Are sustainable events real or just a well-advertised illusion?

It seems many feel relieved – sustainable event organising, the mantra of virtually every conference over the past years, is no longer in the limelight at leading international trade shows and events. The topic that had filled headlines, permeated virtually every event programme and keynote presentation a year or two ago, has now been sidelined. In other words, sustainability has evolved.

If we were to assess by the recently concluded IMEX America, sustainability has merged into the broader concept of impact. Only a few (five, to be precise) lectures have remained on the programme that actually address sustainability head-on. A year before, the entire programme was teeming with keynote presentations related to the topic. A similar situation can be observed for the upcoming ICCA Congress, even if sustainability is still tackled under the joint title “Impact & Sustainability Track”. Yet, it is evident that the emphasis is elsewhere. Looking ahead, at the IBTM World trade show, the sustainability topic will only be mentioned sporadically, as part of the broader discussion on innovation, technology, and attendee experience. If we were to summarise the paradigm of most of this year’s leading trade shows, it would be a new common thread dubbed: “The Human & Tech Transformation: from meetings to meaning.”

How is it possible that this topic, which not long ago marked every event, from local to global level, has been pushed to the brink of the events industry?

Events have entered a new phase of development. Technology is the buzzword: it is no longer a tool to improve efficiency, but is becoming the bridge between humans and driving change. We are discussing an industry that is threading a balance between artificial intelligence and human touch, between data and emotions, between experience and effects.

Sustainability has not vanished. Still, what happened to us in the past year? How is it possible that this topic, which not long ago marked every event, from local to global level, has been pushed to the brink of the events industry? Were we being sincere about our endeavours in the past years? Or was it perhaps a pragmatic adaptation of event organisers to the zeitgeist, which dictated that everyone, if only superficially, dive into sustainability?

I remember many peers who welcomed the topic with open arms, but did not fully embrace the movement, let alone believe in it. They lacked the spark in their eyes. Sustainable events were thus often more a result of marketing tricks than pledges to foster change. Often, they were also part of subsidised European projects. Exaggerated statements, green banners, and a few recycled materials were a symbolic apology for the old paradigm they still believed in. Most interestingly, many self-proclaimed sustainable ambassadors still preach and host keynote presentations around the world, discuss change, but do next to nothing in this field.

Needless to say, there is a correlation between the state of society and the actions of leaders, past and present: those who lead us back to the past instead of paving a new future. Upon reading statements such as the ones below, it becomes apparent why a part of the world has stopped discussing sustainability topics and returned to the merciless burning of fossil fuels.

• “All climate change predictions were wrong. These predictions were made by stupid people.” – Donald Trump, September 2025
• “Climate change is a socialist lie.” – Javier Milei, November 2023
• “The temperature on Earth is plummeting. Look at the drop at the end, that’s where we are. That’s the reality.” – Joe Rogan, September 2025

Non-believers in climate change also cling to quotes taken out of context, such as this one from Bill Gates: “Climate change is a serious problem, but it will not be the end of civilisation.” In his essay, Gates does not deny the severity of climate change, but warns of the importance of adopting a broader outlook, not only to curb the rising temperatures, but to counter poverty and the spread of diseases. Gates remains loyal to technological optimism; the belief that innovation, not sacrifice, will save us from devastation. In this light, he believes that the Western world won’t need to drastically change its modus vivendi and that technological advancement will replace environmental loss.

This makes me wonder about the sea of reasons to reduce emissions, use energy more efficiently, and strive for decarbonization. These are not romantic ideas, but scientific, economic, and morally necessary steps. Hence, hope is something we must nourish – we owe it not only to ourselves, but also to our descendants. It might sound utopian, yet this utopia is still incomparably more acceptable than the current dystopia: a mix of technofeudalism and primitive politics championing short-term interests instead of long-term responsibility. Estimates show that 3 to 5% of the world’s GDP would be enough to effectively manage climate change. Yet, instead of investing in the future of humanity, we have been doubling down on the arms industry. It is like pouring gasoline on fire. What to comment on this? Perhaps only that the future can be safeguarded not through hope, but through actions that transform hope into action plans. We could avoid many things if we were as proactive in addressing the climate crisis as we are in arming nations.

In times like these, I often reflect on how I began to tackle this topic. As I reflect on a decade of experience, I notice how our understanding of sustainability gradually developed and deepened, and how we often look back on the past as the reference point. The phases described below are a subjective take on the evolution of sustainability in the events industry based on my experiences:

1990 – 1995: The environmental phase
During this period, we focused mostly on environmental issues. Sustainable event organisation was yet to be addressed, apart from conservation events. This era gave rise to the first research on the social and economic effects of mega events.

1995 – 2000: Greenpeace conservation phase
This was a period of acknowledging that natural resources should not only be protected, but managed responsibly. At this time, environmentalists became valued interlocutors and speakers at international and expert conferences.

2000 – 2005: Ecological phase of recycling badges
The term sustainable development was coined during this phase. It denotes a movement that meets the needs of present generations, without endangering the future of our descendants. In this phase, the first models and pilot projects of sustainable events began to emerge; however, most of them failed to address key sustainability challenges.

2005 – 2010: Zero waste phase
The Zero Waste movement has become a source of inspiration for all event organisers. It prompted the rise of the circular movement, initiatives to reduce waste, reusing materials, and implementing innovative solutions that improved the attendee experience and reduced the environmental impact of events.

2010 – 2015: Sustainability phase (era of green handbooks)
In this era, destinations, institutions, and NGOs began preparing handbooks for sustainable event organisation. This coincided with the unveiling of the first scientific measurements of the effects of events, the development of evaluation methodologies, and novel concepts of social responsibility within the events industry.

2015 – 2020: COP 21 – COP 26 (COP and GDS Index phase)
The COP21 in Paris initiated a boom in sustainable campaigns, reinforcing the global awareness about climate change. This also led to the advent of the GDS Index, which redefined sustainability criteria for destinations. The project became a test lab for the industry and a showroom of innovative green practices.

2020 – 2025: Standardisation phase through the Net Zero movement and ESRS standards
The first attempts at standardising sustainable event organisation came with the Net Zero movement, which was supported throughout the industry. The adoption of the European legislation ESRS was another milestone, which encouraged the development of numerous tools and methodologies connected to sustainability reporting.

2025: Regenerative phase
Sustainability has slowly faded from the agendas of conferences and has become the modus operandi of the global events industry. Measuring the positive effects of events has or will become the gold standard, and European frameworks and regulations for reporting, greenwashing, and carbon offsetting have become globally adopted practices.

This unusually long introduction was required, in my opinion, to understand the essence of the debate, which I can summarise in two simple, if disturbing questions:

• Why should we organise events sustainably, measure their carbon footprint, and report on it?
• Do sustainable events really change anything, or are they an illusion for the audience?

My colleagues often ask me these two questions. That is why this article is somewhat longer, examining how we reached this tipping point and where the future of sustainable events will take us.

Why should we even organise events sustainably, measure their carbon footprint, and report on them?

We embarked on the journey of sustainably transforming our trade show, Conventa, as early as 2009. That is when we developed our model of sustainable organisation, Conventa 5R, based on 15 interconnected segments. Over the years, we improved, met most of our set goals, and reached a level where we started to ask ourselves how to measure the negative and positive effects of our event, compare the results, and create a benchmark.

Like many of our colleagues, we faced a dilemma. The certificate ISO 20121 was created to prove the sustainable credentials of companies, but not necessarily the sustainability of a company’s events. The B Corp certificate, which is otherwise an excellent sign of a company’s sustainability, presents a similar obstacle: it does not allow comparisons and tracking of the development of an individual product or event. When we began seeking a tool that would help us, we quickly realised that many solutions on the market only address part of the problem.

That is how we quickly decided to create our own tool based on our values, needs, and scale. This was the advent of Planet Positive Event, a tool that has thus far transformed over 100 events and become the official tool of the international FIVB volleyball association.

This was my second introductory exposé that justifies the reasons we decided to sustainably transform our events.

Every day, between three and four million events are staged worldwide. Each of them leaves a small trace, proportionate to its size; the more international the event, the greater the footprint.

If we look at the big picture, we will find something astonishing. Every day, between three and four million events are staged worldwide. Each of them leaves a small trace, proportionate to its size; the more international the event, the greater the footprint. Although an individual event may seem trivial, the effect of all events is immense, especially in terms of carbon footprint.

That is why I believe we have a special responsibility as event organisers: to design every event more thoughtfully, with respect and responsibility to the world we live in. This is not a trend, but our way of thinking and our contribution to a better world.

If we take a step further from this utopian theory and adopt a scientific view, the fundamental reason for sustainable event organisation is directly correlated to the planetary limits (Rockström et al., Science, 2009). Humanity has already crossed several environmental boundaries that maintain the stability of Earth’s system. These include the boundary for climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Every economic activity, including event organising, contributes to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and the use of natural resources. Events combine key emission sources: mobility, energy, gastronomy, water, waste, digital infrastructure, and building. They thus represent the ideal experimental space to test various strategies for decarbonisation and regeneration.

The scientific framework, ensured by the GHG Protocol and the ISO 14064 standard, allows the quantification of these influences through an event’s entire life cycle (LCA). According to these two methodologies, carbon footprint measurement is not just about collecting data, but also enables:

• recognising key emission sources
• developing scenarios for the reduction of CO2
• implementing science-based goals for decarbonisation (Science-Based Targets initiative – SBTi)
• measuring positive regenerative effects
• establishing a transparent, verifiable reporting system in accordance with the ESRS standards and the CSRD Directive.

In layman’s terms, what we can measure, we can improve. That means moving from words to actions. Events thus become experimental labs for societal and environmental innovation, where we test how economic and cultural activities work within planetary boundaries, and, at the same time, foster regenerative effects for local communities.

For the part of the readership that is more pragmatic, here are five key reasons why you should accurately measure the carbon footprint and effects of your event:

1. Scientific necessity: there is no reduction of CO2 without accurate measurements
Measuring enables event organisers to identify the key sources of CO2 emissions and define science-based methods to reduce the carbon footprint based on real-life data, not feelings or assumptions.

2. Regulatory inevitability: not complying with ESRS and CSRD has financial repercussions
Reporting in accordance with ESRS and CSRD is no longer a choice, but a legal obligation that directly impacts competitiveness, financial stability, and the trust of business partners.

3. Business effectiveness: measuring means saving funds
Systematically collecting data enables the optimisation of mobility, catering for attendees, and reducing energy costs. It has been proven to reduce total costs while increasing effectiveness and resilience to volatile market changes.

4. Regulatory capital: no data, no trust
Measuring effects builds a brand’s trust and credibility and enables it to transform sustainable achievements into tangible business and competitive advantages.

5. Regenerative effects: long-term investments into the community
Events will become engines of societal and environmental regeneration – ones that drive added value that goes beyond emissions and gives back to the local environment and future generations.

Measuring carbon footprint and regenerative effects is not an administrative burden, but a fundamental scientific and business practice that reduces costs, builds trust, and fosters long-term positive effects for society and the environment. Unlike omnipresent certificates and self-proclaimed “green” labels, this approach guarantees scientifically credible, transparent, and recurring results, aligned with international standards (GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, ESRS, and CSRD).

That is one of the ways events are becoming a real instrument of change – moving from words to actions, where events are no longer short-term projects, but laboratories for sustainable innovation and regenerative development.

Within the framework of Planet Positive Event, we have found and analysed numerous best practice cases that demonstrate this approach is realisable, measurable, and makes sense business-wise. We are delighted to share them with everyone who wishes to organise their events responsibly, within planetary boundaries, and with a vision of the future that eclipses carbon footprint measurement.

Do sustainable events thus bring about actual change, or are they a handsome illusion for the audience?

The answer is straightforward – it depends on what we measure and how transparent we are in sharing the results. If sustainability is solely decor, a green logo, or a handy label to improve the public image, then it is undoubtedly just an illusion. Such sustainability ends as soon as the applause quiets down. It leaves nothing but carbon footprint, waste, and empty promises, or perhaps ends in a legal lawsuit for greenwashing.

However, if we start embracing sustainability as a scientifically backed practice based on measuring, demonstrating, and improving effects, it can lead to real change.

Measuring carbon footprint, analysing the results and fostering regenerative effects – these are not market tricks, but proven business and ethical decisions that change the paradigm within the entire events industry.

A real sustainable event:

• is based on data, not impressions
• impacts the behaviour of all stakeholders – from event organisers to the attendees
• brings the community together, strengthens the local economy, and creates long-term effects
• integrates and shares its impact into transparent reports, contributing to a scientifically comparable database
• causes less damage and more benefits for the people, the environment, and future generations

At their core, events are an exceptionally influential communication medium. They can be part of the problem or part of the solution. Sustainable events only foster real change if they meet three requirements:

• measurability
• transparency
• constant improvements

If these three elements are absent, only an illusion is left, best captured by Blaise Pascal’s wager. The French critic, philosopher, and mathematician said this about the existence of God:

• If we believe in God, and he does not exist, we lose nothing;
• If we do not believe in God, and he does exist, we lose everything.

Something similar can be said for sustainable event organisation. If we believe in it and work in accordance with its values, we have nothing to lose. We can only reduce costs, improve effectiveness, and prompt greater societal value of our events. On the other hand, if we don’t earnestly believe in sustainability, we risk losing everything: trust, our environment, our future, and the reputation of the events industry.

IF WE DON’T BELIEVE IN SUSTAINABILITY, WE RISK LOSING OUR FUTURE.

That is why I personally believe it is worth believing in sustainable event organisation, not because it is a fad or a requirement, but because sustainability is a rational bet on the future. Also, because proof, unlike in the case of Pascal’s wager, is already here: measurable, verifiable, and scientifically proven.

Sustainability might not be a religion, but it holds wisdom: if we believe in it and adopt its principles, we can only gain. If not, we risk losing our future.

Editorial by Gorazd Čad