Meet Chris at the Event

One of the key moments of Day 1, Wednesday 11th June, will be a spotlight session featuring Chris Thompson, CEO of ‘Ģ����ý.’ (YST). From 16:05 to 16:40, Chris will present on how smart transport and digital infrastructure are reshaping how we plan and deliver sustainable sporting events.

Don’t miss the chance to connect with Chris and the YST team in person! Whether you’re a sustainability officer, transport planner, or sports event organiser, this is your opportunity to discuss how smart mobility can power your green event goals.

Let’s talk about how we can move your event — and the industry — forward, together.

Plan Your Journey with YST

Driving Sustainable Travel with Ģ����ý�ý.’

At ‘Ģ����ý.’, we specialise in creating personalised travel plans that deliver content-enhanced wayfinding and curated low-carbon, door-to-door routes. Our mission is to nudge visitors towards more sustainable choices and help organisations reach their net-zero targets — one journey at a time.

‘Ģ����ý.’ delivers over 1.5 million personal low-carbon travel plans each month, working with leading organisations such as Transport for Greater Manchester, West Midlands Combined Authority, and Transport for Wales.

We’ve proudly supported travel demand management for landmark venues and events including the Manchester City football Club, Rugby League World Cup, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Manchester City Football Club. These deployments have redefined travel planning as a critical component of delivering world-class visitor experiences whilst reducing carbon footprints.

The innovative ‘Ģ����ý.’ travel assistant solution consistently achieves a 30% average reduction in visitor CO2e emissions by influencing modal choice. By enabling early travel demand insights and facilitating multi-agency collaboration, we help event organisers create safer, more efficient, and more sustainable experiences for every attendee.

Showcasing Innovation at the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference

A key highlight of our collaboration is the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference, where ‘Ģ����ý.’ travel planning technology is deployed to enhance delegate experience.

Ahead of the event, attendees receive a personalised travel plan based on their postcode or current location, helping them find the most efficient and sustainable routes the conference. Through our simple registration integration, delegates only need to provide their postcode — and we do the rest.

The initiative supports WSA’s goal of achieving at least 90% of delegates arriving by public transport, setting a strong example of how sustainable travel solutions can be seamlessly embedded into major sporting events.

YST played a prominent role at the 2024 Conference itself, with our CEO, Chris Thompson, joining a panel discussion on the importance of sustainability in sport and event management.

Leadership Perspectives and Future Outlook

Speaking about the partnership, WSA CEO Andrew Howard commented:

“The WSA is thrilled to welcome our new partnership with Ģ����ý�ý.’ As the membership body for the sport and leisure sector in Wales, we understand the importance of setting an example in the field, and this collaboration reflects our deep commitment to sustainability. By joining forces, we aim to reduce our environmental impact and offer greener, more responsible travel solutions.”

Our CEO, Chris Thompson, added:

“Host cities, sports federations, and event organisers need to foster a collaborative approach to ensuring the sector supports future generations by mitigating environmental impact. Travel presents the greatest challenge. This means championing best practice in sustainable travel amongst participants and fans. Through this collaboration, WSA is taking an exemplary position.”

‘Ģ����ý.’ is proud to work alongside the Welsh Sports Association to promote sustainable travel. We’re are excited to continue helping organisations across the UK and beyond meet their sustainability goals, delivering greener journeys — and a greener future.

Strengthened Dashboard Security: Multi-Factor Authentication

To enhance data protection for all users, we’ve introduced multi-factor authentication (MFA) across our dashboard. Now, when you log in to review travel data or make updates to your deployment, you’ll be prompted to authenticate via email the first time.

This is a key milestone in our ongoing security efforts—ensuring your data is protected while making the platform more robust for all stakeholders.

UI Enhancement: CO₂e Emissions in Focus

Understanding your journey’s carbon footprint has never been clearer. We’ve redesigned the travel assistant interface to feature CO₂e (carbon footprint equivalent) values prominently—now displayed in colour just beneath the time and calorie data.

This visual shift supports better decision-making by highlighting the environmental impact of travel options and nudging users toward lower-carbon modes of transport.

Small UI changes. Big impact for the planet.

Featured Blog: The Tour de France and Hidden Carbon Costs

Is the world’s most iconic cycling race really as green as it seems?

In our latest blog, we explore the paradox of “low-carbon” sports by diving into the Tour de France—revealing how major events can carry hidden environmental costs. We also discuss how ‘Ģ����ý.’ is uniquely positioned to help address these challenges

The Client Development Team Continues to Expand

Is The Client Development Team is growing! We’re thrilled to welcome Alex Townshend—who’s no stranger to many of our clients.

After rotating through Commercial and Product teams as part of her Graduate Scheme, Alex now brings her insight and experience to Client Development.

We’re delighted to see her journey come full circle and are excited for what lies ahead.

Improving Rural Transport in Warwickshire

As part of our commitment to inclusive and connected travel, we’ve been working on the Rural Transport Accelerator Project—an initiative funded by the Connected Places Catapult. This project focuses on enhancing rural connectivityin partnership with the NHS Trust in Warwickshire.

By identifying the barriers that rural populations face in accessing healthcare and essential services, the project explores innovative ways to bridge transport gaps through smarter, user-focused journey planning. From integrating more accessible multi-modal options to tailoring the travel assistant’s functionality for underserved areas, we’re learning how technology can close the mobility divide.

Helping rural communities travel smarter—and live better.

Meet Your New Client Development Team

To kick things off, we’re thrilled to introduce our new Client Development Team, formed to give you more dedicated, responsive, and expert support. The team will be your go-to for everything related to your travel assistant deployment.

Whether it’s feature requests, troubleshooting, or collaboration on new ideas, they’ve got you covered. Together, they’re here to help you make the most of our platform – ensuring your travel solutions deliver measurable impact, every step of the way.

Emma Gibbons, an accomplished Project Manager with a strong background in the arts and education, is leading the team.

Tom Yiangou, who brings expertise in sustainable transport engagement, having worked with several UK local authorities.

New Feature Spotlight: Uber + Public Transport Integration

We’ve partnered with Uber to introduce a smart, seamless new feature: direct booking from within travel plans. This enhancement is particularly valuable in areas with limited public transport availability or for journeys requiring first-mile/last-mile solutions.

The system intelligently suggests multi-modal travel options, combining rideshare services with public transport like buses, rail, or park & ride. This not only improves accessibility but also helps guide users toward more sustainable transport choices.

Success Story: London Marathon Events

One of the highlights of 2024 was our work with London Marathon Events (LME). At the Vitality 10,000, our platform played a key role in helping reduce the environmental impact of participant travel.

Building on this momentum, we’re proud to announce that LME will be expanding their use of our travel assistant across all their 2025 events. This marks a significant step forward in sustainable mass participation event management.

Mobility? As Part of What Service?

Understanding the future of transport means looking beyond roads and vehicles—it’s about integrated, people-first services that improve local experiences and reduce environmental impact.

At Ģ����ý., we’re helping public sector partners embed mobility into their broader service delivery strategies—whether it’s for tourism, events, education, or public health—so that every journey becomes a smart, sustainable one.

Watch our latest overview video to see how we’re shaping the future of low-carbon travel across the UK.

New Feature: Last Train Back?

Planning a trip just got easier. Our brand-new return journey feature allows users to seamlessly toggle between outward and return travel within a single session. No more guesswork or re-entering details—visitors can now plan the full round trip with just a few clicks. It’s a time-saver and a gentle nudge toward greener choices that reduce unnecessary road traffic. Launching November 2024

New Feature: Carbon Removal Options

We’re excited to roll out a Carbon Removal feature for travel assistant deployments. This gives event-goers the option to offset residual travel emissions by purchasing carbon removal credits, helping them take climate-positive action. Whether you’re running a festival, cultural event, or venue, this feature supports your sustainability goals—and contributes to the broader push for net-zero.

Make your events more climate-conscious—ask us how to activate this feature.

VisitLakeDistrict.com: Smarter Planning in the Lakes

We’re proud to highlight our partnership with Cumbria Tourism and the European Space Agency in launching a next-generation travel planner for VisitLakeDistrict.com. Powered by satellite data and our eco-algorithm, the planner delivers personalised, low-impact travel routes that help visitors explore the Lake District more sustainably.

Local businesses can easily embed the tool into their websites and even generate bespoke travel plans to share directly with their customers—enhancing both visitor experience and regional sustainability goals.

The Only Planet We’ve Got

Looking to better understand how ‘Ģ����ý.’  helps organisations enhance visitor experiences and deliver more sustainable, impactful events? Our latest overview video explains how we support the future of low-carbon event management—from intelligent journey planning to integrated carbon reduction features. It’s a great way to see how the platform brings together technology and sustainability to make every journey count.

WhatsApp Notifications Now Available

In response to user demand, we’re thrilled to announce that all travel assistant deployments now support WhatsApp notifications. This enhancement offers users the flexibility to receive live journey updates via WhatsApp, in addition to SMS.

Why this matters:

• Better support for international travellers

• A more personal, user-friendly communication channel

• Seamless integration into your users’ daily habits

Introducing Custom Branding Options

Your brand, your way.

We’ve rolled out comprehensive white-labelling capabilities for the travel assistant, giving you full control over how the platform looks and feels to your users. You can now fully customise:

• Domain name

• Header and footer design

• Fonts

• Access colours

Whether you’re hosting an event, leading a campaign, or offering travel support, these options create a seamless branded experience that builds trust and boosts engagement.

This feature is perfect for organisations looking to maintain brand consistency, drive visitor loyalty, and provide professional interface across all touchpoints.

Interested in white labelling your travel assistant?

Refreshed and Expanded How-To Pages

We’ve updated our Service Desk with new and improved how-to guides, designed to help you get the most from your deployment.

Recent additions include:

• Sending personalised travel plans via your email marketing platform

• Increasing visitor engagement with your travel assistant using marketing best practices

Let us know what guides would help you next—we’re always expanding the library based on your needs.

Bee Network App Integration for TfGM

As part of our deployment for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), our travel assistant API has been integrated with the TfGM’s Bee Network mobile app. Bee Network updates include real-time bus times and fares, park and ride options, TfGM dock-to-dock cycle journey planning, and using cycling as a first and last mile option on journeys that include public transport. Read more at the case study below and if you travel in Manchester.

Q&A with Our CEO

@ Host Cities & Federations Summit 2024
Courtesy of Major Events International & Associated Press

We recently had the opportunity to share our vision at the MEI Hosts & Federations Summit 2024, a key gathering for global event organisers.

In this insightful Q&A, our CEO discusses:

• Why we chose to attend this year’s summit

• How ‘Ģ����ý.’ supports the goals of major event organisers

• The role our platform plays in creating a lasting sustainability legacy