Event Marketer is an exclusive partner of the industry’s leading authority on event measurement and analytics, the Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition. The collaboration provides experiential marketers with important tools and resources designed to help them track and measure the success of their events. Learn more here.
By Matt Sincaglia, Board Member, Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition
EMMC Event Sustainability Measurement Playbook
In the high-stakes world of experiential marketing, events remain one of the most powerful tools to inspire, connect and convert audiences. But their environmental impact, often significant, is becoming harder for brands to ignore. Attendees, stakeholders and regulators increasingly expect provable progress, not just eco-friendly rhetoric. The problem? While there’s no shortage of carbon calculators, recycling programs or sustainability “pledges,” the industry lacks a universally accepted framework for tracking and benchmarking event sustainability. Without it, marketers are left with fragmented data, inconsistent methods and no clear way to compare performance across events and the industry.
The Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition (EMMC) aims to change that by offering a pragmatic, scalable approach by simplifying the complexity of environmental data into two standardized, universally applicable metrics for owned events (as opposed to brand activations at third-party events).
The two metrics suggested are:
CO₂e per participant measuring the total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions generated by an event, divided by the total number of participants (attendees, staff, sponsors).
Landfill waste per participant quantifying the weight of waste sent to landfills, again on a per-participant basis.
The per-participant lens is an important distinction. It levels the playing field across events of different sizes and types, creating a common denominator for tracking, benchmarking and industry-wide comparison. With standardized inputs and formulas, brands can start to track performance over time and make data-driven sustainability decisions.
The EMMC urges marketers to set sustainability targets at the start of every project, track results against those targets and communicate outcomes transparently—even to event attendees. Publicly sharing performance, both successes and shortcomings, builds trust and invites collaboration.
The underlying philosophy is simple but powerful: data fuels change. By moving away from vague “green” claims and toward consistent, comparable, credible metrics, the industry can collectively raise the bar for sustainable events. Event professionals get not only a clearer picture of impact but also a stronger story to tell leadership, audiences and the world.
The “EMMC Event Sustainability Measurement Playbook” provides guidance, starting with defining the right metrics, applying them consistently, and using insights to drive continuous improvement. In doing so, brands can turn sustainability from a compliance checkbox into a competitive edge. The full playbook is available to EMMC members.
For full access to our latest guidance, join the EMMC at eventmeasurement.org/join-the-emmc.
