With 78 per cent of global event planners confirming their organizations are planning to set net-zero goals by the end of 2024 (AMEX 2024 Global Meetings and Events Forecast), the meetings industry seems clear in its intention to make a more positive environmental impact. Budgets and resources continue to remain tight however, so learning real-life lessons from other organizers – the full picture of what works and what can be improved – can save both time and money in the journey to net zero.
Ahead of this year’s IMEX America, taking place October 8 – 10, the team has once again published a Sustainability Report revealing the successes, experiments and learnings from last year’s show.
The report, produced with sustainability consultants MeetGreen®, lifts the lid on the environmental activities and planning in the run-up to and during IMEX America 2023, sharing notable achievements in waste diversion and energy use, as well as highlighting all-important areas for continuous improvement.
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Open in new tab Sustainability report highlights
Many of the sustainability efforts detailed in the report are distilled into top tips – here are three of the key ones:
– The show was classified as a zero-waste event – the fifth edition in a row – with 93 per cent of event waste diverted from landfills into compost, material recycling, and donation channels. This includes 4,535 kg of recovered event materials, office supplies, and furniture donated to those in need in Clark County.
TOP TIP: Work with your host location to find local charities that need and can benefit from surplus materials – be it food, furniture or plants.
– Around 90 per cent of all signage and banners were saved to use again over the next three-plus years.
TOP TIP: Consider what materials you can reuse and how – remove dates from your signage to make it evergreen and reusable year after year.
– The show was powered by an estimated 132,000 kWh of renewable solar energy, reducing approximately 95.5 metric tons of event emissions.
TOP TIP: Opt for LED lights, solar energy and energy-efficient equipment. Ask your suppliers – many venues can offer renewable energy at the flick of a switch.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “At IMEX, we’re firm believers in sharing what we learn. After all, it’s only by being transparent, working together and sharing best practices that the global business events industry can make meaningful progress towards reducing its collective environmental impact. ”
“This report represents an opportunity to share our successes and our challenges with the wider industry so that they can take what we’ve discovered and weave these into their own events. It’s also part of a wider aim to ensure our organization and our events deliver a more positive impact – embedded within our pathway to achieving net zero events by 2030 and within our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.”
New craft paper badge holders
In a small but significant change for IMEX America 2024, the team has successfully sourced a new craft paper material to replace the plastic badge holders for all 15,000+ participants, marking another step for IMEX’s goal to reduce single-use plastic. Lanyards continue to be made of organic cotton, a sustainable material which uses less water in production than regular cotton. At the end of the show, the badges and lanyards are shipped to TerraCycle, where they are separated for recycling.
Following the Better Stands pilot at IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX will be using the same methodology at IMEX America as part of an industry-wide initiative to cut out ‘build and burn’ booths forever.
Sharing the sustainability journey
All participants at this year’s IMEX America are being asked to play their part in helping to reduce waste and make IMEX America more regenerative by signing up to the People and Planet Pledge.
IMEX America takes place October 8 – 10 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas and includes Smart Monday, a preshow education day, powered by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) on October 7. Learn more here.
