Adelaide, in South Australia, is aiming to supercharge its
business events sector by becoming one of the world’s most sustainable
destinations, AMI has learned.
The city convention bureau recently became a member of the GDS-Index,
which benchmarks the efforts of destination marketing organisations to become
more sustainable.
And now Adelaide Venue Management (AVM), operators of the city’s
convention centre, has unveiled a four-year environmental social governance
(ESG) strategy called The Green Print.
The riverside venue, which was the first convention centre in the world to gain EarthCheck's Master certification, aims to divert 95 per cent of its waste from
landfill and increase onsite renewable energy.
Sarah Goldfinch, venue GM, said there were plans to install
solar panels on the roof and EV charging stations in the carpark – to help
bring down the venue’s carbon footprint.
The project, which would be funded by state government, was
expected to start 2025/6.
Association conferences make up the bulk of Adelaide’s business
events industry and many of the organisations it targets are based in Europe
and North America.
“Adelaide is a long-haul destination for a lot of our
visitors, so by ensuring that Adelaide is as sustainable as possible, we are effectively
offsetting some of those emissions,” said Goldfinch.
Damian Kitto, CEO of Adelaide Business Events, said the
bureau’s close working partnership with the city and state government was
crucial in driving the sustainability agenda.
“The data for the GDS programme is being collated as we speak,
and we are looking forward to a good ranking. We will obviously have some
learnings to build on, but our aim, ultimately, is to get into the Top 10 sustainable
destination in the world. I think that’s achievable.”
He added: “Australia is best when it shows we are a
sustainable country and Tourism Australia is taking the lead on that. Adelaide’s
real strength is that it’s a global boutique city of 1.5 million residents.
What event planners get when they come to Adelaide is the full benefit of
working with Team Adelaide – and that you’re not going to get with a gateway
city of five million people.”
Key focus areas of The Green
Print include:
- Going green: exploring new
methods to reduce energy use, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and
eliminating and avoiding waste. As part of The Green Print, AVM will work to divert
95 per cent of waste from landfill, transition to 100 per cent LED lighting, and increase
on-site renewable electricity generation across its venues.
- Sustainable sourcing:
continuing to support South Australian suppliers to ensure the benefit of AVM’s
operations extend to support local businesses. The Green Print commits to
maintaining at least 97% South Australian-based suppliers, with representation
of all the state’s renowned food and beverage production regions.
- Community engagement: collaborating to build awareness, motivate change and improve
collective outcomes. This focus area extends to social sustainability,
fostering deeper relationships with First Nations suppliers and local
not-for-profit organisations.
- Adapting to climate change:
developing resilience to navigate climate change, guided by EarthCheck
standards, exploring sustainable food production capabilities, and supporting
biodiversity/ecosystem services growth in South Australia.
- Good governance: regular and
transparent communication of AVM’s ESG contributions to highlight impacts to
the business, including publication of an Annual ESG Report, highlighting
progress against key targets,
Julian Marchant, AVM’s first
dedicated ESG Planning and Project Manager, said The Green Print established AVM’s intent to do ‘more good’ for our communities and the environment.
“The Green Print outlines AVM’s
targets and actions relating to these themes, and is designed to maximise our
positive impact and help create lasting legacies for our clients and the
broader community. The plan is ambitious in its targets, but we remain fully
committed to inspiring and driving positive environmental and social change.”
Learn more
about The Green Print, including targets and action, click
here.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
