Exhibition News May 2022 | Page 10

Sustainability

Zero heroes

IMEX Group has been championing sustainable exhibitions for more than 20 years . With two huge global events generating zero waste and powered by renewable energy , they have now set their sights on zero carbon . CEO Carina Bauer told EN editor Emily Wallin that the exhibitions industry needs to become more sustainable to survive

Both IMEX America and Frankfurt are zero waste events . They are run off entirely renewable energy . IMEX ’ s next goal is reaching net zero carbon .

Running two of the world ’ s biggest global incentive travel , meetings and events industry trade shows without creating a huge hole in the ozone layer is no mean feat .
More than 13,500 participants flying from 155 countries to the middle of a desert for IMEX America makes the challenge of staying green even tougher . With their sole aim of uniting and advancing the meetings industry , IMEX CEO Carina Bauer is convinced that the exhibitions sector needs to demonstrate their sustainable credentials to survive .
Bauer admits that with the huge and daunting prospect of planetary destruction facing us it can be hard to find a place to start . Or how far to keep measuring their impact .
She says : “ The reality is we ’ ve being measuring different kinds of sustainability targets for over a decade .
“ If you look at IMEX America which we ’ ve been measuring our output for 10 years , we ’ re looking at our water usage , waste diversion , plastic , paper . Now it ’ s about transferring that to carbon because that ’ s what the world is looking at . But there are a lot of different elements to being a sustainable event .
“ You can ’ t just look at carbon , there ’ s no point looking at zero carbon then sending your waste to landfill .
“ We started by looking at our own industry . Representing the global meetings and events industry we could initially have an impact just through education . We were giving sustainability awards 22 years ago .
“ Then came walking the talk . There are so many different elements to considering your impact . Looking at your operations as a business , then the events you produce , working with venues and suppliers , and then after that it ’ s about engaging exhibitors and stand constructors and visitors to
10 — May