The Insurance Hall, a magnificent event venue managed by Newable in the heart of the City of London, has recently been awarded Silver status as part of the ECOsmart certification managed by Greengage.
We discuss with Giacomo Gatti, Newable Head of Events and Live Marketing who oversees the management of The Insurance Hall business as part of the Newable Advice offering, the significance of this achievement and how the certification aligns with the wider Newable commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
What is the ECOsmart certification, and what does it signify?
ECOsmart is a leading certification system for hotels, event venues, short-stay apartments and pubs with meeting rooms. It is increasingly recognised in the hospitality industry as the credible marque that organisations can display to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability and the achievement of recognised standards.
Can you provide an overview of The Insurance Hall and its primary functions?
The Insurance Hall is a historic venue in the heart of Central London that offers flexible and exceptional event space for up to 260 people. It has four versatile rooms that can be used for meetings and events ranging from conferences, workshops, private dinners, corporate meetups, graduations, AGMs, Christmas parties and even small exhibitions. We have state-of-the-art AV equipment in each room, which is included as a standard in our Day Delegate Rate (DDR) and Room Hire fees, and a dedicated team that offers a VIP service to all our clients.
The Insurance Hall is a Grade II listed building oozing history and character. It was the home of the UK insurance sector for over 80 years and benefits from beautiful features such as magnificent stained-glass windows, oak panelling and a minstrel gallery. It is in the beating heart of the City of London, adjacent to the Guildhall and within walking distance of five underground and train stations, ensuring that it is easily accessible for event guests travelling from all over London and the UK. It’s a perfect venue for business events, ceremonies and bespoke dining.
What motivated The Insurance Hall to pursue the ECOsmart certification?
As part of the Newable Group, we are committed to acting responsibly and sustainably across all our activities. This commitment underpins the Newable’s approach to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) and is demonstrated through our pledge to contribute to economic development by helping other businesses to thrive, deliver sustainability for a better world and operate transparently in all that we do.
In line with this approach, at The Insurance Hall we are working hard to ensure all our activities are designed with sustainability in mind.
With its thorough environmental audit and recognised standards, ECOsmart was a perfect opportunity for us to check if we’re on the right track on our journey to sustainability and showcase our results and commitment to this worthy cause.
What were the key steps involved in achieving the silver award?
We worked our way through the ECOsmart questionnaire, which has six categories: Energy and Water, Building Infrastructure, Rooms and Consumables, Waste Management, Food and Beverages and ESG.
Our Event Manager, Sian Hughes, the Newable ESG Manager, Justine Finance-Elzokm and The Insurance Hall General Manager, Robin Basu, collaborated closely on this project, so this important achievement is primarily the result of their hard work and dedication.
The key steps the project team went through involved having regular conversations with various stakeholders, such as our catering, cleaning and waste management suppliers, but also with our colleagues at NewFlex, who manages The Insurance Hall building on behalf of the City of London, to ensure we were accurately capturing answers and actions. Once we completed the questionnaire, we worked with ECOsmart to ensure our profile was complete and we had provided all evidence required before submitting the document for assessment by Greengage.
We were not expecting to be awarded the Silver status straight away, especially as the building is listed, which can limit some actions we can undertake. However, we were all so pleased that all our efforts had been rewarded, and we are now really proud of this result.
How long did the certification process take from start to finish?
We decided to start the certification process in early June and got certified in August, but that was the result of weekly meetings with the project team and dedicating time to work on what was required, as we wanted to ensure we would be certified by late August/early September before the restart of the peak event season.
What were the main challenges faced during the certification process?
Some of our suppliers were not immediately responsive so it took the project team a bit longer to get responses to some key questions. It was also challenging to understand what we should focus on to ensure we could progress at a reasonable pace for our business ambitions.
How were these challenges overcome?
Some were resolved with patience and consistency in their requests. In other instances, we had to admit we should pause on the progress of an action and focus on other areas that we were able to control to allow the time to progress some of the areas that were taking slightly longer.
What are the immediate and long-term benefits of achieving the ECOsmart certification for The Insurance Hall?
Through achieving the ECOsmart certification, we reinforce our commitment to limit our impact on the environment and to play our part in tackling climate change. This benefits our organisation, our clients and, more broadly, the world.
For us, the certification is not just a badge on our website. It helps us be more sustainable by measuring and reducing our energy and water consumption, managing our waste effectively, ensuring sustainable food practices and working with our suppliers to ensure they are aligned with our environmental targets and commitments.
It has also helped us publicise our commitment to the events and catering industry and show our clients how committed we are to these critical objectives.
How has the certification impacted the employees and stakeholders?
The certification has placed us ahead of our competitors but also made it clearer to our colleagues and stakeholders, including our suppliers, that we are seriously committed to acting responsibly and sustainably across all the activities we undertake at The Insurance Hall. It is helping us develop a cultural and not only practical change in our staff’s behaviour and attitude—something that will surely pay off on multiple levels in the long run.
Does The Insurance Hall have plans to pursue higher levels of ECOsmart certification in the future?
Yes, as part of our continuous quality improvement approach that reflects Newable’s ‘Always Improve’ value, we are indeed planning to review our submission and aim for the Gold Award in 2025. On the one hand, we want to reinforce what we have achieved so far through our Silver certification and, on the other hand, continue on our journey to improve our environmental credentials in line with the wider Newable ESG commitment.
Progressing from Silver to Gold will be challenging, considering the building’s listed status, but we will do our best to continue on this journey.
What ongoing or future sustainability projects are planned to maintain or improve the current standards?
We are considering several projects, including water management and food waste courses for our staff, measuring and reducing even more accurately, and ensuring all lights are LED, motion-sensitive and from renewable sources.
What advice would you give to other organisations aiming to achieve ECOsmart certification?
I would encourage them to reach out to the ECOsmart team, as they are keen to help and ensure you understand the questions and what they mean to your business. They have been helpful throughout our application process, and this clearly reflects a serious commitment to supporting organisations in the hospitality industry in improving their environmental credentials.
I would also say it is important to have team members who genuinely believe in these commitments, as we surely have at Newable. Dedicate some time to following through on the agreed actions and ensuring you keep on top of the action plan once certified.