Event Network Wins a 2024 SEAL Award for their Wearsponsible Apparel Line
Event Network, a leading operator of retail stores for experiential attractions in the U.S., has won a SEAL Sustainable Product Award for their new apparel line, Wearsponsible.
SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through their business sustainability and environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing environmental impact campaigns. The SEAL awards strive to honor and call attention to the most sustainable companies in the world. Event Network previously won a SEAL award in 2019 for their innovative plastic-free redesign of toy packaging and again in 2021 recognizing their achievement in designing and constructing sustainable, eco-friendly retail environments.
Event Network is proud to be the recipient of the SEAL Sustainable Product Award for their Wearsponsible Apparel line. They recognize the importance of representing their partners by delivering exceptional retail experiences that elevate and support environmental missions. “When we’re able to do that with a product like Wearsponsible,” says Michael McCrory, Director of Marketing for Event Network, “it brings meaningful change to our industry. We are honored that this product is resonating with our partnerships and with our guests.”
Abby Kessler, a senior member of the Event Network purchasing team who spearheaded the project from the beginning, had this to say, “We have been committed to sustainability and conservation for years, but we realized being responsible implies we are all in this together from the CEO to the consumer, we are accountable for what's in our control.”
The Wearsponsible Organic apparel line is an example of Event Network’s evolving approach to providing retail environments and product assortments for their partners that are responsibly sourced and do not negatively impact the environment.
The new assortment is fully traceable from seed to sew, meaning that every step of the process is reviewed and audited for its environmental and social impact. Every piece is Fair Labor Certified, which means that audited systems are in place to ensure safe and fair labor standards are met and that programs are implemented to improve conditions within the supply chain. The first production of Wearsponsible tees were non-GMO, 100% organic cotton OCS (Organic Content Standard) certified. The newest line for 2024 is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified.
“We’ve been very clear since the beginning,” says Abby, “that this is a work in progress. We are now in the process of getting our sweatshirts GOTS-certified. It’s about taking each next step.”
This remarkable honor comes as Event Network is also celebrating another bold step forward with their Plastic S.T.O.P.S. Initiative. As part of their Common Thread Pledge and in partnership with the New England Aquarium, Event Network has launched their move toward their first plastic-free shopping experience. Event Network is the first in their industry to take such a meaningful step to align the vital mission of the New England Aquarium with the environmental stewardship that has been at the center of Event Network’s core values for years.