SMI Summit: By royal invitation
When 400 global changemakers come together by invitation of the king, it’s a chance to showcase sustainable events practice at the highest level.
His Majesty the King joined day two of the Terra Carta Roundtables & Exhibition to welcome hundreds of CEOs, innovators, and political leaders to Hampton Court Palace.
This summit would mark five years since the King (then Prince of Wales) founded the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) at Davos in 2020.
Hampton Court Palace is no ordinary venue
Listed, protected, and packed with priceless historical artifacts – no heavy lifting equipment is allowed, so everything was carried in and out by hand.
For the most part, we let the palace’s 500-year-old architecture do the talking – adding subtle, elegant touches for emphasis. Such as the pop-up pods that created intimate meeting spaces overlooking the beautiful palace gardens. The event backdrops were specially laser cut from Xanita Board made from post-consumer repulped paper waste - the resulting effect was simple but impactful and most importantly sustainable.
The transition to a sustainable future is the growth story of our time
The Sustainable Markets Initiative aims to put Nature, people and planet at the heart of global value creation.
The Summit heard about the huge private sector investments driving positive change. Alongside UK icons like Tim Peake and Jonny Wilkinson, private sector leaders and influencers set out clear arguments for a sustainable future, while 30+ exhibitors showcased the latest developments in sustainable engineering and technology.
Stella McCartney brought a carefully curated exhibit, emphasising her innovative vision of circular, low-impact fashion products and the future of eco-conscious design.
The King’s banquet
We worked closely with the venue and local suppliers to minimise transport of goods and equipment. And in front of an audience of VVIPs, we demonstrated how low environmental impact and exceptional delegate experience coexist in the live environment.
The Summit crescendo was a spectacular palace dinner, with a menu of local producers, carefully chosen for their low environmental impact and high-quality, seasonal ingredients. A banquet fit for a king.
The floral centrepieces for the evening dinner were a sea of seasonal British daffodils and post event Floral Angels repurposed blooms for care homes and hospitals.
With a string quartet performing covers of Wicked’s Defying Gravity and Pink’s What About Us, the palace’s 500-year heritage and prestige ensured our audience would feel the gravity of the message.
“Live events have an important role in the sustainability conversation, as meeting places and catalysts for change. So, it was inspiring to work with SMI to bring so many leaders together with the potential to change the world for the better”
Cressida Prout, Event Director and Bray Leino Events sustainability champion
