The events industry is making a strong comeback following the pandemic, due in part to the challenges that virtual events face in capturing the magic of real-life experiences.

The 2023 AMEX Global Event Trends Forecast supports our experience in building Scope3 over the past 15 months, reporting booming optimism and a focus on in-person meetings and events.

While there is much to celebrate about the return to real-world gatherings, it goes without saying that viewing events from a sustainability perspective requires fresh thinking and new approaches. As an industry recognized for its innovation and ability to influence, the time is now for media and advertising leaders to chart a new course for low-carbon events.

Enter Christian Muche. Christian built DMexco into the de facto international gathering for the world of adtech. When Christian asked us to participate in building a sustainability framework for Possible, we eagerly accepted. If we, as a collective of event owners, organizers, vendors, and participants refuse to be bold and courageous in our pursuits for a more sustainable industry, we risk settling for a future that science says we will regret.

As a sustainability partner, we are working with Possible to co-create a guide for current and future sustainability efforts. As a new event, Possible can address the main sources of carbon emissions that exist in the execution of events today and work to identify improvements and breakthroughs that can pave the way to net zero.

What we like most about this project is that aligns with our vision to decarbonize media and advertising. Like digital advertising, events are an addressable carbon hotspot and offer our community an opportunity to help solve another pressing climate challenge.

Now, let's start with the plan. The 5-point sustainability framework outlined focused on key sustainability areas including:

• Providing an eco-friendly experience
• Reducing event waste
• Encouraging conscious consumption
• Increasing industry awareness
• Measuring the event’s impact and set goals for improvement

Admittedly, some of these steps are building blocks. Continuous improvement  will require intelligent effort, innovation and creativity, as well as fixes and adjustments as we learn. Importantly, we must also be open to and embrace change.

The nature of the challenge requires engaging with other sustainability experts to explore new innovations and ideas, and seeking comment and feedback from the entire industry as we set a course for what’s possible with Possible. We hope you’ll join us in our mission to realize a new sustainability standard for our industry.