Destination Canada launches business events sustainability plan

Destination Canada has announced the launch of its Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan, a national programme that aims at improving the economic, social and environmental sustainability practices of business events hosted in Canada. Programmes tailored towards the unique Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of individual cities will be rolled out to global clients to accelerate the industry’s progress toward net zero targets. Coaching, training and education opportunities will be provided to more than 20 domestic partners to build on their existing sustainability programmes and support the implementation of new programmes across business events hosted in Canada. In particular, the plan will focus on international association conferences, trade exhibitions, workshops and seminars, as well as corporate meetings and incentive group events. Virginie De Visscher, senior director of business development and economic sectors at Destination Canada Business Events, commented: “Developing and launching sustainable business event programmes is not an option anymore. If our industry is to meet net zero targets by no later than 2050, the entire supply chain must work in partnership to find and implement powerful solutions. “As one of the world’s first national sustainability plans for business events, Destination Canada’s Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan will provide a national support arm to this supply chain and be the figurative rising tide that lifts all ships.” In-line with Destination Canada’s corporate strategy, the Plan will build on an evidence-based foundation established through a national destination assessment study. The study will evaluate where Canadian cities, as hosts for business events, stand in terms of their existing sustainability initiatives and will be used to measure and track change in the years to come. In conjunction with its Plan, Destination Canada has commissioned a Legacy Impact Study. Led by #MEET4IMPACT and Gaining Edge, the multi-year study will evaluate the beyond-tourism benefits international business events generate in host communities aligned with the core sustainability pillars of economic, social, and environmental enrichment. Marsha Walden, president and CEO of Destination Canada, stated: “With a smarter approach to future growth, we can strengthen business prosperity, enliven socio-cultural vibrancy, and lift environmental sustainability. Our Business Events Sustainability Plan is an important step toward a healthier, more productive, and more successful sector.”