Open to all industry professionals, the event provides an ideal setting to exchange knowledge about the most important drivers for implementing sustainability in the event industry: engagement, collaboration and measurement.

“As Head of Sustainability in a leading global events business, I find UFI’s forum on sustainability to be a vital place for professionals to come together and consider how we can improve the impacts of the exhibition industry. Previously held in Asia, I’m particularly excited that this time the Educational Forum on Sustainable Development will be held in the USA. It gives us all a unique opportunity to work with colleagues from across the world and share best practice solutions to the problems we’re all facing,” said Ben Wielgus, head of sustainability, Informa PLC.

On Monday afternoon there will be a sustainability update and a tour of the venue, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), which runs one of the most innovative, large-scale sustainability programmes in the USA. Tuesday’s morning sessions will showcase the latest sustainable practices deployed across organisers, venues, contractors and other partners – with speakers from BCEC, FREEMAN, GES, IMEX, INFORMA, RAI Amsterdam, SANDS EXPO and USGBC.

In the afternoon, sessions will tackle the measurement issue and provide an overview of the status of several key frameworks and initiatives available around the world: APEX/ASTM, ISO 20121, Global Reporting Initiative, Green Venue Report and the Event Performance Index.