Improving impact, reducing footprint
Investing in people and planet is at our core. For everything we do, we consider the impact. We continuously benchmark our performance against industry best practice. And we carefully consider our supply chain, collaborating with our suppliers and with everyone attending our shows, to continuously improve impact and reduce footprint.
01. Net zero
01. Net zero
Creating a net zero future
Our goal is to make the biggest possible impact on a net zero future. To achieve this, we’re working to deliver net zero shows and run a net zero business by 2030. We’re also committed to helping our industry work toward net zero.
We’re also committed to inspiring and enabling our industry to take as much action as possible to help address the climate crisis.
02. Sustainability
02. Sustainability
Minimizing our environmental impact
We're on a mission to minimize environmental impact.
- We strive to reduce, reuse and recycle show supplies and materials, sourcing with care. For example, show carpets are reused or recycled; plastic-free, reusable, recyclable paperboard is used for signage; water coolers and reusable bottles render single-use plastic unnecessary
- Our venues sort and recycle leftover waste: 80% of mixed waste in Frankfurt is recycled; more than 90% of waste is diverted from landfill in Las Vegas (meeting the threshold for a zero-waste event)
- We help our exhibitors reduce their environmental impact, from the materials they use to build their booths, to the catering they choose for booth events, doing everything we can to ease their way to sustainable exhibiting
- We offer clearly labelled waterwise, meat-free and emission-friendly catering, and compostable service ware and food packaging
- We reward and recognize organizations making significant commitments to reduce their environmental impact through the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award
Setting the standard
We measure and build on our sustainability actions year on year. We are proud to be recognized for our achievements in creating sustainable events.
IMEX America 2021 achieved EIC’s highest level of Sustainable Event Standards: Platinum.
IMEX America and IMEX Frankfurt honored with MeetGreen’s Visionary Award for Sustainability, recognizing our work to “improve environmental performance and use our buying power to drive change with venues and vendors”.
IMEX America 2021 named as Trade Show Executive’s Show with the Most Commendable Green Initiatives.
Carina Bauer
CEO, IMEX Group
“We do everything we can to leave the world a better place that we found it. We are committed not only to implementing best practice in event sustainability ourselves but also to using our influence to encourage everyone in our industry to maximize their efforts.”
Learn more about sustainability at our shows
03. Carbon footprint
03. Carbon footprint
Reducing our footprint
We're reducing our carbon footprint by:
- Powering our show by 100% renewable hydroelectricity in Frankfurt, and 30% solar power in Las Vegas
- Balancing carbon emissions from transfers in Frankfurt (through our transportation partner)
- Offering all participants an option to balance their estimated missions from travelling to the shows
- Offering renewable-energy train travel to Frankfurt to German hosted buyers through Deutsche Bahn
- Promoting walking routes and public transportation in our host cities
- Making anti-idling standard for transfers
04. Legacy and CSR
04. Legacy and CSR
Giving back
Our host cities are our homes from home twice a year; and giving back to their local communities is our way of saying a heartfelt thank you for the warm welcome we receive. We are proud to support the following charities:
- In Frankfurt we support Caritas and Stiftung Waisenhaus
- In Las Vegas, we support Opportunity Village, Spread the Word Nevada and The Shade Tree Shelter
- From our Brighton and Hove HQ, we support (among others) Emmaus Brighton, Knight Support, St Peter’s Safehaven, The Clock Tower Sanctuary and the Martlets Hospice
How we give back in our host cities
05. Equity, diversity and inclusion
05. Equity, diversity and inclusion
Championing inclusivity
Our aim is to make our workplace and our shows as inclusive as possible. Our cross-team equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) working group do this in several ways.
At our shows
We promote EDI at our shows by:
- Cultivating speaker diversity, welcoming speakers from underrepresented groups with a range of experiences and perspectives
- Inviting debate and discussion on inclusivity in events and in business
- Signposting our code of conduct pre-show and at-show
- Offering our team the option to include personal pronouns on their show badges
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In our workplace
We promote EDI in our workplace by:
- Adopting anonymous recruitment to remove unconscious bias
- Working toward Disability Confident Employer accreditation
- Inviting speakers to IMEX HQ to talk to our team about EDI
- Developing an EDI resource hub
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In communications and memberships
We promote EDI through our communications and memberships by:
- Creating and championing an Inclusive Language Guide
- Being active members of the AEO Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, the EIC Equity Task Force and Tourism Diversity Matters
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Personal pronouns
Our use of personal pronouns is one of the ways in which we portray our identities. When someone asks you to use their pronouns, they are asking you to respect that identity.
At IMEX, we use personal pronouns in email signatures and on show badges to avoid assumptions based on name or appearance, and to support the transgender and non-binary community. We recognize that our clients, partners and team come from diverse backgrounds and that all of us bring a unique and valued perspective.
Maria Gaillez
IMEX EDI
Working Group
“Equity, diversity and inclusion means understanding that everyone is unique and recognizing those individual differences. It’s about moving beyond tolerance to embrace these differences by creating a space not only where people see themselves represented, but where people truly feel they belong.”
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