Feeling the breeze of optimism
AIPC CEO SVEN BOSSU SEES THE SUN SHINING AGAIN FOR CONVENTION CENTRES AND THE SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA
reparing the AIPC Annual Conference is a great opportunity to reach out to our members and get a feel of what is really going on in the world of convention centres . While I am writing this column , it is 27 ° C outside , sunny and with a beautiful blue sky – which is exactly the sensation I get when talking to the members . Looking at the global map , the picture is still unbalanced but business is coming back ; which allows to focus again on the biggest opportunity we have ever faced : sustainability .
It is actually a delight to hear : “ I do not have a lot of time right now : we have back-to-back site visits , and we are preparing an event which takes place in two days ’ time ”. It is the type of message we missed over the last 12 months , and it is one I am starting to hear more and more . To be clear : it is not a message I am hearing on all continents , and we are still facing a lot of uncertainty when it comes to vaccinations , variants and international travel regulations . But there is a breeze of optimism .
At the same time , this summer breeze also reminds me of another thing : climate change . The moment my home country ( Belgium ) can rightfully claim to produce great white wines , you know there is a problem . And where there is a problem , there are opportunities .
Despite the pandemic , 2020 has been an important year for sustainability . The US re-entered the Paris Climate Agreement and the
European Union put the bar higher for climate targets for 2030 . That is the day after tomorrow . All industries will need to adapt to make those targets – including the event industry .
The COP26 which will take place in the Scottish Event Campus ( SEC ) later this year is likely to further boost ambitions , supported by the fact that governments , investors , consumers , and entrepreneurs – for different reasons – have put into motion a snowball which cannot be stopped and becomes bigger by the day , stimulating the innovations needed to make this change happen . It is important to realise that sustainability is not an option . Having a plan is not only a ‘ must have ’ but also a ‘ must do ’, simply because both our investors and customers are asking for it – and ‘ No ’ is not an answer .
The research done by the Joint
Above : Sven Bossu , CEO , AIPC
Meeting Industry Council ( JMIC ) already demonstrated the potential positive impact the event industry can have when it come to the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations ( visit : https :// www . themeetingsindustry . org / industry-resources / un-sdg-reporting /). But more needs to be done and it might require a re-think of the way we do certain things .
Our industry has , however , one big advantage ( to paraphrase the architect Thomas Rau ): “ Everything on earth is limited , except that which is between our ears ”. We have some of the most creative and innovative people on earth working in the events industry , and they will leverage the innovations made in the industries surrounding us and make events sustainable .
That is why I am delighted to have both the manager for the climate action team , Niclas Svenningsen and the director of conference affairs , Laura Lopez of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as speakers at the AIPC 2021 Annual Conference . Their insights and experiences will inspire us to define and take the actions needed to make the difference – to prepare for a sustainable future in order to have a future .
One of the stories which inspire me when it comes to sustainability is that of Illy , the Italian coffee producer . They want to be producing coffee in a CO2-neutral way by 2033 – the company ’ s 100th anniversary . For Illy , the situation is clear : if nothing happens , 50 % of the coffee plantations currently in place will be of no use in 2050 . Therefore , in 2019 , the company changed into a ‘ societe benefit ’ – a legal status for companies wanting to combine profit growth with a tangible and measurable contribution to society and environment . As I say , sustainability it is not an option anymore .
10 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 113