What’s your name and what do you do?
Leah Harris, the Business Development Manager at Spaces at The Spine. I play a vital role in building those all-important relationships, whether it’s forming trusted partnerships with our clients or collaborating closely with the rest of the events team within the venue.
What are you most excited about in taking part in the sustainable events show 2025?
I’m excited to showcase Spaces at The Spine at the Sustainable Events Show 2025 and share how we’ve integrated sustainability into our venue. It’s a great opportunity to connect with prospective clients and buyers who are passionate about creating sustainable events and to learn from others in the industry.
Can you share how your company is promoting the use of sustainable materials or reducing waste in the events industry?
As a new build, we had the opportunity to prioritise sustainability from the start, ensuring Spaces at The Spine meets key sustainability measures and aligns with the 10 principles of the WELL Building Standard, which we hold at Platinum level, and BREEAM Outstanding. Some of these features include:
- A smart building management system for regulating temperature and lighting, with energy-saving LED lights and A++ ESOS-2 energy-efficient event spaces.
- Filtered drinking water throughout the building, no single-use plastics, and in-house bottled mineral water in glass bottles.
- Flooring made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles, carpets from fishing nets, and 95% recycled plastic bottle wallpaper.
- Low VOC paints and sustainably sourced wood used throughout.
What new technologies or innovations is your company using to create more sustainable event experiences?
At Spaces at The Spine, we placed technology and innovation at the centre of our design stage – meaning we achieved a modern, future-ready event venue. We have been paperless since the day of our opening, as the strategic location of digital screens throughout our event spaces, breakout rooms, lift lobbies and all spaces used by delegates during an event allow organisers to add branding, wayfinding and more without the need for print material.
Our AV systems is unique to us. It was created in collaboration with leading technology companies LG, Sennheiser, QSY-C to provide seamless connectivity between event spaces but also remotely. All AV services and support is in-house, delivered by our team of experts, meaning organisers can reduce the footprint of their events by eliminating the need for external production companies.
How do you ensure your suppliers and partners also adhere to sustainable practices, and what challenges have you faced in achieving this?
At Spaces at The Spine, we carefully select suppliers and partners who align with our commitment to sustainability. That’s why we work closely with our caterer, Company of Cooks, who emphasise ethical sourcing and innovative sustainability practices. This includes using local food suppliers from the northwest where possible and reducing food waste by cooking to delegate numbers and utilising surplus ingredients effectively.
Best Live event (concert, etc) you’ve attended?
That’s a tough one as I have been to a lot of great events but if I had to choose one, it would be the Cayman Islands Jazz Fest where I was lucky to have seen one of my favourite artists, Angie Stone.
