Sustainability may still not be as big of a focus for much of the events industry as it should be, but the last few years have certainly shined a light on the importance of working towards lowering the carbon emissions generated by meetings and events.
This was the task taken up by an industry task force convened in 2018, made up of 14 organizations representing event organizers, venues, general service contractors (GSC), and associations. The task force recently released a new environment impact framework
The report, titled Finding the future, together: Towards a more sustainable B2B trade show industry in the U.S. and Canada lays out a framework for the industry’s sustainability efforts, including a consolidation of previously conducted research on the industry’s environmental impact in the US and Canada, as well as initiatives already undertaken by the industry and 30 near and long-term steps that can be taken moving forward to further the goal of a low carbon future.
The most significant environmental impacts of the US and Canadian B2B trade show industry identified by the report are carbon emissions from transportation, energy use at venues, and logistics such as shipping; waste generated at venues and general service contractor warehouses; and booth construction.
On the flip side, some of the most important steps to reduce the environmental impact of the industry’s activities as laid out by the task force include transitioning the transportation supply chain to renewable electricity, implementing industry-wide agreement on material specifications of booths and commonly used equipment, collaborating with host cities and partner industries like airlines and hotels to transition to a lower-carbon transport system and reduce waste, and investing in recycling infrastructure.
“We are passionate about building a sustainable future for the industry and helping the markets we serve embed sustainable practice into their own communities and activities. Through collaborative efforts, we have made great progress,” expressed Charlie McCurdy, CEO of Informa Markets, one of the participating organizations in the task force. “And through the task force, we now have a platform to showcase emerging best practices and continue to innovate and evolve together. This is only the beginning, and we look forward to more industry stakeholders joining this effort.”
The full report can be downloaded here.