BMA House

An exterior view of BMA House on a sunny day with flowers in the foreground
BMA House. Image courtesy of BMA House.
Home to the British Medical Association, BMA House is a leading London venue that has sustainability front of mind.
Find out how it has incorporated environmentally friendly practices and how London & Partners collaborated with BMA House on the Tourism Means Business event.

About BMA House

BMA House is a historic London venue that hosts a wide range of events, including meetings, conferences and awards ceremonies.

Located near Euston in Tavistock Square, this Grade II-listed building offers a glorious backdrop for sustainable events.

How BMA House reduces its environmental impact

BMA House recognises the importance of sustainability and has introduced eco-friendly practices to have a more positive effect on the planet.

It has achieved several sustainable commitments, including reducing its carbon footprint by 69% since 2018, as well as water usage by 5.4m litres per year. Adding a Clean Air Walking Route decreased air pollution by 57%.

Following its strong commitment to sustainable practices, BMA House achieved Greengage’s ECOsmart Platinum accreditation and the Best Accommodation and Meetings Sustainable Initiative Award in 2022, one of the few venues to do so in the world.

Event spotlight: Tourism Means Business conference 2022

As part of a commitment to net-zero activity, London & Partners embarked on a pilot scheme to focus on food sustainability at Tourism Means Business, London & Partners’ annual partner conference hosted at BMA House.

London & Partners collaborated with the venue and in-house caterers Waste Knot to reduce waste and the carbon footprint of the food. Working with the Catering General Manager and Senior Events Planner from the outset provided the time and crucial knowledge to lessen the event’s environmental impact.

Sustainable learnings from the Tourism Means Business event

  • Working with caterers and venue managers early in the planning stages provides insight into the entire process, allowing better decisions to be made to reduce food waste at the event.
  • No two venues or caterers are the same. In-house caterers have different complexities to those based off-site, and venues and hotels that are part of large chains have different considerations to independent locations. At big hotels, purchases and menu choices are more structured than at small hotels, so collaborating with caterers in the early stages and throughout the process makes it clear what sustainable food options can be leveraged.
  • Obtain stakeholder buy-in throughout the process to understand the procedures, allowing time to adjust or change according to the audience size and requirements.
  • Communicate sustainability initiatives to attendees. Share plans with the audience as part of the PR and marketing of the event. Create clear signs at the venue and explain processes during the event to help achieve sustainability goals.
  • Measure food waste and don’t forget back-of-house processes.
  • To reduce food waste, consider all areas, including sourcing, transport, amount of food ordered, menu options, and type and timing of service, and align them with the event time and duration.
  • Remove disposable materials from front-of-house service as well as back-of-house food preparation areas, transportation and storage.
  • Don’t forget to consider drinks in waste-reduction planning.
  • Use plant-based food as often as possible, but it is not the only option for a sustainable catering solution.
  • Sustainable does not mean boring. Healthy, tasty and enticing food options are widely available.
Working with BMA House was a pleasure from the outset. Their openness and readiness to ensure our sustainable goals were met created a stress-free planning process. They also provided innovative solutions in both menu choices and in service styles, communicating the message to our attendees. Most of all, the food and drinks were fresh, attractive and delicious. I would certainly recommend them for your event.
Donna Abberley
Corporate Event Manager, London & Partners

The Tourism Means Business event was a fantastic opportunity for London & Partners to learn how to reduce our environmental impact when organising events.

Going forward, we aim to work with venues that showcase strong sustainability policies and commitment to achieve zero-net emissions, as demonstrated by BMA House.

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