PCMA has formed a new climate advisory board to help tackle complex
sustainability challenges and advance sustainability and regeneration across
the business meetings industry.
The Convene 4 Climate (C4C) Advisory Board – a collective of
14 leaders from the meetings and events industry, climate science, finance and
conservation – will shape C4C’s strategic direction and expand its impact
around the world.
C4C was launched in 2024 by PCMA in collaboration with SANCBE
to accelerate sustainability and regeneration across the industry.
The role of the board members, who include Elena Fis of
Kenes Group and Virginie De Visscher of Destination Canada, is to contribute
market-specific insights, guide the development of localised sustainability
strategies, and provide input into C4C programming, resources, and long-term
platform development.
“The formation of the Advisory Board represents a pivotal
step in scaling Convene 4 Climate’s ambition into meaningful global action,”
said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president & CEO, PCMA and CEMA.
“Together with our foundational partners - Destination
Canada, Fáilte Ireland, Marina Bay Sands, and United Airlines - and this
distinguished group of global advisors, we are uniting diverse expertise and
regional perspectives to deliver practical, measurable solutions and drive
transformative, industry-wide change.”
The new board announcement coincides with the news that PCMA’s
education and networking event Convening Leaders 2026 has earned Platinum Level
Certification to EIC’s Sustainable Event Standards.
The standards specify performance criteria in the areas of
organisational management; marketing; communications and engagement; climate
action; water management; materials and circularity; supply chain management;
diversity, equity and inclusion; accessibility; and social impact.
PCMA said it worked with sustainability consultants Honeycomb
Strategies to ensure alignment with EIC standards for CL26, which welcomed
4,211 attendees from 43 countries to Philadelphia.
EIC president and CEO Amy Calvert, said: “PCMA continues to raise the bar for what
sustainable events can achieve. Their leadership reinforces the role of
business events as a powerful force for positive environmental and social
impact.”
