The Meetings Show has pledged to reach Net Zero by 2050, cutting carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, in signing the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge.
Working with strategic partner isla, The Meetings Show and its parent company Northstar Travel Group are committing to supporting the net zero goal to inspire change in the travel, meetings and hospitality sectors and champion future sustainable growth.
Before the end of 2023, the show will publish its pathway to achieving net zero by 2050 with an interim target that is in line with the Paris Agreement’s requirement to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030.
Putting the commitment into practice the show will, this year, measure and track GHG emissions according to industry best practice. The data outcomes will inform future decision-making and support the show to drive more effective collaboration with partners and suppliers to reduce emissions, as well as use the learnings to facilitate and encourage positive change among its supply chain and exhibitors. Progress will be reported.
The Meetings Show is also committed to educating other events professionals to influence and shape sustainable change through its thought-provoking educational content as well as its Complete Sustainable Events Course, which was successfully launched last year in partnership with isla. The second series of the course will be opening in September.
Jack Marczewski, event director of The Meetings Show, said: “It is vital that the events industry works together to achieve the net zero goal. As The Meetings Show is part of Northstar Travel Group – the largest and one of the most trusted business-to-business travel, information services, data, events and marketing solutions companies in the world – it is important for us to not only champion best practice but demonstrate our commitment through improving our own sustainability performance.”
He added: “We are thrilled to be extending our strategic partnership with isla and have been busy working behind the scenes setting the parameters to ensure that we are setting realistic, practical and achievable targets that will grow over the coming years, while engaging with our supply chain and exhibitors and planning the show’s crucial and practical education sessions and developing our next sustainability course.”
Anna Abdelnoor, co-founder and CEO of isla, said: “Our partnership with The Meetings Show has been such a positive one so far. The first step on every journey towards a more sustainable future is a commitment, but the most important step is the one taken after that. Keeping the momentum going and driving change is the real work, and the foundations that The Meetings Show is building will create significant, lasting and meaningful transformation. It’s really exciting to see the positive momentum building within the industry and the isla team are really looking forward to this year’s show!”
