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Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) has announced its commitment to reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of the 27th MEETINGS 2023, New Zealand’s most prominent business events exhibition. The event, set to take place in June, will be the most sustainable yet, with a renewed commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

The MEETINGS 2023 is working towards Toitū net carbonzero certification as a Certified Event Operation for its first event in New Zealand’s capital city, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. BEIA Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins, says the organization is excited to start the Toitū net carbon zero certification programme and initiate further sustainability goals for MEETINGS 2023.

“As the business events industry’s peak body, it is our role to lead the way in sustainability practices and make them core to everything we do,” she says.

The certification programme means all emissions associated with the planning and operations of MEETINGS 2023 will be measured, audited in alignment with strict world-leading criteria, and then offset via quality-assessed carbon credits. The commitment will show exhibitors and buyers that BEIA is committed to reducing the event’s environmental impact and working towards the continual reduction of carbon emissions year-on-year.

The Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, the venue for MEETINGS 2023, holds a 5-Star Green Design certification from the New Zealand Green Building Council. The venue’s features include high-performance double glazing, automatically controlled LED lighting, heat pumps to reduce fossil fuels, ventilation and water-efficient fittings and rainwater harvesting, energy-efficiency signage options, and environmentally-friendly materials sourced from sustainable forestry.

Other initiatives for MEETINGS 2023 include carbon-offsetting hosted buyers’ air travel with Air New Zealand’s FlyNeutral programme, reducing printed material, eliminating satchels, and partnering with local charities Kibosh Food Rescue, Gillies McIndoe Research and Wellington Zoo to make donations on behalf of every hosted buyer.

Exhibitors are encouraged to help by offsetting carbon emissions from travel and freight to Wellington, using sustainable packaging, reducing waste from one-time items by creating reusable generic signage or digital signage options, and bringing reusable coffee cups and water bottles. Exhibitors are also encouraged to use sustainable, eco-friendly, and biodegradable giveaway items and to arrange for plants used on stands to be donated or replanted.

Hosted buyers can make a difference by bringing reusable coffee cups, water bottles, and bags, and by using the MEETINGS App, recycling name badges, walking to the venue if staying locally, and choosing one of three charities for BEIA to donate to.

MEETINGS 2023 is being held on 21 and 22 June in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. Limited spaces are available on the MEETINGS 2023 Hosted Buyer programme until applications close on Wednesday, 19 April. Day Buyer registrations open on Wednesday, 26 April.

In conclusion, the commitment to sustainability by BEIA is commendable and reflects the need for businesses to take action to reduce their carbon footprint. The initiatives taken by MEETINGS 2023 and its partners to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable practices should be emulated by other events in the industry. This is a step towards a greener future, and we can all make it happen.