A new report from IMEX shares practical sustainability insights which planners can use to deliver a positive impact with their own events. As IMEX America 2025 approaches, the new report, developed with sustainability consultants MeetGreen®, highlights the sustainability successes, experiments, and lessons learned from last year’s show.
The IMEX America 2024 Sustainability Report takes a deep dive into the event’s environmental initiatives, from pre-show planning through to on-site execution. It showcases key achievements and new initiatives while also identifying areas ripe for enhancement.
Highlights
- New initiatives included introducing five electric buses to the event transport fleet and replacing single-use plastic badge holders with 100% paper versions
- Menus at IMEX America catering outlets were all 100% beef-free, helping to reduce catering carbon emissions by 39% compared to the 2023 show
- For the sixth consecutive year, IMEX America successfully diverted more than 90% of its waste stream (by weight) from landfill earning its designation as a zero-waste event.
A rallying cry to the industry
IMEX CEO, Carina Bauer, explains how event professionals can benefit from the report: “Having the right knowledge to hand is key to making meaningful progress, and this report details the practical information planners can use to make changes to their own events and enhance conversations with colleagues and clients.
“Our report’s an open account of both what went well and also what we can do better. We’ve highlighted the areas to improve at our coming show, specifically around material use and charity donations. We're always open to experimenting with new ideas, building on what’s gone well and identifying areas to improve.
“My rallying cry for event professionals is this: sustainability progress doesn’t have to be about big bold moves; taking small, incremental steps is just as important. Producing sustainable events is a gradual process and it’s vital we all learn and iterate as we go.”
Sustainability insight for all at IMEX America
Planners can discover the latest sustainability know-how through hands-on activations and a dedicated learning track, Impact, at this year’s IMEX America which takes place October 7-9.
- The IMEX America 2024 Sustainability Report can be downloaded here.
- IMEX America takes place October 7-9 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas and includes Smart Monday, a preshow education day, powered by MPI, on October 6.
