MICE Impact Academy makes its mark
A new three-day German-language programme took place at IMEX Frankfurt: the inaugural MICE Impact Academy. Focused on people, planet and purpose, the programme was designed to connect, train and motivate stakeholders in the meetings industry, in line with SDG 17 – Cooperation for the Sustainability Goals.
A series of individual events on Monday 22 May saw 60 hosted buyers experience a creative networking and education programme as they learned about impact strategies and concepts from select destinations. Interactive workshops explored both inner and outer impact creation: the Find Your Inner Purpose workshop took participants on a reflective journey to explore their own dreams and goals, the Circular Economy workshop provided background and context, and the SDGs and their Application in the Meetings Industry workshop presented creative and inspiring possibilities for more sustainable events. On Monday evening, the MICE Impact Lounge enabled destination partners to present sustainable event concepts during the creative MICE Impact Rally.
During the show, three Impact Academy Education Sessions emphasized the importance of action on sustainability. Building a Better World – How to Create True Impact as an Industry, from futurologist Andreas Reiter, focused on transformation and the new togetherness on the way to a sustainable future. The Impact Creators Panel brought sustainability consultants, industry opinion leaders and social entrepreneurs together to discuss connection points and key challenges, while the Impact Destinations Panel invited leaders of select meetings destinations to an open and honest exchange. Both panels were moderated by MICE Impact Academy founder and IMEX brand ambassador Tanja Knecht.
Tanja expressed her delight with the success of this first event, and with the enthusiastic response.
“The dialogue between suppliers and buyers is so important for me because I believe that only together can we find answers to our great common challenge: How can we make our industry more sustainable? Education is the key to change,” Tanja said. “Great things can happen if we cooperate authentically and learn with and from each other.”
