We’ve always considered sustainability a journey, rather than a destination, here at Viva Esprit. It acts as a golden thread throughout everything we do. It’s not only part of who we are as a business, but also how we want to do business.
Gaining our ISO 20121 accreditation was the natural next step in our sustainability journey; an opportunity to be recognised for the work we have already done and make sure we never take our eye off the ball. It wasn’t about chasing a ‘badge’, more about holding ourselves accountable and building a framework that supports long-term, meaningful impact in this area.
Three reasons we felt ISO accreditation was right for us
· It provides a structured, credible way to embed sustainability into every decision we make, from concept to completion.
· It’s externally audited, which means our sustainability claims have been reviewed, tested and verified. You don’t have to take our word for it.
· It supports our commitment to continuous improvement, providing a framework that encourages us to evolve, refine and raise the bar year on year.
So many ISOs to choose from…
Pursuing an ISO accreditation was not a decision we took lightly. It’s a lengthy process, taking around 10 months from initial application through to final assessment, and required the full support of everyone working with Viva Esprit – starting with our MDs, and running through our colleagues, customers and independent contractors.
The assessment process looks for commitment and consistency throughout the whole business and while there were several ISO standards we could have chosen from – such as ISO 14001 - ISO 20121 stood out because it is the only one that specifically aligns with our core business as a purpose-driven events creator.
This was important not just to us but to the people we work with.
The benefits we’ve already seen
One of the strengths of ISO 20121 is its ‘Plan – Do – Check – Act’ model which will help us embed continuous improvement deep into our operations. It will make sure we’re constantly reviewing, measuring, and improving our sustainability goals.
We’ve already seen several tangible benefits:
· Sustainability checklist for every event
This practical tool now guides our teams through decisions that reduce environmental impact and enhance social responsibility.
· Cost savings through better performance
We’ve scrutinised the way we do things and identified efficiencies that reduce waste - and save money.
· Better risk identification and mitigation
The ISO framework helps us spot potential issues earlier and build more resilient, responsible event plans.
What we learned along the way
Accreditation wasn’t just about auditing our ways of working, it was about making sure that our people, policies and processes are all aligned. And now we’ve successfully gained our accreditation the hard work continues – maintaining a culture at Viva Esprit that keeps sustainability at our core and support our future success.
Some of our biggest learnings came from the accreditation journey itself:
· All for one, one for all
Making sure our whole team understood the standard and what that means to their role has been key to embedding it meaningfully across our business.
· Collaboration over isolation
Speaking to businesses who were already accredited was invaluable. We’re now keen to pay that forward and support others on their journey.
· Purpose over prestige
ISO 20121 only works if you do it for the right reasons. For us, it’s about impact, not tick boxes.
· Progress over perfection
Nobody’s perfect. What matters is being honest about where you are and committed to improving.
ISO 20121 has strengthened the way we work, sharpened our focus, and reinforced our belief that responsible event management isn’t just good practice, it’s good business.
We are proud to have achieved ISO 20121 and we hope others across the industry will follow. If you’d like to find out more about our ISO 20121 journey, get in touch at inspire@vivaesprit.com.
Written by Sandra Hennessy, Head of Sustainability
