Katerina Grant launches ‘UNEND’ – A new advisory to help the events industry reduce waste

A new advisory has launched with the goal of helping Australia’s $36 billion events industry reduce its environmental impact and shift towards a more sustainable, circular practice. Founded by respected producer Katerina Grant (above left), UNEND is designed to support brands, agencies, venues, and suppliers in rethinking how live experiences are designed, delivered, and dismantled.

Grant has produced events globally for over 2 decades, working with brands including Hermes, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Apple, NBC and the International Olympic Committee. At the helm of THE WORLD OF experiential agency for 13 years, her to commitment to experiential events stems from their power to move people and culture. But as the industry’s waste mounts, so does her urgency to transform it.

Says Grant: “So many teams want to do better but don’t know where to start. UNEND exists to fill that gap – with practical frameworks, localised knowledge, and the flexibility to work at any scale. Our job is to help brands and event teams make real, measurable changes – without compromising creativity or impact.”

UNEND works across the full lifecycle of an event, from planning to post-production, embedding circular design, carbon reduction, and social impact principles into every stage.  The organisation is built to be flexible, offering different levels of support depending on a project’s scale, scope, and resources. In addition to its consulting services and tailored workshops, UNEND offers a suite of free resources and accessible knowledge to all industry professionals, regardless of budget or project scale.

Says Kirby Clark (above right), UNEND’s Circular Strategist and an experienced designer with a background in architecture and systems thinking, has led development of the advisory’s five-step methodology: “The future of our planet and its people is a shared responsibility. UNEND exists to bring valuable resources, frameworks and best practices into one accessible destination and to help event professionals thrive in a fast-evolving sustainability landscape.”

While the broader conversation around sustainable design has grown across sectors like packaging and fashion, the events and experiential industry has been on a slower trajectory. According to recent figures, events in the UK alone produce more than 100,000 tonnes of waste annually.

UNEND’s goal is to make that kind of waste the exception, not the rule.

Adds Clark: “Circularity challenges the idea that an event should begin and end in a matter of hours or days. It asks us to design with foresight – and to account for where things come from, and where they’ll go next.”

UNEND is based in Sydney and works across fashion, beauty, lifestyle, tech, and corporate events. The team is currently working with clients on activations, festivals, and long-term strategy development.