Radisson Hotel Group and GDS-Movement have launched a practical roadmap aimed at closing the sustainability implementation gap for associations and professional conference organisers (PCOs).
Titled Accelerating Sustainable & Regenerative Events: A Guide for Associations & PCOs, the guide was unveiled in Brussels to provide event planners with actionable tools, destination data, and measurement frameworks.
It outlines five core recommendations for planners: engaging destination partners earlier in the planning phase, prioritising certified supplier networks, embedding social impact and legacy initiatives directly into event design, adopting low-carbon mobility strategies for delegates, and establishing sustainability-linked measurement and reporting frameworks.
While 66 per cent of associations consider sustainability highly important, fewer than 34 per cent have embedded it into operations, and only three per cent report having an advanced sustainability programme. Common barriers include perceived costs, fragmented supplier ecosystems, and limited access to reliable data.
“The industry does not have a sustainability awareness problem; it has an implementation challenge,” said Inge Huijbrechts, chief sustainability and security officer at Radisson Hotel Group. “This guide is designed to move the conversation from ambition to action by providing planners with practical tools, trusted frameworks, and stronger collaboration models.”
Developed using benchmarks from the GDS-Index – which evaluates destinations against 74 indicators aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals – the guide emphasises early destination collaboration to standardise sustainability across recurring event portfolios.
“Destinations play a pivotal role in accelerating the transition toward sustainable and regenerative events,” said Guy Bigwood, CEO and chief changemaker of GDS-Movement. “Collaboration between destinations, venues, and suppliers is essential to creating events that generate meaningful social, environmental, and economic value.”
The guide can be found here.
