Shining an extraordinary spotlight on conservation and creativity alike, leading event designers, Party Planners, brought the rainforest to London’s Natural History Museum in honour of David Attenborough’s Immersive Exhibition and the global “Race to Bélem” campaign. Commissioned by Mercuria, the event featured an emotional masterpiece of film by Open Planet and was a rallying call for urgent investment in the protection and restoration of the Amazon Basin.
The immersive rainforest experience created by Party Planners, renowned as one of the world’s most celebrated event planning and design agencies and regularly trusted to manage events for the royal family, transformed the Museum’s iconic Hintze Hall with lush foliage and atmospheric design. Every element, from the sustainably sourced plants to the eco-conscious catering, was meticulously considered to reflect the evening’s environmental message.
Speakers for the evening included key figures from COP30 – which is set to take place in Belém this November – and environmental leadership circles, all underscoring the urgency of collective action to protect the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Guests included 100 senior leaders from business, finance, investment, Indigenous communities, science, and culture – among them the CEO and Executive Director of COP30, Ana Toni.
The evening’s production and catering were designed to champion sustainability within the hospitality sector. Party Planners, together with their preferred caterers, By Word of Mouth, proudly supported food surplus charity City Harvest London. This inspiring organisation redistributes excess produce to more than 375 community projects across the capital, and the evening helped raise vital funds to support its work. Every £1 raised equates to four meals for those facing food poverty. Guests also enjoyed a selection of City Harvest’s innovative ‘No Waste’ canapés, crafted from trimmings and surplus ingredients from their kitchen operations.
Producing some of the finest British wines, the Gusbourne Estate – with 60 hectares in Appledore, Kent, and 30 hectares near the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex – yields small volumes of intensely flavourful fruit, which were used to make the wines enjoyed throughout the evening.
Every plant used in the evening’s decor was a living specimen, destined to return to Palmbrokers’ nursery just outside London, where it would be nurtured and maintained for future use at events and film locations across the UK. No cut flowers, invasive species, or single-use products were included in the setup. Party Planners’ in-house set design and production team created bespoke tables with built-in troughs, allowing potted plants to be used in place of cut flowers. These plants could then be reused for future events or replanted in private or community gardens.
Harriet Webber-Jamieson, Managing Director and the creative force behind Party Planners, proudly stated, “Absolutely everything was recycled, reused, or returned. As an industry, we must continue to challenge ourselves and encourage our clients to act more responsibly when producing these incredible events.”
The event celebrated the unveiling of the David Attenborough Immersive Exhibition, the groundbreaking installation that leverages cutting-edge technology to bring Sir David’s voice and vision to life. The exhibition is not only a tribute to natural history, but a crucial platform to amplify the message behind the “Race to Bélem” – a global initiative working to safeguard the Amazon and promote biodiversity through reforestation, indigenous-led conservation, and climate resilience.
At the heart of this initiative is Silvania, a flagship project launched by Mercuria with a $500 million commitment to nature and biodiversity protection. Developed in partnership with Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, Silvania supports the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN’s 30×30 Initiative by investing in nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and community empowerment.
Harriet commented: “We were honoured to be entrusted by Mercuria to bring their vision to life for such a meaningful project. Meeting Sir David Attenborough and understanding the depth of this campaign made it even more powerful. We believe the events industry has a responsibility to lead with purpose and we’re committed to setting new standards for sustainability and impact in hospitality.”
With an illustrious history of producing exceptional events around the globe, Party Planners continues to redefine industry standards through creativity, innovation, and a strong commitment to sustainability. This event marks another milestone in their mission to create experiences with purpose and to use the power of storytelling and design to drive meaningful change.
