Behind Unbound - Chantal Spit, Head of Production Interview

Professional Journey‍

Can you share your professional journey and what led you to becoming Head of Production for Unbound?

‍Chantal Spit - I studied hotel management and worked ‘mostly’ on corporate events and sales in hotels for ten years while living in different countries. When I moved to Norway I got a job in a start-up called Point Carbon that did analysis and consultancy on carbon trading and they also hosted large conferences, trade fairs and workshops on carbon markets. That is where my interest in carbon, energy and environmental markets started. Since then I have  held some very interesting jobs working for Statkraft, a large renewable energy company and while living in Washington, DC for four years, at an impact investment (Philanthropic) organisation. The last two years I was roaming around the globe with my husband, and therefore could only work remotely. I rolled back into working on Carbon related events and came across Carbon Unbound. I contacted Oli Katz, founder and CEO of Unbound Summits and, well, here I am :) 

Agenda Creation

How do you approach creating an agenda for the Carbon Unbound Summits? What steps ensure it resonates with the audience?

‍Chantal Spit - Define relevant topics for the audience related to opportunities and challenges in the market. The overall goal remains to scale the CDR market by increasing demand, through our summits we want to contribute to this. Research, news articles, feedback from previous audiences and general feedback from stakeholders in the market are all key. However, around 6 months prior to each event, we put together an advisory board, composed of CDR experts with different backgrounds, and including stakeholders that have not served on an Advisory Board before and/or are not that well known. Their insights, input and recommendations really are the foundation for the agenda. 

Latest Trends

How do you ensure that the agenda reflects the latest trends and innovations?

‍Chantal Spit - Important to stay up to date with what is happening. I attend webinars, listen to podcasts, read industry publications and blogs, follow thought leaders on social media, take suggestions on board from experts, and internally we also share a lot of articles, news and other details we think can be beneficial. In addition, we need to be flexible on the agenda and ensure that topics touch base upon latest developments and also reason with the speakers, so the agenda is always dynamic. 

Speaker Selection

What qualities do you look for in a summit speaker?

‍Chantal Spit - Oh that is a hard question, perfect can be the enemy of good, and there are a lot of factors at play. The best speakers to me are those who are able to offer thought-provoking and unique insights, are not afraid to answer tough audience questions, and those that audiences remember because of the way they got them thinking. But speakers also need to compliment each other and understand that these sessions are ‘team’ work with the moderator being the conductor. In addition, the session format plays a big role. Being a good presenter, holding a keynote speech or being a panellist, require different skill sets.

But it is the audience that is key, speakers need to resonate with the audience, they are after all the ones we organise these summits for. In addition, we try very hard to strive for gender balance and diversity when selecting speakers, which is quite challenging in this caucasian and male dominated industry. And finally, these speakers are invited to join our event, they are standing on our stage, representing our brand and therefore it is important that they convey our message.

East Coast Themes

What are the overarching themes for this year’s Carbon Unbound East Coast summit, and how were they chosen?

‍Chantal Spit - The core focus of the event will remain on attracting more CDR credit buyers to scale the market. However, with the change in U.S. administration and its global impact on climate policies and implementation, the role of government in providing financial support, driving technological innovation, and fostering cross-sector collaboration will be deeply connected to CDR demand. This is especially relevant to the U.S., which has been leading the way in carbon removals.

For a comprehensive overview, please refer to the full Carbon Unbound East Coast agenda on our website.

Rewards & Challenges

What are some of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of producing Carbon Unbound summits?

‍Chantal Spit - Most rewarding: working in this nascent industry that makes a positive impact globally, while learning new things and developing skills every day working with such diverse and amazing people, internally and externally.  Challenging: This is more production related :). It is not easy to prioritise the main topics for the agenda, when you only have two days. But even harder is the speaker allocation and selection of the speakers. There is so much interest to speak at our summits and so many knowledgeable people with relevant experiences and stories to share, and we don’t have space for all of them. It is not easy to decline leaders in this field that we know would have added value.

Upcoming Excitement for Carbon Unbound

What excites you most about this year’s Carbon Unbound East Coast and Europe summits?

‍Chantal Spit - I only have one year of Carbon Unbound Summits under my belt, but together with the team, we have been able to continue the success and it is fantastic to get feedback from the CDR community on the value we add to the CDR space.  But besides doing my utmost to continue this success we really want to increase demand and bring more buyers to the table as it’s desperately needed to grow this sector. So for both events I am quite excited to work on this, it would be fantastic and interesting to see Unbound Summits drive this growth, increase demand and expand the buyer community globally. 

Production Advice

What advice would you give to someone interested in event production, especially in the climate and sustainability space?

‍Chantal Spit - Like with every job, there are certain skill sets that are handy or essential in this line of work, but with climate and sustainability affecting society and the environment, this as more than just a job or career move, it’s also a commitment and opportunity to make this world a better place. You will work with -and bring together- a lot of passionate, and smart people that collaborate towards a common goal and collective impact, so knowing stakeholders and connecting with them is key. Therefore this space is not only intellectually stimulating but also personally fulfilling. It challenges you to adapt, innovate, and allows you to grow as a professional and as an individual. 

Highlights

‍What’s been your favourite moment at Unbound so far?

‍Chantal Spit - I don’t really do favourites :) and Unbound has given me a lot of great moments, but what stands out to me is the Unbound team. We are a small team with different personalities, from different generations and backgrounds. It is very rewarding to work closely with such a diverse group of people towards something that impacts all of us.  Also for somebody that has been working for over three decades, it is fantastic to learn from and work with the younger generations.