see tip #1 here. To see the other 9 top tips search ‘Top Sustainability Tip #X for GMID’ on our youtube channel. Fiona Pelham also wrote a blog on why events and bringing people together is essential for collaboration, innovation and creating a world that works for everyone.
This year was the first Global Meetings Industry Day. Positive Impact celebrated by giving 10 top sustainability tips for events. You can see the tip #1 here. To see the other 9 top tips search ‘Top Sustainability Tip #X for GMID’ on our youtube channel. Fiona Pelham also wrote a blog on why events and bringing people together is essential for collaboration, innovation and creating a world that works for everyone
