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Photo Credit: Bratislava Convention Bureau

On 22 March, Bratislava Convention Bureau organised a thought-provoking event to share expertise regarding sustainable event management. Keynote speakers at the event included experts from the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) and Comenius University Bratislava.

The event presented information from the field of green events and shared know-how on reducing the environmental impacts of the meetings industry. The speakers presented practical knowledge and case studies from Bratislava and abroad. The event was hosted in Hotel Sheraton Bratislava and was attended by around 40 participants who could indulge in sustainable and locally-sourced dishes.

Presenting sustainable best-case practices

Attendees included representatives of hotels, venues, DMCs and other key stakeholders of the meetings industry in Slovakia. The lineup of speakers included Beatriz Ibanez, Senior Changemaker at the GDS-Movement, Bella Shahsuvaryan, Changemaker at the GDS-Movement and Radomir Masaryk, PhD., Vice-Rector for External Relations, Comenius University Bratislava.

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Photo Credit: Bratislava Convention Bureau

Future regenerative events

Bella Shahsuvaryan delved into the GDS-Index and its sustainable mission. The GDS-Index is the leading sustainability benchmarking and improvement programme for destinations globally. It assesses the current social and environmental performance of a destination and drives improved performance. It is a powerful tool for clients to assess the sustainability of destinations.

Beatriz Ibanez further explained the GDS-Movement, which unites and enables destination management professionals to create flourishing and resilient places to visit, meet, and live in. Furthermore, she introduced regenerative events and presented several case studies.

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Photo Credit: Bratislava Convention Bureau

The event was aligned with Bratislava’s sustainably-oriented future tourism strategy and will further help the Slovakian meetings industry to develop green solutions.

Finally, Radomir Masaryk discussed the sustainable aspect of the EHPS conference in Bratislava 2022 as a case study. Both the EHPS and the Local Organising Committee of the EHPS 2022 conference encouraged the attendees to opt for green and sustainable travel.