Bray Leino Events

CYBERUK 2025 marked the moment a flagship cyber security conference became a live test case for responsible event production at scale. Staged in Manchester for the National Cyber Security Centre, and produced by Bray Leino Events, the multi-day show welcomed more than 2,500 attendees and built on progress made the previous year, in Birmingham. The 2024 edition was the first conference Bray Leino Events measured through the TRACE platform, revealing where the real impacts sat. It showed that audience travel accounted for 92% of transport emissions, while the 6% of meals featuring red meat generated at least half of food emissions. For 2025, this data helped pin-point how the team could implement operational sustainability head-on.

Bray Leino Events and the National Cyber Security Centre used the data to direct decisions across venue collaboration, production design, catering, materials and travel. The agency, which holds ISO 20121:2012 event sustainability management and ISO 14001:2015 environmental management certification, worked with Manchester Central and wider partners to make sustainability clear, consistent and measurable – with great success. The judges welcomed the year-on-year comparison, noting that CYBERUK achieved a 7% emissions reduction while increasing attendance by 30% – a rare combination of growth and lower impact. Further reductions included use of plastics and giveaways, greater reuse and recycling of graphics and materials, and a more interventionist approach to menus, including significantly fewer meat options.

However, the maturity and strength of the measurement approach shone out as much as the actions themselves, with detailed baseline data making it easier to evidence the improvements. Progress was reported across many common areas, but also some generally considered harder to influence, such as driving practical change across complex supply chains, attendee and staff travel, and even social value. The judges enjoyed the level of student engagement, community focus and female representation on stage. As one judge put it, this was a standout example of how a large-scale event can use its size to create repeatable ESG progress.