We are halfway to sustainability

If you refer to the 14th Global Forecast for American Express GBT Conferences and Events, as an industry we are already halfway through prioritizing sustainability. More than half (54%) of the 519 meeting professionals surveyed globally believe sustainability is extremely or very important, and 47% have developed sustainability goals and action plans. This is related to conveneResults of the 2024 Conference Market Survey, to be published in the November 2024 issue, reveal that nearly half of respondents have made sustainability a priority and that they are increasingly integrating it into their Active. In the conference market survey, the proportion of respondents including sustainability requirements in RFPs has almost doubled (60% in 2023 compared with 31% in 2023).

The American Express GBT conference and event forecast shows similar progress in executing sustainability initiatives. Nearly half of meeting professionals already minimize disposables, prioritize sustainable meetings and products, adopt waste management practices such as food donations, and offer sustainable food and beverage options, with another 30-40% planning to Similar efforts are planned in the near future. More than four-fifths of respondents already provide or plan to soon educate and engage their stakeholders on sustainability.

While meeting professionals’ views on sustainability is promising for the future of environmental activism, American Express’s forecast highlights the hurdles they need to overcome. The top challenges planners face when creating sustainable events include: 35% cited finding suppliers with sustainable certifications; 34% cited minimizing waste, such as avoiding the use of paper and plastic; 30% cited Measure the impact and calculate post-event CO2 emissions. Other pain points include budget constraints, lack of resources and identifying meeting locations to minimize attendee travel.

But as sustainability practices are on the rise, planners need to keep pushing forward despite these challenges to stay relevant to their audiences – a sentiment underscored by Eloisa Urrutia, global head of sustainability, GBT meetings and events, American Express . “Meetings and events are important platforms for showcasing company values,” Urrutia said in the report. “Today’s audiences prioritize sustainability: simple issues such as food waste or single-use plastics can have a negative impact on perceptions. Designing your campaigns to reflect these values, incorporating sustainability, DE&I and wellbeing, will help you grow your audience reach, increase engagement and strengthen your brand image.”

kathy gale is conveneEditor-in-Chief.