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.
Education is key to a achieving Net Zero
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.”
Working in partnership with isla
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!”
More about the The Meetings Show
The show will return to ExCeL London on June 29th and 30th 2022 following this year’s successful event
Thousands of people attended the two-day hybrid show on September 30th and October 1st, which was held as a live event at ExCeL London and virtually via Swapcard.
The opportunity to finally meet face-to-face again after 27 months apart and build back the industry was firmly grasped by large numbers of the meetings and events community. Exhibitors, including UK and international destinations; hotels and venues such as QHotels, Marriott and The Celtic Collection; suppliers including Shocklogic and Nexus and industry associations and consortiums, each had an average of 25 meetings over the two days.
Post-show feedback was positive after a successful two days reconnecting with clients and seeing business plans take shape for the year ahead and beyond.
Juliet Price, HBAA – consultant executive director, said: “The Meetings Show was the industry kickstart we were all hoping for. Everyone I spoke to was delighted to see so many attendees and to make those all-important human connections.”
Johnny D. Martinez, head of marketing and business development at Shocklogic, who hosted education sessions as well as exhibiting, said: “The Meetings Show exceeded our expectations. We went along thinking that we’d meet a few new faces, but actually we met a lot of new people and have made 70-80 leads. We are very happy.”
Alongside the chance to talk business with suppliers, buyers were invited to attend more than 40 hours of educational sessions delivered live from the show floor and virtually. Sessions on topics such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion, professional development and hybrid left attendees inspired and enlightened while interviews played out on TMS TV, broadcast live from the show, gave viewers a chance to hear more from speakers and show associates.
Highlights of the show were a visit by Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston, who officially opened the show before taking a tour of stands and meeting exhibitors and a keynote delivered by Ric Salmon, producer of the first virtual Glastonbury Festival and CEO of Driift.
There were multiple chances to network, with Delegate Wranglers’ cocktail bar proving a popular place to spark up new contacts while anyone wanting some time out was welcomed to visit the EventWell Hub and quiet room.
It was the first time the trade show had hosted a quiet room – a safe and quiet space for anyone involved with, or attending the show, to go if they were feeling overwhelmed – on the show floor. EventWell, the ‘mental health and wellbeing voice of the event industry’ also had qualified mental health first aiders on hand to give support if needed.
The event also gave visitors the chance to find out about The Meetings Show’s Complete Sustainable Event Course. The course, which is curated and delivered by isla’s co-founder Anna Abdelnoor and supported by Andy King, was launched at the show with large numbers signing up in advance of its start on 8 November.
Hosted buyer Karyn Dickie, event consultant at Clarity Travel, said: “It was great to be back amongst people talking about all things events! There were lots of interesting suppliers to catch up with but the highlight for sure was the speakers who were outstanding with some really awesome topics covered. I left buzzing after at least three of the live talks.”
Jack Marczewski, event director The Meetings Show, said: “It was incredible to be back and experience the buzz of a live event again at our new home ExCeL London. We ensured that those unable to join us in person were also able to be part of the show by using the Swapcard platform once again and it was encouraging to see so much engagement and attendance across the whole show. Exhibitor feedback has been hugely positive and a high percentage have already re-booked for next year.
“We are very excited to be working on plans for our tenth show for 2022 and are looking forward to bringing the meetings and events community back together again for what is expected to be our best show yet.”
You may also enjoy reading more about:
isla’s launch of TRACE measurement platform
Lord Sebastian Coe’s keynote speech at this June’s Meeting Show
