The GBTA Foundation has been awarded the SPLC’s 2025 Leadership Award in the Public Interest Advocate category for its sustainability work.
As sustainability expectations continue to rise across the meetings, events, and business travel sectors, one organization is gaining significant recognition for driving real, measurable progress. The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) has awarded the GBTA Foundation its 2025 Leadership Award in the Public Interest Advocate category. The honor underscores the Foundation’s growing influence in shaping responsible procurement practices across a sector with more than $1.57 trillion in purchasing power.
For planners, suppliers and travel program managers, this recognition signals a powerful shift: sustainable procurement is quickly becoming integral to how the industry evaluates partners, sources services and measures impact.
Setting a Standard for Sustainable Travel Procurement
The GBTA Foundation — the philanthropic and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association — has spent years developing resources that help organizations integrate sustainability into purchasing decisions. Its landmark achievement came in 2024 with the release of the GBTA Sustainable Procurement Standards, a framework designed to help corporate travel buyers consistently evaluate suppliers’ environmental and social performance.
These standards were developed in collaboration with GBTA Sustainability Partners and Sustainability Committee. More than 50 organizations — including airlines, hotel groups and car rental companies — participated in the review process, alongside the International Air Transport Association, Travalyst and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. For meeting and event planners, the standards are designed to offer a unified, credible benchmark for assessing vendors and partners, helping elevate sustainability from a “nice-to-have” to a strategic requirement.
Data-Driven Tools Coming in 2026
New data from the GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge global benchmark, released earlier this month, reveals rising momentum: 38% of companies now apply climate-related criteria when selecting suppliers. Yet the Foundation sees this as a starting point rather than an end goal.
To help organizations move from intention to implementation, the GBTA Foundation will launch a suite of practical procurement tools in 2026. These resources will include case studies, assessment templates and scorecards to support more consistent and data-driven decision-making. The tools also will help support meeting professionals who are increasingly expected to demonstrate sustainable outcomes at every stage of the event lifecycle.
Collaboration Driving Industry Transformation
For the Foundation’s leaders, the SPLC award validates both the progress made and the work ahead.
“We’re proud to be recognized by SPLC, a respected leader in sustainable procurement,” said Kelsey Frenkiel, Director of Sustainability at the GBTA Foundation. “This recognition reinforces our conviction that strong collaboration across the travel supply chain can lead to meaningful transformation. Sustainable procurement is no longer optional—it’s becoming the foundation for how responsible businesses operate.”
SPLC CEO Marc Heisterkamp echoed the sentiment, highlighting the Foundation’s innovative methodologies and measurable results. He noted that GBTA’s work sets a “compelling example for organizations globally aiming to create a better future.”
A Signal for Planners and the Broader Events Ecosystem
For meeting and event professionals, the Foundation’s recognition serves as a clear indication of where the industry is headed. Clients and stakeholders increasingly demand transparency, measurable sustainability performance, and responsible supplier selection. Tools and standards developed by the GBTA Foundation and validated by peers across the sustainability community offer planners a blueprint for aligning events with evolving expectations.
Register for the 2025 SPLC Leadership Awards ceremony, which will be held virtually on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. EST, here.
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