I spoke to Ying Ying Li two years ago, back when Covid was just a rumour amongst news channels. She was in the middle of her master’s degree in Eco-Tourism. Since we last spoke, she has graduated and has set up her own business: a sustainable events consultancy, The Positive Event.
Her business offers advice and planning to organisers of events, assisting their planning process to ensure they make more environmentally friendly (not to mention, cost-efficient) decisions, minimising the carbon footprint of each event. Li credits Covid for giving her, as she says “the courage to do something that I really wanted for myself” and start up her own business. She also wanted to help other businesses bounce back from Covid losses. She felt it was “important to do something meaningful and helpful for people and the environment.”
People don’t think about their impact on something as simple as an event. What I’m trying to do is instil a behaviour change
“
Li’s first project was for Heriot-Watt university’s Malaysian society’s celebration of Chinese New Year, and she admits her advice was aberrant. “I asked people to bring their own cutlery and containers as a solution to reduce disposable cutlery and paper plates, and to reduce as much waste possible… I was worried about whether the organisers were going to accept this advice.” But the event organisers and attendees embraced her advice and enjoyed a minimised carbon footprint, more reflection and perhaps a heightened awareness of their impact, at something as seemingly innocuous as a celebratory event.
Li hopes that incorporating sustainability into event planning becomes common practice, encouraging others to join her in the events sustainability field – despite her present advantage of having the whole market to herself. “I’ve done my business plan. I know who my competitors are, and there are very few in the UK.” Like the UK government’s Net Zero initiative, Li forecasts that sustainable practice in event planning will be mandatory, despite its current niche status in the UK “We shouldn’t question this kind of thing, it should be normal practice.”
I know who my competitors are, and there are very few in the UK
“
Li sees her role as one of an educator; not simply a consultant. “People want to come and just enjoy their dinner. They don’t think about their impact on something as simple as an event. What I’m trying to do is instil a behaviour change for attendees.” It makes sense: if we aren’t approaching events consciously, we may be less and less likely to have the opportunity to enjoy events in future – due to climate change effects. An early pioneer in sustainable event planning, it’s exciting to see how Li will explore her new frontier. With her first job completed, she marks it as “the first victory for myself and my business.”
www.linkedin.com/company/thepositiveevent/
