The MICE industry sets 13 goals to put sustainability into practice

Unveiled at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, the new Sustainable Event Goals set forth 13 objectives for integrating environmental, social, and economic criteria into the organization of professional meetings and events. The challenge is to move from general commitments to concrete decisions throughout the entire event cycle.

 

Starting this year, the MICE industry has a new common framework to advance sustainability. The Sustainable Event Goals (SEGs), presented at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, comprise 13 goals designed specifically for the professional events sector.

The initiative, developed through an international and multisectoral collaboration, aims to help organizers, suppliers, destinations, and other stakeholders incorporate sustainability into the day-to-day decisions surrounding an event.

From transportation to inclusion

The goals are organized into three broad areas: environmental, social, and economic governance.

The first encompasses issues such as energy consumption, transportation, food, and resource management. The social dimension addresses inclusion, well-being, collaboration, and relationships with communities, while economic governance incorporates aspects such as local impact, transparency, partnerships, and innovation.

This approach thus broadens the concept of a sustainable event. The choice of venue, attendee transportation, the food served, relationships with suppliers, accessibility, and the impact on the community are all part of the same strategy.

A common language for the sector

The Sustainable Event Goals do not constitute a new certification nor do they replace existing sustainability standards. Their purpose is to provide a common language and set of priorities that help organizations identify where to focus their efforts.

The framework emerged following a roundtable discussion on sustainability in professional events held in Montreal in April 2025, where industry representatives identified the need for more aligned criteria and tools to facilitate their practical application.

Following its launch this year, the next step will be to develop guidelines and resources that enable these objectives to be incorporated into decision-making and linked to existing standards and measurement systems.

The initiative reflects an evolution in how sustainability is approached within the MICE sector: fewer general statements and more tools to turn commitments into concrete actions.