“London suffers from a Band-Aid mentality that wastes millions on veneers and varnishes rather than developing sustainable solutions. The same could be said for the rest of the country.”

So wrote Financial Times columnist Tyler Brûlé (left) recently when he cast London’s design, planning and infrastructure in a decidedly downbeat light compared to cities like Tokyo. For Brûlé the problems start on arrival at London Heathrow (“the faint odour of failure”) whereas airports such as Zürich (“swift and efficient”) are held up as transport models.

Brûlé certainly has entitlement. As the success behind Wallpaper magazine and brand consultancy Winkreative, the self-proclaimed “frequent flying journalist” has cosmopolitan and creative clout in spades. (15 Aug '08)                                     

Few would disagree with his view that London is “the hub that sets the agenda and the first port of call for most visitors (thus investors)” but are we en route to becoming a failed state, as he puts it?

Sat Bal put Brûlé's criticisms to the International Special Events Society (ISES) which flies the event industry flag for London and promotes its UK Chapter’s interests globally. President of ISES, Will Broome, is well acquainted with our Heathrow gateway as he tirelessly flies the globe on ISES business - at the time of writing he’s preparing for another trip to the US.

Before he left we asked Will Broome to comment on Tyler Brûlé’s dystopian vision and whether London’s events infrastructure is set to feel the negative effect of the alleged “veneers and varnishes”.

           Will Broome - President, ISES UK :

“The London events industry is growing up fast. Events in general are now recognised as a vital focal point within the marketing machine. Gone are the days of events being a stand alone frivolity as they now represent a culmination of wider, strategic campaigns and are more frequently designed to leave a lasting legacy of tangible and measurable ROI.

"With this enhanced focus comes an inherent responsibility as events take centre stage within large corporate campaigns and therefore have to comply with wider social CSR policies. Indeed, a major City bank will not entertain or accept hiring a venue or a supplier which may damage their sustainable credentials so CSR has become essential within our industry. ‘Veneers and varnishes’ simply won’t cut it these days.

"However, it’s not all knee-jerk reactions and peer pressure. The events industry is actively and passionately embracing their own CSR policies and to that effect, venues and suppliers are seeking credible accreditations and compliance certification. Indeed, the government standard is somewhat general and seeks to be universal but in such a specialist and specific sector many have found this confusing and not always entirely relevant. For this reason, the events industry have collectively taken the initiative and pioneered their own (accredited) eco-rating system.

"Both ISES and londonlaunch.com (Broome's company) are set to use this Eden Project endorsed rating system which is designed to assist corporate event organizers identify venues and suppliers with relevant, certified eco-credentials.

"With a whole host of sustainable event management and production companies emerging at the forefront of our industry, such as Seventeen Events, and Oxygen Event Services, the event industry is not only embracing sustainability but also, contrary to Mr Brûlé's view of London industry in general, pioneering it."

RK  _________________________________________