IMEX has released its report on sustainability initiatives at IMEX America 2024.

Developed with sustainability consultants MeetGreen®, the 2024 sustainability report highlights the sustainability successes, experiments, and lessons learned from the show and delivers practical sustainability insights that planners can incorporate into their own events.

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 that can be enhanced and improved.

Highlights include:

• New initiatives included introducing five electric buses to the event transport fleet and replacing single-use plastic badge holders with 100 percent paper versions
• Menus at IMEX America catering outlets were all 100 percent beef-free, helping to reduce catering carbon emissions by 39 percent compared to the 2023 show
• For the sixth consecutive year, IMEX America diverted more than 90 percent of its waste stream (by weight) from landfill earning its designation as a zero-waste event.

“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,” said Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX. “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.”

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 at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.