ESG-Focused, Internal Conference: First Event Kick Off

Our Kick Off Conference was all about energy, inclusion and collective ownership. Featuring 22 speakers from across every department, the morning plenary sessions moved away from top-down presentations and instead became open, transparent conversations, where the team reflected on last year’s successes and shared the priorities for 2026.

In the afternoon, teams dived into interactive workshops. Some joined a high-energy session with Jez Rose on teamwork, communication and embracing different perspectives. Others explored practical ways to enhance sustainability across our operations with our ESG leaders. All followed by a stadium pub quiz hosted by Wildfire to wrap up the day and strengthen team bonds. 

It was a celebration, alignment and engagement all rolled into one, exactly the kind of internal corporate event that makes employees feel invested, informed and inspired.

Before confirming Manchester’s Etihad Stadium as our venue, we conducted a detailed ESG assessment aligned to our own sustainability policy and event standards. This was a collaborative process to ensure the venue could support our event’s ESG goals.

We asked direct, practical questions around meat-free catering, materials management, biodiversity, local sourcing, living wage commitments and energy and emissions. Working closely with the stadium team, we ensured our internal conference met the same sustainability expectations we set for client corporate events.

Key ESG highlights included:

• A fully vegetarian menu using locally sourced ingredients from North West suppliers.

• A circular food waste solution, where surplus was composted on-site and reused on the pitch and local community gardens.

• Power sourced from renewable energy, significantly reducing the event’s carbon footprint.

• Accessible public transport links and travel options to reduce reliance on private cars, helping minimise travel-related emissions.

• A commitment to living wage policies and an ethical supply chain, partnering only with suppliers who share our ESG values.

Too often, sustainability is talked about, but never measured. We changed that. Using Event Decision’s Impact Report tool, we assessed our Kick Off Conference against Environmental, Social and Governance metrics. Our pre-event score? Distinction. Post-event, after deliberate adjustments like vegetarian catering and stronger supplier choices? We scored: Advanced.

We measured:

• Carbon footprint and offsetting
• Sustainable travel planning
• Energy efficiency and certified venues
• Materials management
• Local and seasonal food sourcing
• Biodiversity impact
• Inclusive event planning and wellbeing provisions
• Living wage compliance

This showed that small, intentional changes make a big impact.

We transformed the Etihad Stadium into a full brand experience. Every team member’s name circled the pitch as a simple, powerful gesture that made people feel seen, valued and part of something bigger. The visual impact was also seen through organic social sharing on LinkedIn and Instagram, which amplified our culture externally, showing the world what a well-designed internal corporate event can achieve.

The impact wasn’t just seen on the day; it was measured. Post-event data revealed:

+51% increase in understanding of company goals.
+31% increase in understanding of individual roles.
+15% increase in likelihood to recommend First Event as a place to work.
+100% of employees signed the ESG Charter. 

Our 2026 Kick Off Conference was the perfect demonstration of what it means to run a sustainable, strategic and inspirational corporate experience.