Event Network Wins a 2025 SEAL Award for their Plastic S.T.O.P.S. Initiative at New England Aquarium
Event Network, the leader in exceptional retail solutions for experiential attractions, has been awarded a 2025 SEAL award for their bold Plastic STOPS 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.
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, again in 2021 recognizing their achievement in designing and constructing sustainable, eco-friendly retail environments, and most recently in 2023 for their fully traceable apparel line, Wearsponsible.
The process began by flagging all items made of, or packaged in plastic. This created new visibility to the issue and measurable data points that guided the sell-through strategy. At the same time, the Event Network purchasing team began investigating potential options that could replace the plastic items.
“I was inspired every day by the conviction and courage of our partners at the New England Aquarium,” says Julie Ricci, Vice President of Purchasing at Event Network, and the leader of the Plastic STOPS Initiative. “To see many of the aquarium’s revenue-driving bestsellers flagged for removal and be willing to try going forward without them took a great deal of trust and faith that we could affect the purchasing habits of the guests.”
As the Plastic STOPS Initiative progressed, sales data was analyzed, reviewed, and shared with the Aquarium partners. “We were all holding our breaths for these results every week,” admitted Julie. “We had reason to be optimistic; Event Network has been working with an AI pricing program for many years and we have seen how reductions in one department could be picked up in another. We had never pushed the program to compensate for such a dramatic reduction in a single department.”
In January 2024, the New England Aquarium Gift Shop completed the initial plastic purge. While the sales generated from the formerly plastic-heavy toy department showed a significant revenue decrease, guests connected to items in other departments like plush and jewelry instead. Guests also shifted to new products sourced from local vendors and artists like Maritime Tribes, Mystic Knotworks, and Beacon Designs as well as a collection of merchandise created in partnership with local Boston artist Silvia Lopez Chavez. Ultimately, there was no downturn in overall store revenue.
Event Network has been encouraged by this case study and the remarkable collaboration they have had with the New England Aquarium. They are quick to point out that the New England Aquarium Gift Shop is not yet “100% plastic-free.” Apparel manufactured with polyester is an area where the Event Network team is looking for responsible solutions.
“The Plastic STOPS Initiative is a journey we are taking together and we’re not at the finish line yet,” shared Julie. “We are upfront about items that don’t currently have a viable alternative, but we all celebrate together when we can introduce a process or product that gets us closer.”
Some of the new items Event Network is bringing in for the summer season are helping to bring ‘plastic-free’ a bit closer to reality. An expansion of Event Network’s Wearsponsible apparel brand will soon include items made with recycled polyester. A new candy and snack program now comes in packaging that can be composted commercially or at home and a new plastic-free replacement for one of the aquarium's former bestselling toys, the animal rescue kit will be arriving soon. They have also instituted a new process to address plastic abuses in the ‘back-of-house’ shipping process. Products that arrive at the store packaged with plastic are now flagged in the receiving system giving new visibility to the purchasing team.
In March, the New England Aquarium Store broke a record for their highest single sales day; another positive indicator that just because the plastic stops, the revenue does not. “This is the future path for us, to try and learn how to move away from our dependence on plastics,” says Julie. “I’m proud that with the Plastic STOPS Initiative, we are taking such an active role in shaping that future… for our partners and the planet.”