In June, professional congress organizer AIM Group International published its first Sustainability Report, taking into account its activities in 2023. The report identifies the most relevant sustainability issues facing the organization as well as shares AIM’s sustainability goals and values with internal and external stakeholders.
“We recognize that the path to sustainability is an ongoing journey,” Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno, vice president of AIM Group International, said in a press release. “This report serves as a reference tool for our future goals: to continue to seek synergies and opportunities to improve sustainability throughout the supply chain, working closely with our clients, and involving them in this commitment.”
While there’s much to sift through in the 46-page report, much of it specific to AIM, one takeaway that any event organizer can apply to their own events immediately is AIM Group International’s Sustainable Development Policy, which outlines the organization’s three fundamental pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social, and Governance.
Environmental
- Encourage the use of public transport, optimize the number of transportation means, and reduce the number of trips, favoring low-emission mobility services and systems during events.
- Promote the use of recyclable materials, reduce food waste, and minimize the use of single-use packaging at events.
- Request involved suppliers facilitate waste sorting and verify the implementation of such actions.
- Reduce the use of paper materials, favoring digital tools where possible.
Social
- Raise awareness of event sustainability principles to stakeholders through communication initiatives and industry associations.
- Ensure equal opportunities, accessibility, and inclusivity at events, respecting the expectations of sensitive individuals.
- Comply with GDPR privacy regulations, providing adequate information on personal data processing.
- Pay attention to the rights of internal and external collaborators, ensuring gender equality at all company levels and promoting training as a growth tool to enhance both technical and soft skills.
Governance
- Monitor and update procedures and objectives to identify areas of improvement.
- Promote sustainability education and the development of knowledge, awareness, and behaviors conducive to sustainability both within and outside the company through training and communication channels.
- Consider adherence to sustainability principles in the supplier selection process as a preferential requirement and concurrently promote their adoption internally.
On the Web: Find the full Sustainability Report at AIM Group International.
Casey Gale is managing editor of Convene.