Levy UK + Ireland, the sports and hospitality division of Compass Group UK and Ireland, has announced a five-year contract extension with The O2 in London, extending the partnership until 2030.
Levy UK + Ireland said that crucial sustainability targets designed to support the company’s net-zero ambitions by 2027 were central to the agreement with the AEG Europe-operated venue. The O2’s operations are being set up to achieve net-zero on food and drink services by 2025.
The company has been instrumental in delivering flagship climate initiatives at The O2, including the Billie Eilish Overheated event and supporting the arena in going 100% vegan for six of the singer-songwriter’s shows.
In February, the company created menus for the BRIT Awards that highlighted local and seasonal plant-based offerings and introduced carbon labelling for concession food.
“Levy UK + Ireland is proud to extend its partnership with The O2 arena, and is keen to build on the already innovative customer experiences it provides for each of the venue’s leading events,” said Jon Davies, managing director of Levy UK + Ireland.
“As part of our Levy Cares initiative, we remain committed to reducing waste produced within our venues whilst continuing to provide a wide range of food and drink experiences for guests. We look forward to continuing the great work we have already started here during this extended contract period.”
The partnership already delivers plant-forward options across more than 50% of the menus and utilises a point-of-sale data system that identifies consumer trends in relation to on-site stock levels – another effective tool for reducing waste.
In line with Levy UK + Ireland’s Recipe for Change initiative, the company is working with venues to use 100% seasonal sourcing for all menus by the end of this year, as well as roll out carbon labelling on every menu and reduce operational food waste to less than 1% by the end of 2024.
The O2’s commercial director, Adam Pearson, said: “Levy UK+I has been a key partner of The O2 and AEG globally for a number of years and we’re delighted to extend our relationship through to 2030.
“We have some exciting and ground-breaking technology innovations planned, as well as continued investment in our bars and restaurants at The O2, as we constantly look to improve the guest experience and wow our customers.
“Food and drink have a vital role to play in the pursuit of The O2’s net-zero ambitions and wider sustainability aims – so we’re delighted to be working with Levy UK+I on what is a challenging but necessary target of net-zero for F&B by 2025. We’ve seen from the recent Billie Eilish shows and Overheated events at The O2 that all of our key stakeholders are as passionate as we are about this and so we’re truly excited to see what can be achieved as we continue to raise the bar.”
Image: The O2
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