Helsinki Earns Top Spot in Destination Sustainability Index

The latest edition of the industry's only ranking of destinations focused on sustainability benchmarks the strategies, action plans, and initiatives of 100 cities and regions worldwide.

The Stand-Up October 17, 2024 Edited by Miguel Neves View in browser Hi there,   The Global Destination Sustainability Index has a new leader. Helsinki, Finland, has taken the top spot for the first time.   After years of dominance by Gothenburg, Sweden, the Finnish capital has pipped its fellow Nordic city to the top spot, with Copenhagen, Denmark, rounding out the top three.   Further down the list — seventh overall — comes Singapore, the top mega-city, narrowly beating Sydney, Australia.   The shifts are driven by destinations stepping up their game and changes to the scoring system, with new criteria and refined scoring. Helsinki's rise signals that the race to be a sustainable leader isn't just about maintaining the status quo but embracing constant evolution.   Copenhagen's inventive CopenPay initiative, forward-thinking Legacy Lab project, and Kumamoto, Japan's leap in index scores, were also highlighted.   What does this mean for your next event? Competition to improve sustainability among destinations is fierce, pushing them to innovate in surprising ways.   We'd love to hear how your chosen destinations address their sustainability challenges. Reply to this email and share your insights! Events Industry Rallies to Help Asheville After Devastating Hurricanes  Two major hurricanes, Helene and Milton, left a path of destruction that stretched from Florida to Virginia. Asheville, a popular destination for meetings, was severely impacted. The meetings industry is doing its part to help. How I Got My Start In Events Few people wake up one morning and decide they want to be a planner. Most literally fall into the meetings industry, like these 10 planners did. San Francisco Travel Association's New CEO Outlines Plans to Escape the City's Doom Loop Narrative Anna Marie Presutti is finding new ways to increase funds for the San Francisco Travel Association, which is crucial to revitalizing its meetings and events business. Helsinki Earns Top Spot in Destination Sustainability Index The latest edition of the industry's only ranking of destinations focused on sustainability benchmarks the strategies, action plans, and initiatives of 100 cities and regions worldwide. NEW REPORT Beyond Eco-Friendly: Putting Sustainability at the Center of Meetings and Events Created collaboratively with Destination DC What began as a way to think about making meetings and events more eco-friendly has evolved into implementing steps to create an ecosystem for meetings, events, and conferences — as well as their host destination — to thrive.   In this report, we examine the importance of building a sustainable ecosystem for events from the perspectives of planners, attendees, and the host destination. DOWNLOAD REPORT IMEX America Breaks Attendance Records and Commits to Vegas  Despite challenges from Hurricane Milton, which led to some Florida participants leaving early, IMEX America had record attendance. [Podcast] Health-Conscious Nonalcoholic Cocktails Offer an Alternative To Sugary Mocktails Move over alcohol and sugary mocktails, nonalcoholic cocktails with ingredients that are good for you are gaining in popularity. Sneakers Take Center Stage at IMEX At this year's IMEX, sneakers were the footwear of choice – but not just for comfort. Attendees used their sneakers for contests, activations, branding and to show off their personal style. WEBINAR From Planning to Promotion: Elevating Your Pre-Event Marketing In partnership with Stova In this webinar, Anush Alexander, Chief Marketing Officer, Stova and Madeleine Monaghan Golda, Director of Global Training, Stova, and Kristen Ashton, Vice President of Business Development, Executivevents, Inc. will explain the importance of the blending state-of-the-art technology with fundamental knowledge on creating engaging events. REGISTER NOW Sustainability Lags in the Events Industry While Budgets are Up Sustainability goals are still lagging in the events industry, with less than half of professionals having clear goals and an action plan. How Partnering with DMOs Adds Value to Your Meeting Created collaboratively with Destination DC The sooner planners engage with a host destination's DMO, the more opportunities they have to create meaningful and unique experiences that will allow attendees to thrive. Gen Z Will Reshape Events There is an untapped group that can help you make your events a must-attend, according to a new Freeman Report. UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS: ICCA Congress (Oct. 20-23, in Abu Dhabi, UAE ) IBTM World (Nov.19-21 in Barcelona, Spain ) Event Tech Live London / Event Sustainability Live (Nov. 20-21, in London, UK) Explore our full calendar of industry events here. Hotel Points for Planners: Who Cashes In? Planners face many ethical challenges in their jobs, but one of the biggest is what to do with hotel points. [Podcast] Navigating IMEX America 2024: Insider Tips for a Successful Show Amid the overwhelming hustle of IMEX America, it's easy to get lost in the noise. This conversation can help you make the most of the show. Unofficial IMEX Networking App Sparks Confusion Event tech platform Sarcon may have had good intentions when it created an unofficial networking app for the industry's biggest show, but it ended up confusing attendees and frustrating show organizers. More From Skift Meetings Barcelona: A Convention Powerhouse Confronting Overtourism Challenges Encore CEO on Tackling AV Budget Challenges and Service Gaps Visit Atlantic City Gets a New Leader as Events Business Finally Rebounds To ensure there are no pauses in our communication, please add our email address to your contacts: meetings@skift.com. Skift, 35 W 31st St., Frnt 1, New York, NY 10001, USA, (516) 399-0304 Manage preferences