About Us
As of February 2024, 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.
We are 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.
For over 15 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.
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.
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.
Sharing stories of business leadership
Fiona Pelham started a blog to share stories from her experiences and answer the “how” questions that many are curious about. These stories aren’t “how to do it” but inspiration for “yes you can do it”.
Fiona Pelham started a blog to share stories from her experiences to answer the “how” questions that many are curious about. These stories aren’t “how to do it” but inspiration for “yes you can do it” and to create an opportunity for people to ask questions that would be useful.
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
Writing to Prince Charles about Positive Impact’s work
In 2016, the Positive Impact team wrote to Prince (now King) Charles and received a response from his office, highlighting his work around sustainability.
In 2016, the Positive Impact team wrote to Prince (now King) Charles and received a response from his office, highlighting his work around sustainability.
Sharing best practice examples of sustainability in action at events becomes a resource for implementing SDGs at events
Positive Impact Events gather the industry’s best practice sharing into a small library of practical actions to take to further the SDGs at your event.
Positive Impact Events gather the industry’s best practice sharing into a small library of practical actions to take to further the SDGs at your event.
Fiona Pelham becomes first European female MPI chair
Fiona Pelham, Managing Director of Positive Impact, became the first European female to chair Meeting Professionals International (the world's largest association for meeting professionals) from January 2016-17.
Fiona Pelham, Managing Director of Positive Impact, became the first European female to chair Meeting Professionals International (the world's largest association for meeting professionals) from January 2016-17.
Sustainable Development Goals launched
On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force.
On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force.
Speaking at IME 2015 in Japan
Positive Impact CEO Fiona Pelham spoke at the International Meetings Expo in Japan.
Positive Impact CEO Fiona Pelham spoke at the International Meetings Expo in Japan.
The Mountain Green Book put forward 21 simple proposals for COP21
This book was the contribution from the mountains of France to the 2015 COP 21 in Paris and also contained 32 pages of observations about climate imbalance in the mountains.
This book was the contribution from the mountains of France to the 2015 COP 21 in Paris and also contained 32 pages of observations about climate imbalance in the mountains.
Addressing the role of sustainability at the Sustainable Events Summit
In this Exhibition News article, Fiona Pelham talks about the Sustainable Events Summit (co-founded by Positive Impact) and the progress that the even industry has made.
In this Exhibition News article, Fiona Pelham talks about the Sustainable Events Summit (co-founded by Positive Impact) and the progress that the even industry has made.
Listing accessible ways to improve sustainability in Exhibition World magazine
Positive Impact CEO Fiona Pelham writes about easy ways to start taking action around sustainability and explains the role of grassroots movements in changing the industry.
Positive Impact CEO Fiona Pelham writes about easy ways to start taking action around sustainability and explains the role of grassroots movements in changing the industry.
Encouraging the event industry to share examples of best practice
Positive Impact Events begin an initiative to use social media to capture best practice examples of sustainability from events through our Share a Positive Impact campaign.
Positive Impact Events begin an initiative to use social media to capture best practice examples of sustainability from events through our Share a Positive Impact campaign.
We also provided a PDF with information for supporters to contribute to the growth of the campaign.
In our What We Do video, we talked about why the campaign was created and how to start taking action.
Fiona awarded honorary doctorate
Fiona receives an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University for services to sustainability within the event industry.
Fiona receives an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University for services to sustainability within the event industry.
Events expert and three times Managing Director (MD) of companies Positive Impact, Sustainable Events Ltd and Organise This, Fiona Pelham, has received an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University. Fiona, who was Chair of ISO 20121, Technical Advisor for the environment for the England 2018 World Cup Bid and Chair elect for Meeting Professionals International is one of the most influential women in the events industry, in particular as a voice for sustainability.
The original video of the award conferment from 2014 was lost, and so a re-recording took place in 2024, along with an updated profile about Fiona on the University website.
Explaining what we do (and why)
In 2014, Positive Impact created a video to explain our mission to create a sustainable industry. It included opportunities to take action through our Share a Positive Impact campaign, education materials and workshops.
In 2014, Positive Impact created a video to explain our mission to create a sustainable industry. It included opportunities to take action through our Share a Positive Impact campaign, education materials and workshops.
Delving deeper into sustainability strategies at the Sustainable Events Summit
Conference News magazine highlights plans for the Sustainable Events Summit, co-founded by Positive Impact.
Conference News magazine highlights plans for the Sustainable Events Summit, co-founded by Positive Impact.
Hosting a sustainability workshop at the Emerging Host Cities Conference
Positive Impact CEO, Fiona Pelham, delivered a workshop on practical steps to implement ISO 20121 for cities and events organisers at the 2013 conference.
Positive Impact CEO, Fiona Pelham, delivered a workshop on practical steps to implement ISO 20121 for cities and events organisers at the 2013 conference.
Sharing ideas to make events more sustainable
Positive Impact team member Charlie Banks writes about practices to make events more sustainable, in the Hospitality & Events North magazine.
Positive Impact team member Charlie Banks writes about practices to make events more sustainable, in the Hospitality & Events North magazine.
Sharing a vision for sustainability with ISO 20121
Positive Impact CEO Fiona Pelham was interviewed by ISO Focus magazine about ISO 20121, and her article was translated to feature in the French edition.
Positive Impact CEO Fiona Pelham was interviewed by ISO Focus magazine about ISO 20121, and her article was translated to feature in the French edition.
