Photo by Peter Sturm/My Perspectives Global Wave Conference 2020 Fingal Slabb Family Welcome to Country ceremony
Sustainable event management (SEM) can be initiated for all events and a sliding scale is recommended; beginning with something simple and at low cost to start on the path and added to, over time.
Your event doesn’t need to be certified or accredited to make positive changes, which is the main reason to install SEM systems. But what it does give your event is important base lines and benchmarks to strive for best management practice and ultimately a sustainable event.
Sustainable events will be given priority for funding and sponsorship over the old style because governments & sponsors who adhere to Corporate Social Responsibility will demand it, in line with their brand values.
Earlier this year we were stoked to worked with Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve on the Global Wave Conference 2020 which is Australia’s first-ever STOKE Certified event 🙂
From Media Release by Andrew Mckinnon,”The 6th biennial Global Wave Conference held at the Gold Coast Campus, Southern Cross University in February 2020 has been awarded a STOKE certification for its sustainability management of the International Ocean Conservation event.
Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve hosted Global Wave Conference 2020 for the first time in Australia on behalf of International partners Save the Waves, Surfrider Foundation, Wild Coast, Surfers Against Sewage, and the International Association of Surfing Researchers. Over 400 participants from 19 Countries attended with as many as 93 speakers presenting on a diverse range of topics mostly live-streamed which can be viewed.
This marks the first-ever STOKE Certified event to be awarded in Australia following seven previous STOKE events internationally.
Our hats go off to Andrew, Megan, Nichelle Lyster, Larissa Rose, Greg Howell, Cameron Arnold, Nev Hyman and the whole GWC 2020 team for crafting a creative, collaborative, and sustainable space for the international surf conservation community. We were blown away by the attention to detail in sourcing with vendors, zero waste practices, cultural heritage preservation, and support for the local community projects around the Gold Coast.
GWC2020 was supported by TEQ (Tourism Events Qld), Destination Gold Coast, Qld Government Tourism, Sport & Environment, City of Gold Coast, Southern Cross University, Surfboard Warehouse, Griffith Uni, Robyn Walder, Surf Mud, Vissla, Glowing Green Australia & Climate Wave Enterprises.”
