Requirements with guidance for use” is designed to ensure high level of events organization through management of economic, environmental and social factors. It’s important to understand that the standard determines the requirements for systems of event preparation and arrangement management, not for an event itself.

ISO 20121 is one of the youngest ISO standards. Its development was catalyzed by holding summer Olympics 2012 in London. In the meantime the standard can be equally applicable both to global and local and regional events.

Like most of ISO standards, ISO 20121 is based on fundamental approaches and principles (PDCA continual improvement cycle, system and process approaches etc.), what ensures high level of integration with the most popular ISO standards, in particular ISO 9001, ISO 140001 and OHSAS 18001.

The most remarkable examples of practical application of the standard are the above mentioned Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, as well as sailing competitions in Great Britain, regularly held by Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy. According to the organizers of the latter implementation of the standard allows saving over 15% of the event’s budget.

• It is important to work with what the intended results of your management system are. What is the basic system to help you achieve?
• Environmental issues must be seen and worked on in a life-cycle perspective. You and your company must deal with both direct and indirect environmental impacts
• It is important that you have a culture that focuses on continuous improvement
• Risk management, where you look at both strategic and operational challenges and opportunities in the environmental area is the focal point of an environmental management system
• Evaluation of effort and follow-up is alpha and omega and the basis for developing and improving your sustainability work