IMEX PREVI EW
Back to nature This year marks 20 years of IMEX in Frankfurt - and the 2022 edition will have sustainability right at its heart. Paul Harvey met up with IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer to find out more
Carina Bauer
T he IMEX Group has been doing sustainability for almost 20 years, and speaking to CEO Carina Bauer at the firm’s Hove headquarters, it’s clear how ingrained it is throughout the company’s operations. “By working on it for so long, we’ve been able to take lots of little steps to build a comprehensive programme,” Bauer explains. “Our team are very committed, we have an internal Green Squad. We are committed not only to implementing best practice in event sustainability ourselves but also to using our influence to encourage everyone in the event industry to maximise their efforts.” When IMEX in Frankfurt returns for the first time since 2019, it will be those little steps that will make it the most sustainability-focused edition to date. The show’s Talking Point, Giving Nature a Second Chance, will be championed at the IMEX|EIC People & Planet Village, a dedicated area of the show floor where afore-mentioned Green Squad will share what the company is doing around
encourage our exhibitors or attendees to change some of their behaviours,” explains Bauer. “We’re doing this because we believe it’s the right thing to do,” she adds. “The IPCC report that came out in February was pretty stark. Unless the world does play its part, we know where we are heading.” That’s partly why Bauer
sustainability and DEI as well as showcasing best practice and ideas from across the industry. IMEX Group is committed to the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, and will publish its pathway to net zero by the end of 2023, while the Frankfurt edition will be measuring its sustainability performance
sees sustainability as a non-negotiable for any organisation, not just those in the event sector. “Already PLCs are starting to be measured on it,” she says. “Their triple bottom line accounting or ESG measures, and that will filter down through the system and flow into how
Unless the world plays its part, we know where we are heading
IMEX in Frankfurt has a People and Planet Village
That totally changes the game.” So with the game changed, what’s Bauer’s advice to other people starting out on their sustainability journey? “We’re trying to really get our hands around where the carbon comes from,” she says.”That’s a complex exercise, but it will put us in a position to start reducing. That’s what I would encourage other people to do if they were doing anything, because until you do that, you don’t know where your effort is best spent.” IMEX in Frankfurt takes place 31 May – 2 June 2022 ‐ registration is free.
they’re running events, because it’s just not coherent otherwise. I don’t think we’re in that position today, but we will be in the next, say, five years. And we always want to be ahead of the game. “Until recently sustainability either didn’t feature on RFPs, or it was a nice to have. Now it’s often in the top three requirements of the corporate’s RFPs for holding an event.
for the first time, with results distributed openly post‐show. The results will also be used as a benchmark for carbon monitoring so IMEX Group can put in place carbon reduction targets. “There are layers to it, because there’s how we operate the business on a day to day basis, how we operate the shows and what we’re in control of, and then how we
mitmagazine.co.uk SPRING/SUMMER 2022 39
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker