PHUSE Go Green

PHUSE made a pledge back in 2022 to embark on the ambitious journey to reduce our carbon footprint and take an environmentally mindful approach to contributing towards a more sustainable earth.

We began by rolling out a series of initiatives such as removing the conference bags and promotional items (including 30+ paper flyers) at our events and investing in an event app to digitalise our content.

A big part of our green practices is partnering with event venues and hotels that align with our ethos. When catering for 600–700 delegates, it is essential we prioritise food waste. To support this mission, we contribute to charities that work towards eradicating food poverty in the local communities where we hold our events. For example, at the EU Connect 2022 in Belfast, UK, we worked with Changing The Menu. For Good. And our US Connect 2024 hotel, the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel, is the first Marriott hotel to have installed the BioGreen360 machine – a waterless closed-loop system which composts all food waste on site.

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Charitable Initiatives

PHUSE are dedicated to supporting important causes and making a difference in the lives of others across everything we do. In recent years, we have demonstrated our commitment to charitable causes through fundraising at both our EU and US Connects and making donations on behalf of our awardees.

In 2022, our US Connect donated to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which provides vital aid to Ukraine, and our EU Connect supported the Changing The Menu. For Good. initiative, a project dedicated to tackling food poverty in Belfast, UK.

In 2023, our US Connect contributed to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, which provides advanced paediatric services to children, teenagers and young adults in central Florida. Our EU Connect supported the Marfan Trust – the only Marfan charity in the UK – which is dedicated to research into and treatment for Marfan syndrome.

Most recently, in 2024, the US Connect donated to the Cure Mito Foundation, which supports families impacted by Leigh syndrome, a rare neurodegenerative mitochondrial disease. Find out more about how PHUSE is supporting rare diseases here.

Community Building and Promoting Tourism in PHUSE Event Cities

PHUSE events are the heartbeat of our vibrant community. Their impact extends beyond the events themselves, out into the local areas of the cities we visit.

We actively contribute to promoting tourism and economic growth in our host cities. We publish a city guide for each location (example here) and we structure the conferences so they commence on a Sunday to encourage attendees to explore the local attractions before day 1 of the event. We partnered with Visit Belfast in 2022 to ensure our EU Connect had a meaningful impact on the city.

Rather than solely focusing on top global cities, PHUSE has hosted multi-day events in cities such as Birmingham (UK) and Bethesda (US). We also hold Single Day Events around the world, which are free to attend.

Next up is the exercise initiative we run during the Connects. Our well-known morning ‘PHUSE Connect 5k Run’ around the city has gained momentum since the pandemic. It’s an amazing way of bringing our delegates together in a group exercise activity – whatever their ability. This not only fosters connections but also promotes wellness!

Our collaborative community efforts extend to academia. At the EU Connect 2023, we hosted a University Day, where we invited local university students to a day of insightful presentations and engaging discussions on key industry topics. We regularly welcome students at our multi-day conferences, which reflects our ongoing engagement with the academic community.

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to improving the work we do to support diversity and inclusion at our events. We strive to foster a rich, collaborative experience where everyone involved feels valued and included. We do this through the following initiatives:

• Our keynote speakers and general presentations deliver diversity-focused content
• We welcome attendees from around the world, to reflect a range of perspectives and experiences. (PHUSE are delighted to welcome, on average, attendees from 150+ different companies and 15+ different countries!)
• Our event catering accommodates all dietary requirements
• We provide quiet spaces and advertise ‘off-peak’ times for areas such as the Exhibition Hall, to support attendees who prefer to engage away from a noisy and busy environment
• All our communications are clear and accessible in bitesize chunks, to facilitate understanding for our global audience
• Through delegate responses in feedback surveys, we gather insights to continually improve our inclusivity efforts.