A new guide from Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) and GDS-Movement sets out five actions to help associations and professional congress organisers (PCOs) put sustainability into practice.
Accelerating Sustainable and Regenerative Events: A Guide for Associations & PCOs was developed using insights from destinations in the GDS-Index. It recommends that planners:
- Involve destination partners earlier in the planning process
- Prioritise certified supplier networks
- Build social impact and legacy initiatives into event design
- Adopt low-carbon mobility strategies for delegates
- Use sustainability-linked measurement, reporting and incentive frameworks
The guide responds to a gap between intent and action. According to RHG and GDS-Movement, 66 per cent of associations consider sustainability highly important, but fewer than 34 per cent have embedded it into their operations and only 3 per cent report an advanced programme.
"The industry does not have a sustainability awareness problem; it has an implementation challenge," said Inge Huijbrechts, chief sustainability and security officer at RHG. "This guide is designed to move the conversation from ambition to action by providing planners with practical tools, trusted frameworks, and stronger collaboration models."
Destinations are a central theme. Through the GDS-Index, they are assessed against 74 qualitative and quantitative indicators aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria.
"Collaboration between destinations, venues, and suppliers is essential to creating events that generate meaningful social, environmental, and economic value," said Guy Bigwood, CEO and chief changemaker at GDS-Movement.
