Convention bureaux, destination marketing organizations, venues and agencies from the five Scandinavian member countries of ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) signed an agreement on 15 March to create the world’s first sustainable meetings region.
The first of its kind in the world, the agreement is a document outlining 10 specific actions to which all signatories commit, with the aim of advancing sustainable development in the meetings and event industry. The agreement was signed at the annual meeting of the ICCA Scandinavian Chapter in Tampere, Finland.
Steen Jakobsen, convention director at Wonderful Copenhagen Convention Bureau, and board member of ICCA and the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) observed: "Sustainability is a business imperative that we all understand. It’s about good business and creating better communities. We recognize that only through collaboration, including the sharing of best practices and expertise, will we improve performance of our organizations for the benefit of our clients. This agreement documents our commitment to develop and deliver the best meeting experience possible."
Over the next six months, the Scandinavian ICCA Chapter will expand the number of signatories to the agreement by reaching out to business leaders across Scandinavia. They will encourage others to join their commitment to measure and improve environmental impacts and to further develop the holistic approach to sustainable business for which Scandinavia is recognized.
Scandinavian countries create world’s 1st sustainable meetings region
