Launching on Earth Day, April 22, the strategy positions sustainability as central to how the sector responds to risk, regulation and long-term resilience. It comes at a time when sustainability is more embedded across the industry, but progress remains uneven, and the need for clear direction persists.
Created with event sustainability partner isla, the strategy is informed by learnings and data collected over 20+ years since the launch of the first IMEX show in Frankfurt, as well as by the results of a recent survey of almost 1,000 stakeholders. Combined with clear direction from climate science, the document provides a defined picture of where IMEX can focus its efforts and where the biggest opportunities for progress are.
Four strategic sustainability goals
The strategy is built around four core goals:
1. Reduce IMEX’s carbon emissions by 20% by 2030
IMEX will focus on interventions where it has the greatest impact, control and influence, with travel to its shows identified as the single most material driver of emissions—and one that can be influenced.
Analysis from IMEX Frankfurt shows that around 25% of flights were from the UK, a route where rail is a practical alternative. Replacing a short-haul flight with a train journey can reduce emissions by approximately 96%, making this a clear priority.
2. Drive circularity in exhibitor participation
IMEX will assess the carbon footprint of exhibitor booths, alongside the materials used more broadly across the show—including sponsor activations and IMEX-owned feature areas. A key milestone is to measure emissions associated with 60% of exhibitor booths at both of this year’s shows.
3. Strengthen leadership alignment on sustainability
IMEX survey data highlights a disconnect—despite confidence in the industry’s ability to respond to sustainability challenges, many leaders feel fatigued by the messaging and disengage. This goal is intended to help create the conditions for more effective leadership engagement, sharing evidence of what works in practice and enabling more informed decision-making across the sector.
4. Support profitability through sustainability-related opportunities
For IMEX, as with all organisations, to continue investing, innovating and accelerating its progress on decarbonization and circularity, sustainability must also support commercial resilience. This goal will actively explore and develop sustainability-related opportunities that strengthen both environmental outcomes and commercial performance.
Read IMEX’s new sustainability strategy here.
