At a joint webinar on 18 January, ICCA and Destination Canada presented a survey on the integration of sustainability into business events. The survey explored how associations and their event partners are engaging with sustainability, highlighting the integral role sustainability plays in the issuing and actioning of Request For Proposals (RFPs). The live webinar featured:
- Virginie de Visscher – Destination Canada
- Thomas Reiser – International Committee on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH)
- Natasha Richards – IMEX
The speakers discussed key points raised in the survey and how these findings reflect the industry’s readiness – and willingness – to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Key highlights included:
- The willingness of associations/organisations to pay for more sustainable events
- The challenges faced when planning sustainable events
- The importance of communicating an event’s sustainability to attendees
Speaking of the report, ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath states: “Our ongoing partnership with Destination Canada puts sustainability at the top of the ICCA advocacy agenda. By pursuing a proactive sustainability policy, and more crucially, applying tangible measures, our associations can align their goals with – and influence – the value proposition our members provide. “Collating accurate data and analysis for discussion at a global level makes the messaging clear: we have the power to set an effective and engaging agenda that can and will reach far and wide.” Destination Canada’s executive director of business events, Virginie De Visscher, adds: “At Destination Canada, we are dedicated to elevating the environmental, sociocultural, and economic sustainability of the business events industry, in Canada and around the world. “We hope this survey and its findings spark real change and enable us to build a brighter, more sustainable future together, so the global business events industry can continue to flourish.” The full report can be found here.
