Interview
As the plan has received praise from organisations such as IMEX and Events Industry Council ( EIC ), the focus on telling the success stories of cities within Canada has also become a priority . The aim of this storytelling mission is “ to amplify what ’ s happening across the country to our clients ,” according to De Visscher .
Looking ahead While the demands on the events industry have increased concerning sustainability , there is still work that needs to be done . Be it repeated demands , future legislation or a moral impetus , there are myriad reasons to create more sustainable business events .
A strong driver for De Visscher is the desire to be ahead of the curve when it comes to mandated sustainability goals . She said : “ We don ’ t want to be in a situation where we have been left behind , we don ’ t want the day to come when organisers will be demanding sustainable options and we are not ready . The Canadian Business Event Sustainability Plan is a way to be proactive and to get ahead .”
That desire to “ get ahead ” also means evolving strategies from setting individual sustainability goals , to moving towards a cohesive regenerative tourism model for Canada . This model of both consumer and business tourism involves pivoting the industry to bring net benefits to destinations and its residents .
Kicking off In the closing moments of the interview , De Visscher had some advice for those looking to start their own sustainable journey .
She said : “ Rather than choosing one of the pillars ( environment , economic and socio-cultural ) to start with , it ’ s more about finding your champion . It ’ s about finding that individual that ’ s going to dive into it and empowering them to have a look at what your organisation is doing .
“ I ’ d say start with the small things that you can really fix . Because that gives you the motivation and the courage to keep going . If you try and tackle some of the hard things first , then you just lose the momentum .”
AWARDS AT IMEX
Destination Canada was awarded the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award for its Canadian Business Event Sustainability Plan , De Visscher spoke about its impact on Canada ’ s sustainable growth :
“ This award is offered once a year to a deserving organisation , one that is driving sustainable growth . Some of the organisations and countries that have been awarded it before us are led by people we admire .
“ It was for the plan that we had developed . To me it was a global recognition of the work that we had done and an indication that we were on the right path .
“ But for those looking to implement their own strategies , I assure you an award is not the ‘ be all and end all ’. You don ’ t need a global recognition to move forward with a sustainable strategy . But it sure gives it a boost , that ’ s how we saw it .”
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