CTW Events at EN Indy Expo 2025: Connecting People and Purpose in an AI-Driven Era

Another major theme at EN Indy Expo 2025 was sustainability in the events industry. During a Community Hub panel titled “Sustainability: Why Your Exhibitors Don’t Care,” experts tackled the misconception behind the provocative title. The panel – featuring host Simon Burton, Duncan Reid, Hannah Kilgariff (Event Director at CCR), and Simon Evans (Sustainability Director at PIE) – suggested that it’s not that exhibitors truly don’t care about sustainability, but rather that they are often time- and resource-constrained. Exhibitors primarily come to shows seeking leads and ROI, so sustainability initiatives must be communicated in terms of those business benefits to gain buy-in. The consensus was that everyone cares about doing the right thing, but event organisers need to make it easier and more compelling for exhibitors to participate in green practices.

Encouragingly, the panel shared evidence that sustainable event practices are gaining traction. For instance, some trade shows have achieved “60% less waste to landfill” after just a few years of focused efforts by requiring reusable booth materials and greener operations. It’s not rocket science – many solutions are relatively basic – but it does require planning and commitment upfront. Measuring impact was highlighted as key: when organisers and exhibitors track things like waste reduction or community impact, they can identify where to improve and celebrate progress. Panelists also noted that many exhibitors are already implementing great sustainability or CSR initiatives on their own; they just aren’t telling those stories well. By showcasing exhibitor success stories and providing a framework (e.g. guidelines or requirements for sustainable exhibiting), events can drive broader adoption of best practices. Importantly, with investors and customers increasingly prioritizing ESG, sustainable events make business sense – not just moral sense – for all involved.

For CTW Events, these insights affirmed that our model of integrating social impact into events is on the right track. We specialize in turning corporate social responsibility (CSR) into engaging event experiences. Whether it’s a hygiene kit build addressing health and well-being or a school supply pack benefiting quality education, our programs align with various UN Sustainable Development Goals while remaining fun and team-centric. We help Fortune 500 companies and growing businesses alike give back in a way that aligns with their sustainability and ESG goals, without sacrificing the primary event objectives. In fact, we often find that adding a purpose element enhances the success of an event – attendees feel more engaged and proud to be contributing to something meaningful, which reflects positively on the host organization. As evidence, some of the world’s largest companies have partnered with CTW Events to turn volunteering into powerful relationship-building opportunities. Just this year, a Fortune 100 company worked with us on a month-long campaign where 25,000 employees assembled 410,000 hygiene kits across 381 events worldwide[12] – a masterclass in how doing good can energize teams at scale. These kinds of outcomes show that sustainable, impact-focused events are not only possible, but can drive incredible participation and buzz.