Championing a new era of travel—one that’s regenerative and benefits everyone involved
Destination Canada were the winners of the 2023 IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award. Presented during IMEX Frankfurt, the award honors outstanding achievements in sustainable innovation in the business events industry.
IMEX Brand Ambassador, Tanja Knecht spoke to Virginie De Visscher, Executive Director Business Events, Destination Canada about their winning project, the Canadian Business Event Sustainability Plan and their strategy to drive positive change in the global business events industry.
Virginie, how does it feel to have won this year’s award?
We're absolutely thrilled to receive this recognition! It's truly an incredible accomplishment for Canada and a huge victory for sustainability. It's also a clear indication that Destination Canada is heading in the right direction with our Canadian Business Event Sustainability Plan. This award is evaluated by a global panel of judges from across the business events sector and knowing that we have their support and acknowledgment feels incredibly rewarding.
Tell us about your winning project?
In Spring 2022, Destination Canada launched a groundbreaking initiative called the Canadian Business Event Sustainability Plan. The goal was to improve the economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability practices of business events hosted in Canada. By taking a national approach, we set out to support city-led sustainability programs and exponentially expand their impact—and adaptability—across Canada.
As of 2023, we’re in Phase 2 of the plan, which is an exciting phase of analysis. We‘re carefully assessing the inventory of business event sustainability options available across Canada. A total of 16 destinations, stretching from coast to coast, are participating in the Global Destination Sustainability Index’s (GDS-I) annual benchmarking process. This is the largest national rollout globally.
Propelling the business events industry toward a more sustainable future
Our ultimate goal is to guide global clients in developing business events that are built on a foundation of sustainability. By collaborating with industry partners and destinations across the country, we're providing solutions to help them progress their sustainability efforts and empowering our partners to become stewards of sustainability in their communities. Together, we‘re propelling the entire business events industry toward a more sustainable future.
Why is sustainability in our industry so important for you and your team and what’s your personal mission?
Developing and launching sustainable business event programs is not optional anymore. Our industry is striving to meet net zero targets by 2050, but as people we also have a collective responsibility to leave a positive legacy behind in the host communities and global ecosystems we visit.
“We could be the rising tide that lifts all boats”
When we were considering what role Destination Canada had to play in the industry’s journey toward sustainability, we very quickly recognized that, as the country’s national tourism organization, we were in a unique position. We’re not just one destination. With one of the largest land masses in the world, Canada has the potential to be a gamechanger for the industry’s pursuit of sustainability. We could be the rising tide that lifts all boats. So, we set out to establish a plan that would not only advance Canada’s sustainability and regenerative approach to tourism, but that could be emulated, globally, to support real, positive change in the business events industry.
Sustainability is more than a competitive advantage, it’s a collaborative one, too—the entire supply chain must work in partnership to find and implement powerful solutions to advance the industry. This collaborative approach is my personal driving force and lies at the core of how I believe we can make a meaningful impact not only in Canada but also beyond our borders.
How long has sustainability been on your agenda?
Sustainability has been a hot topic in the travel and business event industry for quite some time. In November 2021, during the UN Climate Change Conference, (COP26), the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was launched. It brought together major players from the tourism industry, along with governments and destinations, all committed to cutting emissions in half by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. This was a significant step toward addressing the environmental challenges we face. At COP27, the event industry took further strides by launching the Net Zero Carbon Events roadmap.
While sustainability has been on our collective radar for a while, a national and holistic approach wasn't something that many had considered deeply. That's where we saw a unique opportunity for Canada to take bold action and drive progress. We recognized the need to think beyond individual destinations and work together on a larger scale.
Find out more about
“Our ultimate goal is to lead the charge toward a new era of travel, one that’s regenerative and benefits everyone involved.”
It's clear that globally, we're standing at a critical juncture for sustainability. The choices we make now will shape the future of travel and events. We firmly believe that through our dedicated work and coordinated efforts with our partners and clients, we can make a meaningful contribution to the prosperity and well-being of all Canadians. Our ultimate goal is to lead the charge toward a new era of travel, one that is regenerative and that benefits everyone involved.
What's your personal hope for the future of business events?
Business events are a force for good and the impact they can have on hosting communities and economies is profound. By working together in collaboration, we can raise our handprint—our positive effects—leaving communities better for having hosted us, while minimizing our footprint on the planet.
What's your message to the IMEX community?
Each and every one of us, from event organizers to participants, has a role to play in driving sustainability forward. Whether it's reducing waste, promoting responsible resource consumption, or implementing sustainable transportation options—every action counts. Remember—we have the power to move the needle and make a real difference!
What's Destination Canada doing now?
We caught up with Destination Canada a year on from their award in 2023 to find out what they're doing to further their sustainability efforts. Here's what they had to say on the future and their current initiatives.
We can’t do it alone. Everyone in the event’s chain—destinations, organizers, service providers and agencies—must be involved for success.” Their current initiatives aim to create unity in sustainability across Canada and the industry:
- Destination Canada recently launched its Sustainability Storybook, which highlights initiatives from Canadian destination partners who actively host business events. The Storybook provides easy solutions to inspire, as well as challenge, decision makers, planners, sustainability professionals and host destinations.
- Legacy and impact play a large role in Destination Canada’s work toward a sustainable future. Their business events team is leading a multi-year legacy and impact study to evaluate the economic, social and environmental impact of up to 16 conferences that took place between 2018 and 2024 in Canada. The study focuses on life sciences, natural resources, finance and insurance, advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and digital industries. The end goal is to create an evidence-based strategy so business events can actively provide lasting legacies to communities across the country—supporting their growth and resilience.
Applications for the 2025 IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability award opens January 2025. Contact Hannah Lee ([email protected]) for more information.
