Commercial Integrator May 2023 - 28

SUSTAINABILITY Sustainable Development Goals
make even a slight dent in achieving this
goal, " it will ripple to some of the other
goals. " She notes, " This impact will be
felt not just in the AV industry but [across]
other industries as a whole. "
Of course, many AV companies aspire
to enforce sustainable eff orts within their
business. The resulting big question at
hand is this: Where do AV companies even
start if they wish to help make progress
toward the SDGs as part of their own
sustainability initiatives?
The SAVe Certifi cation Program
According to Williamson, one approach is
to participate in the SAVe certifi cation program.
Refl ecting on her own experience,
she recalls, " It was a two-day workshop
where Christina and Thuy [To] fl ew into
Seattle to our offi ce and did the workshop
for us. " She continues, " The fi rst half of
the day was spent being educated about
the SDGs, how they came to be and what
they entail. " Williamson proclaims that,
aſt er examining goal #12, the team then
looked at the other goals that resonated
with them.
" The second half of the day, " Williamson
continues, " was spent going over all the
SDGs and seeing what we can do as a team
and as individuals. " As part of the workshop,
the Tempest team had to select three
to four SDGs. Then, on the second day, everyone
focused on devising an action plan
to advance the selected SDGs. Williamson
underscores the value of the workshop, describing
it as " ...a very guided, methodical
process that brings awareness and [off ers] a
way to actually do something. "
She reveals that apart from goal #12,
the team selected four more SDGs as part
of the SAVe certifi cation program. She
recounts, " We focused on gender equality
[goal #5], zero hunger [goal #2], quality
education [goal #4] and partnerships for
the goals [goal #17]. " In line with those
goals, Williamson and the Tempest team
have worked with local food banks and
have taken on a high-school student intern
whom they're teaching more about the
business. " As a woman-owned company,
we're also focusing on mentorship and
STEM programs for women in the industry, "
Williamson declares.
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Commercial Integrator MAY 2023
A high-profi le presence on the ISE 2023 show fl oor, SAVe called
the Impact Lounge its home base. Visitors got a chance to connect
with organizations making a diff erence in the industry.
SAVe at ISE
For the fi rst time, SAVe participated
in ISE, which took place in
Barcelona, Spain, this year. From
January 31 through February
3, 2023, in the Impact Lounge,
visitors got a chance to meet
with organizations making a
diff erence in the industry. SAVe also
offi cially launched its Ambassador
Program at ISE, in an eff ort to bring
stakeholders together to achieve
the 2030 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
According to SAVe, " SAVe ambassadors are liaisons for regions and/or countries
to help establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the AV industry,
including manufacturers, trade and professional organizations. "
Interestingly, at ISE, SAVe also attracted two special visitors - UN representatives
who actually had been part of the committee that helped draſt the 2030 SDGs for
the United Nations!
Origin of the Certifi cation Model
De Bono states that the certifi cation model
is based on what she created for her
own company. " But never, in my wildest
dreams, did I think we would've gotten
such an incredible, positive response in
our industry! " she enthuses. Refl ecting
on Williamson's experience, De Bono
underscores it as an inspiring story. " They
went through the certifi cation program at
the end of June 2022, and, now, they are
literally implementing action steps and
volunteering their time, " she remarks. It's
a true testament to the certifi cation model
that De Bono and her team have created.
Perkins, too, is enthusiastic about the
interest in, and response to, the certifi cation
workshops. She states, " We've done
a good job, I believe, in getting the word
out. " Perkins underlines the importance
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Commercial Integrator May 2023

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