Event management professions at the standardization table

Event professionals, this concerns you! You now have access to a new body for developing best practices in your sector: an international standards committee called ISO/TC 354 , hosted in Geneva by the International Organization for Standardization, led by AFNOR on behalf of France, and distinct from the tourism-specific standardization committee (ISO/TC 228) that had previously been responsible for this work. These best practices will become voluntary standards, which will serve as a common language and common practices, and will immediately facilitate your entry into the market as soon as you use them.

To understand this better, let's take the example of a standard that has become a benchmark in the events industry: the ISO 20121 , initiated in 2012 and updated in 2024 for the Olympic Games. Titled NF ISO 20121  In France, it provides a clear list of measures that can be taken anywhere in the world to ensure that an event is organized in a responsible manner: waste management, sustainable transport, gender equality, etc. Crisis management, data protection, health, safety and security, digital tools (augmented reality, ticketing, etc.), accessibility, and more. Responsibility and sustainability are far from being the only topics that will be addressed by this new committee. In fact, they will be dealt with by a special subcommittee, led by the United Kingdom, which has taken over from what was previously a project committee, in ISO jargon. All types of events are concerned: sporting events, cultural festivals, trade shows, ceremonies, etc. The events industry is finally recognized as a strategic sector at the international level. Within its standardization committee, it will be able to structure and harmonize its best practices, says Yann Orhan, who is in charge of this sector at AFNOR Standardization. The work specific to TC 354 will be led by his colleague Etienne Hubert.

Events: a $2.5 trillion market in 2035

The doors are therefore open to all players in the sector: organizers (agencies, NGOs, local authorities), technical service providers (sound, lighting, set design), logistics service providers (transport, accommodation, catering, security, waste management), accommodation providers (conference rooms, exhibition centers, stadiums, hotels, public spaces), service providers (caterers, decorators, entertainers, photographers, interpreters), tech professionals (ticketing, mobile applications, virtual or augmented reality), media and communication (communication agencies, influencers, specialized press), and finally participants (exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, partners). According to Yann Orhan, the global events industry market was worth nearly $740 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2035, with significant challenges in terms of digital transformation and CSR. " I invite professionals from around the world to take part in this momentum and share their expertise, which will set the standards for tomorrow's events," said Hugh Jones, who represents the International Association of Event Organizers (UFI) and chairs TC 354, in a press release. AFNOR is organizing an informational webinar on November 6, 2025, for interested French professionals. Click here!

Labels for responsible events

AFNOR Certification, a subsidiary of the AFNOR Group, is the exclusive certification body for the label. Level Playing Field , created in 2023 by the Ministry of Sports for major international sporting events committed to gender equality and against all forms of discrimination. It is based on a set of specifications comprising around twenty criteria. AFNOR Certification is also the sole certification body for Gender Equality Event , a label that certifies that an event has been prepared and carried out in accordance with gender equality principles. Among the events certified in 2025 are the UNOC 13 Summit and the Élysée Summit for Action on Artificial Intelligence .

The creation of a separate body for events entails the reallocation of the following normative work:

• ISO 22379:2022  Safety and resilience – Guidelines for hosting and organizing events at city or regional level (inherited from ISO/TC 292/WG7)
• ISO 18983 Guidelines for hybrid meeting services (inherited from ISO/TC 228/WG20)
• ISO 25639-1  Exhibitions, trade shows, fairs, and conferences – Vocabulary (inherited from ISO/TC 228/WG20)