The Sustainability in Drinks exhibition and conference is a first for the UK drinks industry. Here’s Janet Harrison on what to expect.
You are looking to launch a new trade event focused on sustainability in the drinks industry. What do you have planned?
We are very excited to be launching Sustainability in Drinks (SID), a new event series, in London on October 14-15 2024 with a high calibre line up of influential sustainability professionals. The exhibition on October 15 will be held at St Mary’s, Wyndham Place, York Street, London.
We felt that there was no coordinated sustainability exhibition and conference in the UK, despite there being such a an urgent range of issues facing the drinks trade. Finding advice and products which meet current and future sustainability targets is difficult and seem to be spread across many different types of events throughout Europe. We’ve created something which will be relevant, inclusive and practical and an unrivalled opportunity to hear from those working at the heart of sustainability in drinks from around the world.
What are you hoping to achieve?
Our key goals and objectives are:
- An opportunity for the drinks industry to come together ‘under one roof’ to find suppliers, products and advice to help step-change their response to climate change.
- Bringing experts and colleagues together to form a community of professionals who can provide relevant information, thereby creating positive changes within the industry.
- Attendees to leave with a practical plan of action to help them with their sustainability planning.
The new Sustainability in Drinks exhibition and conference takes place in London in October 2024
We believe that SID will help all those attending, whether they are at the beginning of their ESG (environmental, social and governance) journey, considering alternative packaging analysis, creating regenerative habitats and biodiversity on their land or looking for more effective distribution, carbon accounting or green finance strategies.
How much does it cost to be involved?
This unique event, will be free to attend for the drinks trade and is particularly relevant to buyers and sustainability managers exhibitors and conference attendees will include a wide range of companies from producers, packaging manufacturers and distributors through to advisors and relevant trade bodies.
There will be spaces for around 60 exhibitors, for this first year, that will pay to reserve a table the details are here: https://sustainabilityindrinks.com/exhibit-at-sid/. We want everyone to be included in ‘the conversation’ and the content and range of exhibitors, will reflect the diverse nature of our industry.
When you say exhibitors what sort of companies are you looking to involve?
The main exhibition floor, on October 15 will be split into four key areas covering:
- Wine production
- Other drinks (including spirits, beers and ciders)
- Packaging and transportation (including bulk filling)
- Advisory bodies, including trade associations, certification schemes and auditing services
We believe this will cover all the relevant needs of the industry and provide a showcase for best practice.
The pre-exhibition conference and masterclasses during the exhibition, will feature impressive thought-leaders in sustainability, signalling the event’s long term international ambitions.
Who is behind Sustainability in Drinks?
The Sustainability in Drinks founders, Janet Harrison and Judy Kendrick, from left, along with Anne Jones and Fran Draper
SID is organised by myself and Judy Kendrick, seasoned drinks professionals and creators of events such as the People’s Choice Drinks Awards, Wines Unearthed, the SITT tastings and Wine Events Manchester.
In order to give SID the gravitas it deserves, we’ve put together an expert team of influential sustainability professionals. This includes Anne Jones, ex Waitrose, currently Wine GB’s sustainability leader and director of Limestone & Jones sustainability consultancy. Anne has a high level of technical knowledge and expertise, being a founding trustee of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable and having helped launch the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification.
Helping to shape the event’s content will be Fran Draper, ex Boutinot, a chartered marketer with a CIM Diploma in sustainable marketing as well as being carbon literate certified and having her own sustainability and marketing consultancy. Myself and Judy have worked with both of these impressive women on previous projects and are thrilled to have them on board.
Running alongside the core team is a panel of founding partners that will be a huge support to SID – each experts in their particular field. They will be influential in contributing to debates and sharing details of their own sustainability journeys.
They include:
WASP: Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme – an award-winning sustainability certification scheme in Portugal (which is also bringing 6 producers from the scheme)
Encirc:A leader in the beverage filling industry, filling over 400 million litres of beverages every year from locations in Cheshire and Bristol
Triage: A leading change agency that helps people, companies and organisations across the private, public and social sectors within three practice areas – leadership, land and systems.
You are also organising a conference to as well as the exhibition?
Sustainability in Drinks hopes to provide a platform for drinks companies to find the environmental partnerships that are right for their business
The conference, which will take place the afternoon and evening of October 15 (the day before the main exhibition). It will include a round table discussion, following an overarching conference theme and will involve high profile guest speakers. This will lead to a Q&A, followed by an informal dinner. Having a more relaxed feel will, we hope, spark candid debates and will be a great opportunity to network with everyone attending. The line-up of speakers and conference theme will be revealed in March.
How can businesses get involved in both events?
There are opportunities for sponsors to support the event and any enquiries can be directed to janet@sustainabilityindrinks.com. We are also happy to hear from potential speakers, before the final content is confirmed. Contact hello@sustainabilityindrinks.com for further details.
We have one more founding partner opportunity, which must not duplicate the expertise already covered by the existing partners. We are particularly keen to hear from wine producers, those involved in the spirits industry and alternative packaging manufacturers – contact janet@sustainabilityindrinks.com for further information.
Anything else to say?
SID will be held annually and will grow into a key international event, helping shape the future of sustainability in the drinks industry, with the UK leading the way in best practice. The industry is born from the environment and 2024 is expected to be a year of unprecedented developments. We believe it is critical to unite and realise its responsibility and power.
If you want to find out more about Sustainability in Drinks go to its website here. You can follow its activities on social media at @sustainabilityindrinks/ #sustainabilityindrinks.
