Episode description

Helen Sheppard joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as Sustainability Director of RX, a public company that produces 400 events annually in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. She’s held the position since 2022, but she joined the parent company, RELX, in 2011. She talked about RX’s Net Zero Roadmap, which was published on Feb. 29 and outlines how the company will reach net zero no later than 2040. Under her leadership, RX completed energy and waste reporting for 56 venues covering 141 events in 2023, and carbon footprints were completed for 10 events. Find out how she and the RX are implementing an accurate and consistent measurement and reporting system – which is no easy feat.

Our guest

Helen Sheppard joined RX in January 2022 to lead sustainability globally with a focus on implementing the Net Zero Carbon Events commitments. In her current role, she leads an internal Global Sustainability Council. She has launched an RX Sustainability Playbook and more recently RX’s Net Zero Pathway.  

She is an experienced sustainability leader, having worked at RELX for 10 years prior to joining RX.  During her time with the RELX corporate responsibility team, she was responsible for human rights, engagement on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including the management of the RELX SDG Resource Centre, and advancing inclusion and diversity. 

She launched a flagship women in technology mentoring programme to improve diversity in the growing technology workforce. She led RELX’s modern slavery statement commitments including living wage assessments and conducted human rights due diligence for the business. 

She is experienced in ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) indices and benchmarks and has increased transparency in corporate reporting. Sheppard is a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability and holds an MSC in Development Studies from Birkbeck, University of London. She is an active member of the Net Zero Carbon Events taskforce. 

She lives in Hertfordshire with her two children, husband and two dogs. 

Her LinkedIn bio can be found here.

About RX 

The company produces 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. Some of their most well-known brands include: the PGA Show for the golf industry in Orlando, the JCK Show for the jewelry industry and the National Hardware Show (NHS),  in Las Vegas, IBTM World 2023 for the meetings and events industry in Barcelona, and the ISC brand - which stand for the International Security Conferences & Exhibitions, held in the USA (Las Vegas and New York), Mexico and Brazil – to name a few. 

On its web site, the company says: RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people.  RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. 

RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 35,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges.

RX Sustainability achievements so far:

• Energy and waste reporting: 56 venues covering 141 events in 2023; 36 venues

covering 128 events in 2022.

• Carbon footprints completed of 10 events.

• Production material library developed.

RX goals in 2024:

• Implement an accurate and consistent measurement and reporting system (carbon

model) and align with RELX and RX reporting.

• Improve and expand energy, waste and production data collection, prioritising events

at top 30 venues.

• Establish clear event-related scope 3 reporting boundaries and baseline; prepare to

externally report event-related emissions and align with RELX.

Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen

An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees editorial for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries.

Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.

Thank you to our sponsor! 

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