DALLAS, July 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freeman® — the world’s leading brand experience company — is excited to announce it has earned the Events Industry Council (EIC) Level 2 APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meetings Standards Certification pertaining to the Evaluation and Selection of Exhibits for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences (E2742) for Supplier (General Service Contractor/Venue). The APEX/ASTM Standard recognizes companies that are helping customers execute sustainable events that not only meet but exceed event industry standards.
“Freeman is deeply committed to sustainability for the organization, our clients’ events, and the industry,” said Freeman SVP of Sustainability Melinda Kendall. “Sustainability is all about finding creative ways to reduce waste, and the Events Industry Council’s certification gives our customers confirmation that we have proven our ability to provide our customers sustainable event execution beyond what they may have considered or even thought possible.”
This achievement was certified by BPA iCompli Sustainability Assurance, the official certification provider of the EIC APEX/ASTM Standard for sustainable events and a leading provider of certification to the ISO 20121 event sustainability management standard. BPA iCompli Sustainability Assurance worked with EIC to develop certification protocols for the APEX Environmentally Sustainable Meetings Standards. Both standards were introduced in 2012 to provide event planners and suppliers with specifications for producing events in a more sustainable manner.
"Our certification to the event sustainability standards created by EIC, and now adopted by Freeman, continues our long-standing commitment to promote transparency in the events industry,” said Glenn Hansen, BPA President and CEO. “Third-party validation will provide Freeman with a significant competitive advantage by providing an extra level of assurance to their business partners that they have fully implemented this important standard.”
The EIC APEX/ASTM Standards are a set of nine formal, voluntary standards developed by the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry. The standards were created in partnership with ASTM International, an ANSI-accredited standards development organization. The standards provide event planners and suppliers prescriptive, measurable specifications for producing events in a more sustainable manner. With this certification, Freeman is the only GSC to have both the ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management System and APEX/ASTM sustainability certifications in North America. The Events Industry Council is completing a two-year review and redesign of the standards. The new standards, that will be referred to as the Events Industry Council Sustainable Event Standards, have just concluded a public consultation period and will be released later this year.
"The Events Industry Council congratulates Freeman on this major achievement,” said Amy Calvert, CEO, Events Industry Council. “The cumulative impact of embedding sustainable practices in their 21 exhibition offices across North America is exactly the type of bold, meaningful action needed today in our industry. We also celebrate Freeman's well-established commitment to sustainable practices through materials innovation, waste management and community partnerships."
“Sustainability is increasingly a component of the end-user brand experience,” continued Kendall. “The key to any environmental effort is taking a holistic approach and engaging all stakeholders and suppliers from the beginning to design sustainability into the event.”
The Events Industry Council APEX/ASTM standards certification showcases Freeman’s continued dedication to reducing event waste, a practice Freeman has been focused on for years. To learn how Freeman donated 7,330 pounds of building materials, flooring, cleaning supplies, insulation, and batteries to support four local non-profits read the Freeman Insight Post: “Three Ways to Engage Vendors for Sustainability Success at Your Next Event”.
About Freeman
Freeman is the world’s leading brand experience company. We help our clients design and deliver immersive live experiences for their most important audiences. Through comprehensive offerings including strategy, creative, logistics, digital, and event technology, Freeman helps increase audience engagement and drive business results. What makes us different is our collaborative culture, intuitive knowledge, global perspective, and personalized approach, which we’ve gained from our 90 years as an industry leader. For more information, please visit https://www.freeman.com/.
About BPA iCompli Sustainability
BPA iCompli Sustainability, a division of BPA Worldwide, is a not-for-profit auditing organization established in 1931 to audit audience metrics for publishers, advertisers and their agencies. Today, BPA’s audit services have expanded to include external assurance of government and industry standards and independent verification of technology and service claims. BPA iCompli provides third-party certification to APEX/ASTM and ISO event standards, sustainability framework services, and verification of sustainability data including GHG emissions, waste diversion, water withdrawal, safety performance and more. Learn more at www.bpaww.com.
About Events Industry Council Sustainability
The Events Industry Council’s more than 30 member organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the events industry. The Events Industry Council promotes high standards and professionalism in the events industry with the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program and signature program initiatives. The four signature programs — Sustainability, Industry Insights, Knowledge, and Leadership — represent the key initiatives, assets, services and products for the Events Industry Council. Our Sustainability Committee produces resources and how-to guides, hosts monthly webinars on sustainable meeting practices and publishes a monthly sustainability newsletter. Learn more at www.eicsustainability.org.
Freeman and The Freeman Company are either registered trademarks or trademarks of The Freeman Company in the United States and/or other countries. All other product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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Media Contacts:
Stephen Phillips, Freeman
214.445.1205
stephen.phillips@freeman.com
Gina DeRossi, on behalf of Freeman
518.886.1076
gina.derossi@soteryx.com