COP26 - Green Zone

a bit of background

The 26th United Nations Climate Change “Conference of the Parties”, also known as COP26, was held in Glasgow city centre, between 31 October and 12 November 2021. Global events agency Identity were awarded the production contract and we delivered the “Green Zone” on their behalf.

The COP26 Green Zone focused on public engagement and was a free-to-attend, ticketed, hybrid event at the Glasgow Science Centre (GSC). We hosted 150 exhibitors and seven unique event spaces running over 12 live days, paired with a Digital Green Zone experience.

Managed by the UK Government (UKG) as Presidency, the Green Zone provided a platform for general public, youth groups, civil society, academia, artists, and businesses to have their voices heard through events, exhibitions, workshops, and talks that promoted dialogue, awareness, education, and commitments to the climate change agenda.

the approach

Working closely with the Cabinet Office COP26 Unit, we curated a unique event around the idiosyncrasies of the GSC. Although an incredible venue, it is not a purpose-built event space, and by design there isn’t a straight line or right-angle anywhere to be seen! To build and deliver the event, over 400 staff and crew came together on-site to overcome the many challenges and deliver the most sustainable event possible.

Sustainability was at the heart of everything we delivered, working to reduce, reuse and recycle everything. We continuously challenged ourselves at every turn, maintaining a balance between delivering a meaningful event and a sustainable event. Every element of delivery was scrutinised and researched, with comprehensive guidance drawn up to share with all exhibitors and suppliers to help ensure continuity and compliance with all stakeholders.

In addition, an independent accessibility consultant was brought on board during the design phase to advise on both the in-person and digital Green Zone. This meant we could address details ranging from plinth and TV mounting height, hearing loops and ramped access and egress to braille signage, quiet spaces, and staff awareness/training for hidden disabilities.

exhibition design and construction

A huge 90m x 20m temporary structure was constructed adjoining the venue to house a principal partner exhibition and catering space, requiring the land adjacent to be levelled (and reinstated after the event concluded, using the same earth that was taken away). We worked with the GSC, Scottish Fire and Rescue, and Glasgow Council to provide fire management, health and safety, and risk assessment plans.

Every nook and cranny inside and out of the GSC site was utilised for a variety of bespoke exhibition spaces, with a total of 150 exhibitors – including electric planes, trucks, and even a submarine – and immersive experiences from stakeholders including Microsoft, Sky, Unilever, and more. Many of the GSC’s own exhibits were left in place and integrated into the overall event design.

hybrid event production

There were seven unique event spaces, including an IMAX cinema and a planetarium with 360-degree projection. We delivered over 230 events during the 12 days, including a VVIP reception with Mark Wahlberg and HRH Prince William, an IMAX premiere with Sir David Attenborough, and a hugely diverse programme of live music, conversations, and presentations. We provided AV and technical crew across the site, seamlessly integrating with the existing GSC infrastructure.

A Digital Green Zone on a dedicated Google Arts and Culture webpage extended the reach of the COP26 Green Zone to online and international audiences, showcasing exhibitors and key messaging, and allowing a platform for influencers on the ground to post shorts throughout the event to give online visitors a real feel of the activity within the Green Zone. Events and performances were live streamed and accessible via the Digital Green Zone. The online audience were able to interact with live Q&As and polls linked to the in-person events.

ticketing and accreditation

A bespoke build of our event platform, Gem, handled all the ticketing for the event, which issued over 45,000 tickets. The digital tickets contained a unique barcode that allowed access to the venue and into any booked events. In addition to the public ticketing, we also managed pass production for over 26,000 staff across both Blue and Green Zones.

the upshot

The event was a huge success with over 40,000 attendees in-person, over 350,000 visitors to the Digital Green Zone, over 400,000 unique viewers (7.5M impressions) for the live event streams, and over 1M impressions on Twitter.

We were overwhelmed by the positive feedback from our client, exhibitors, event organisers, services, and delegates alike.

COP26 achieved ISO20121 for sustainable events and feedback from the auditors was that it was the best example they had seen and would be used as a case study for future events.

We are incredibly proud to have been involved with such an important landmark event and we are committed to making more sustainable events with our clients in the future.