SustainabIlITY training For Event Professionals

step by step,
events become
sustainable

You already know sustainability matters.
‍STEP gives you the know-how, the tools, the right suppliers and hands-on support to put it into practice,
one step at a time.

— What you get
  • Hands-on workshops & pilots
  • Real-event application
  • Modular online learning path & ECTS
  • Certificates & ECTS
Get Notified ↗
— 01 / Why STEP?

Make sustainability work.

As an event professional, you are increasingly expected to reduce environmental impact, create more inclusive experiences and make responsible choices, often within tight budgets, short timelines and complex operational constraints.

STEP turns that into practical action, through hands-on workshops and a self-paced online path covering the full event lifecycle.It's practical tools, not just theory, built around real event challenges.

50
hours
Structured curriculum
02
STEP Levels
· First · BIG ·
04
Months
Mar 2027 → JUL 2027
— 02 / Workshops & Trainings

two
ways to
start.

Start with a one-day workshop between January and March 2027, online or in person in Belgium, Spain or the Netherlands. Continue with the self-paced online training from March to June 2027. Join one or both, free of charge thanks to EU funding.

01 / Workshops
January–March 2027online or in person :
Belgium · Spain · the Netherlands

Workshops

Discover the STEP approach in a single day: introduction to the key sustainability challenges of the industry. Working on one of your own events, you’ll set clear goals and KPIs, measure its impact and build a concrete action plan, supported by expert guidance, peer exchange and follow-up mentoring.

Limited seats.
  • Practical tools for real event challenges
  • Access to our sustainable supplier directory
  • Followed by an event pilot: apply what you learned to a real event of your own
  • FREE (EU co-funded)
02 / Online training
March–June 2027online

Online Training

Build real sustainability skills at your own pace: environmental impact, inclusive event design, supplier management, measurement and long-term strategy, through real case studies, not just theory.

Two levels. Start with First STEP and continue to Big STEP if it makes sense for you.

First STEP20 hours - build the foundations→ Certificate of participation
+Big STEP+30 hours - deepen your practice and go further→ Official 2 ECTS certification of completion from UOC
  • Modular lessons, videos, quizzes and real case studies
  • Certificate at every level
  • Official 2 ECTS certification at Big STEP
  • FREE (EU co-funded)
Registration opens November 16.Limited seats. Get notified below.
↓
— Registration

get notified.

and be the first to know when registration for the workshops and the online training opens on November 12. Limited seats.

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— 03 / Who it’s for?

Built with industry, validated by industry.

event agencies & venues
For teams turning briefs and client ambitions into practical event delivery.
festival & cultural organisers
For professionals balancing audience experience, budgets, operations and impact.
students & young professionals
For future event professionals developing sustainability skills from the start of their careers.
and others
+ also relevant for freelancers, suppliers, corporate and public organisers, associations, NGOs, conference organisers and other professionals influencing event decisions.
— 04 / Benefits

Turn intent into action.

01
See the whole picture
Understand how environmental, social and operational sustainability connect across the event lifecycle.
02
make better decisions
Apply practical knowledge from strategy and concept development to planning, procurement, production, mobility, inclusion and measurement.
03
build a structured approach
Move beyond isolated actions and develop a clearer, more consistent way of working.
04
learn on your terms
Choose the workshop, the online training (2 progressive stages), or both, and go as far as makes sense at your own pace.
— 05 / Partners

Meet the experts
behind STEP

From four countries and diverse academic and professional backgrounds, they helped shape a programme designed around the realities of your work.

Smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a blue button-up shirt and small jewelry.

Manon Glauden

ESG & Sustainability Lead
VO Group

Connect with me
Smiling man with a beard wearing a blue cap and dark jacket on a colorful blurred background.

Stefan Hric

Managing Partner
Creative Pro a.s.

Connect with me
Smiling woman with curly brown hair wearing a black jacket with gold buttons and trim.

Amber Herrewijn

Lecturer & Researcher
NHL Stenden Hogeschool

Connect with me
Woman with curly light brown hair wearing a blue blazer and white top against a white background.

Alba Colombo

Professor
Oberta de Catalunya

Connect with me
Young man with short hair and round glasses wearing a light blue shirt and patterned tie.

Héloïse Nolet

Lab Coordinator
VO Group

Connect with me
Woman with dark wavy hair, wearing glasses, a patterned top, and a layered silver necklace, smiling.

Christine Merckx

Confederation Manager
Event Confederation

Connect with me
🇧🇪01
Black and white logo with 'VO' letters and 'COMMUNICATION GROUP' text below.
VO Group SA
Coordinator · Belgium

Expert in sustainable event management; EMAS and ISO 14001 certified. Leads project management and workshop methodology.

🇳🇱02
NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and European Tourism Futures Institute logos in blue text and lines.
NHL Stenden Hogeschool
Quality assurance · Netherlands

Leading higher education institution with strong expertise in event, tourism, and hospitality research.

🇸🇰03
Creative Pro logo with stylized arc and dot and text Passion for Moments.
Creative Pro a.s.
Industry partner · Slovakia

International event agency active across Central & Eastern Europe; strong sustainability and creative communication expertise.

🇪🇸04
Logo of Universitat Oberta de Catalunya with dark blue text on a light blue and white background.
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Platform & content · Spain

One of Europe’s leading online universities. Leads training material development, platform creation, and communication tools.

🇧🇪05
Bold black text 'EVENT' above the word 'CONFEDERATION' in spaced uppercase letters on white background.
Event Confederation
Sector validation · Belgium

National umbrella organisation for the Belgian event sector. Ensures industry validation, leads dissemination and sector outreach.

— 05 / Partners

Meet the experts behind STEP

From four countries and diverse academic and professional backgrounds, they helped shape a programme designed around the realities of your work.

Portrait of Manon Glauden

VO Group

Manon Glauden

ESG & Sustainability Lead

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Héloïse Nolet

VO Group

Héloïse Nolet

Lab Coordinator

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Amber Herrewijn

NHL Stenden Hogeschool

Amber Herrewijn

Lecturer & Researcher

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Nazli Kurupinar

NHL Stenden Hogeschool

Nazli Kurupinar

Marketing Coordinator

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Stefan Hric

Creative Pro a.s.

Stefan Hric

Managing Partner

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Alba Colombo

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Alba Colombo

Professor of Critical Event Studies

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Vera Renau Alejandro

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Vera Renau Alejandro

Research Assistant

Connect with me ↗
Portrait of Christine Merckx

Event Confederation

Christine Merckx

Confederation Manager

Connect with me ↗

the consortium.

5 partners · 4 countries
01BE

VO Group SA

Coordinator · Belgium

Expert in sustainable event management; EMAS and ISO 14001 certified. Leads project management and workshop methodology.

02NL

NHL Stenden Hogeschool

Quality assurance · Netherlands

Leading higher education institution with strong expertise in event, tourism, and hospitality research.

03SK

Creative Pro a.s.

Industry partner · Slovakia

International event agency active across Central & Eastern Europe; strong sustainability and creative communication expertise.

04ES

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Platform & content · Spain

One of Europe’s leading online universities. Leads training material development, platform creation, and communication tools.

05BE

Event Confederation

Sector validation · Belgium

National umbrella organisation for the Belgian event sector. Ensures industry validation, leads dissemination and sector outreach.

We are supported by

Ephicient logo

Supported by BeFuture and a growing network of industry organisations.

— 06 / Impact

What STEP changes.

STEP isn’t just a course; it’s a sector intervention. Our success is measured by what happens after professionals leave the programme: in the events they design, the suppliers they choose and the practices they carry forward.

01
Upskilling at scale

Event professionals across Europe equipped to apply measurable sustainability practices in their work.

02
Aligned with the Green Deal

Greater adoption of circular, low-carbon and socially responsible event practices aligned with European priorities.

03
stronger vocational learning

A scalable vocational education and training (VET) model connecting recognised learning with real industry needs.

04
Sector-wide change

Behavioural change supported by accessible tools, practical learning and an active community of practice.

05
Cross-sector collaboration

Stronger links between event professionals, educators, suppliers and sustainability experts across Europe.

Co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.