PCMA and SANCBE Launching the Convene 4 Climate Sustainability Conference

May 23, 2024

PCMA and an alliance of European convention bureaus are launching a new global business events sustainability conference, Convene 4 Climate.

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe (SANCBE) announced during IMEX Frankfurt that they were launching a new global business event sustainability conference. Called Convene 4 Climate, the inaugural event will be held Oct. 2-3 in Barcelona, Spain.

“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.”

The workshop-based program will explore ways business events can mitigate the climate impacts of their meetings while also ensuring long-term profitability by looking at the issues involved through three lenses — Reimagine, Inspire and Movement. The programming will be designed to encourage meaningful discussion, collaborative problem-solving and the development of actionable strategies among both key industry stakeholders and a cross-section of related professionals.

SANCBE Co-Chairs Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, German Convention Bureau (GCB) and Eric Bakermans, Director Marketing Meetings & Conventions, Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), explained, “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.”

Convene 4 Climate will be open to curated participation to ensure participants represent a diverse and influential community of sustainability leaders. Interested parties can apply to attend by submitting an Expression of Interest.