The ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) Scandinavian chapter had its annual meeting in Tampere, Finland last week. In the meeting, the members signed the Scandinavian Sustainable Meetings Accord, which aims to advance sustainable development within the meetings and events industry. The accord is a document outlining 10 specific actions and it is the first of its kind in the world.

The project has been a joint Scandinavian venture for the past two years and it has been led by Guy Bigwood, Sustainability Director of the MCI Group. The project has brought regional leaders together, committed to taking action, sharing knowledge and creating products to help clients and developing socially responsible actions. The accord emphasizes the Scandinavian commitment to deliver the best possible meeting experience. With the accord, convention bureaux, congress centers and other meetings industry professionals in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland agree on common set if indicators that they can use to benchmark and transparently communicate their progress in this area.

A benchmarking system was developed using 18 performance indicators to assess the sustainability of infrastructure and practices within the destinations. The system is in a pilot phase, and a full report will be released at IMEX Frankfurt in May. Further information on the project and the accord can be found on Guy Bigwood’s blog.

Photo: Joonas Loueranta/Tampere-talo