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Inaugural Sustainability Conference to Welcome Curated Participation
FRANKFURT, GERMANY – PCMA and The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe (SANCBE) today announced Convene 4 Climate, the global business events industry’s inaugural sustainability conference, will be open to curated participation in a workshop-based environment. This exclusive gathering, 2-3 October in Barcelona, aims to drive responsibility, harness the power of technology, and deliver transformative solutions to address the persistent challenges of climate change.
Convene 4 Climate will explore three central themes – Reimagine, Inspire, and Movement – to activate towards climate impact mitigation, long-term profitability, and inspire optimism as a continued global movement, transforming what this industry offers and how it produces business events.
“Together with SANCBE, PCMA is co-creating a way forward for a regenerative future that empowers the global business events industry to continue to operate in a commonsense way while driving positive change for a new economy,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President and CEO. “Now is the time to embark on this transformative journey to reimagine the future, inspire sustainable progress, and ignite a movement towards a more resilient tomorrow.”
Convene 4 Climate participants will reimagine the future of business events through the lens of sustainability, be inspired by the potential for long-term profitability in harmony with environmental stewardship and join a global movement optimistic in the face of climate challenges.
SANCBE Co-Chairs Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, German Convention Bureau (GCB) and Eric Bakermans, Director Marketing Meetings & Conventions, Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC): “Business events offer platforms for addressing complex issues, and they act as crucial catalysts for successfully merging sustainability and digitalization. Europe, as a hub for meetings and conferences, leads this twin transformation with initiatives such as the European Green Deal, offering not only a consistent strategic framework, but also avenues for practical solutions. To invigorate our collective mission, it is now vital to synchronize our efforts and, above all, find inspiration in one another.”
Interested participants are encouraged to submit the Expression of Interest as the event is targeting a diverse and influential community of sustainability leaders. The intentionally curated programming will allow for meaningful discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and the development of actionable strategies.
CONTACTS:
Meghan Risch
PCMA
Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Martina Neunecker
GCB German Convention Bureau
Director, Communications & Strategy
Email: [email protected]
About the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe is a network of national destination marketing organisations. As a collaborative industry platform, it concentrates on strengthening Europe’s position as a leading destination for international business events. The purpose of the Alliance is to create a beneficial working relationship amongst the national convention bureaux of Europe in order to sustain and further develop the position of Europe.
The idea of creating synergies and establishing a joint platform for Europe as a destination for business events on the international stage continues to gain traction: Officially announced at IMEX 2014 in Las Vegas with nine founding countries, the Alliance is now a 28-member strong network that has steadily grown over the past couple of years. Since 2014, the Alliance has met twice a year in rotating host destinations.
For media queries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA, and requests for interviews with Sherrif Karamat, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications PCMA, PCMA Foundation and CEMA educate, inspire, and listen, creating meaningful experiences where passion, purpose and commerce come together. We are the world’s largest community for Business Events Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Our mission is to drive social and economic progress through business events. Headquartered in Chicago, IL PCMA has 17 North American Chapters, regional communities in APAC, EMEA and LATAM, and members in 59 countries. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), a PCMA subsidiary, advances strategic event marketing and marketing communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals. Visit us at pcma.org. The role of the Foundation of PCMA is to support the mission of PCMA through fundraising and grant-giving focused on scholarships, education and research that will advance the business events industry. Annually the Foundation funds over $700K in impact, and since 1985 has funded over 2,500 scholarships, 100 research studies and education programs, and $2.7M in charitable giving. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) is the eminent community for senior event executives, association peers and industry partners and is an integral component of the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) brand collective. CEMA promotes professional networking opportunities, facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and drives industry standards. Through strong relationships with strategic partners, CEMA fosters both finding innovative solutions to business issues and continuous focus on members’ career growth. For more information, please visit http://www.cemaonline.com.About PCMA
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