• Client - Cisco / George P Johnson

• Event - Cisco Live!

Cisco Live! took place at ExCeL London from 31st January - 3rd February. It had a delegate attendance of just under 6,000 from across Europe. The event footprint was over 23 000 square metres and over 50 breakout rooms.

Cisco's CSR programme, the Cisco Live! Initiative breaks into three main areas: The Environment, Social Investments and Putting People First.

For Cisco Live! 2011, Cisco chose ExCeL London as the venue as its impressive green credentials fitted the objectives set for the Cisco Live! Initiative. ExCeL London worked closely with George P Johnson and Cisco in helping them achieve their sustainability goals for the event.

• Waste

ExCeL London recycles on average, 80% of its waste. Throughout the venue there are bins for recyclable waste and non recyclable materials. Waste is sorted onsite before being sent to our waste management company Shanks. Shanks is located to ExCeL meaning that waste travels less than 5 miles to be recycled and processed.

Cisco Live ! created 34,690 kg of waste. Of that, only 7% was sent to landfill, 64 % was recycled directly, and the remaining waste was reused or recycled by means of SRF where by the waste (12%) is processed to be used as fuel. The final 16% was further processed so it could be recycled thereby giving a total recycling level of 80% .

• Food and Beverage

As well as featuring over 300 exhibition stands, the exhibition floor also incorporated an entertainment zone for children, with a variety of fairground rides, as well as competitions, sporting activities and a Health Zone. The event also included a gallery styled art-exhibition, which needed to ensure a controlled environment for the artefacts and exhibits whilst simultaneously allowing for a free-flow crowd movement.

• Fair trade

All coffee and tea was rainforest alliance certified and fair-trade. Over 60,000 cups were served during the event
All sugar and bananas were fair-trade

• Local Sourcing

The majority of Leith's' kitchen suppliers: fish, butchers, bakery, fruit and vegetables and equipment are London based. A large proportion of their vegetables come from Suffolk.

For Cisco Live! menus were designed so that where possible, food came from local suppliers.

Salad, vegetables, milk and diary products came from within 20 miles, Lamb came from within 60 miles
Large bottles of English water (Malvern) were sourced specifically for Cisco . Leith's usually supply Scottish water.
Aspall cider and Old Speckled Hen ales were specially selected from farms in Suffolk for the party

• Crockery, Cutlery, Glassware - Reusable/Recyclable

Water coolers were widely used. Each water cooler is sent back to the supplier to be refilled and serves an average of 1,000 litres over its 5 year life cycle, after which the bottle is then recycled
Plastic cups from water coolers, paper coffee cups, beer bottles, water bottles, cans, wine bottles were all recycled.
Leith's have a large stock of china, cutlery and glassware which is used over number of events making them a sustainable product.

• Energy

Over the last 4 years ExCeL has reduced its electricity consumption by 28% and gas consumption by 65%. This represents a 61% reduction in energy related carbon footprint and a 65% reduction in carbon emissions.

Since that time ExCeL has continued to work on energy saving measures. For example in December 2010, 186 new LED lights were fitted in the boulevard each reducing energy consumption by 70% in the lighting.

The new extension to the venue opened in May 2010 and as part of the building, introduced more natural daylight which has reduced the use of energy for lighting.

• Social Investments

ExCeL London supports MacMillan and Community Food Enterprise - Juice 4 Life. In addition, ExCeL London allows a number of local organisations to use the venue FOC: Ascension Eagles Cheerleaders, Young Enterprise, ExCeL in the Arts.

• Putting People First

ExCeL London invited 7 students from Royal Docks School , a local school in Newham, to take part in Cisco Live! 2011. This was an opportunity for female students thinking of working in the IT sector to view new IT solutions and meet female employees of Cisco to gain insight on the sector.

ExCeL London has been open for just over 10 years. On 31.12.11 of 138 staff, staff retention is as follows:

Less than 3 years - 26%
3 years or more - 74%
Of which
5 years or more - 46%
Of which
10 years or more - 14%.

Over 50% of staff come from East London and 25% are from the local borough Newham.