Becoming more sustainable is a joint effort

To be sustainable or not to be banner

Measure the impact of your conference, improve your score

26 November 2025 was a big day for everyone in Flanders who cares about conferences and events. All professionals gathered for the Event Sector Congress to find answers to the hot topics in the sector. One of the most challenging questions was: how can we support each other and the sector in a sustainable way?

This sustainability plays a key role in the future. Conferences will only continue to exist if they are sustainable. This focus ties in perfectly with the long-term sustainability trajectory of Flanders Convention Bureau for the conference sector, aimed at reducing environmental impacts and increasing positive social impact. Together with venues, suppliers, caterers and event organisers, we are developing practical solutions to make international conferences in Flanders more sustainable and inclusive.  

But how do you make a conference or event sustainable? By measuring its environmental and social impact and then improving it. A detailed sustainability report on the carbon footprint, circularity, biodiversity, SDG contributions and inclusion allows you to identify areas for improvement. If you then tackle these, you will make the next edition of your conference more sustainable.  

Practice what you preach, as the saying goes. Flanders Convention Bureau put its money where its mouth is and translated the sustainability of the Event Sector Congress into figures. To do this, we used the specialised tool MyImpactTool. The result is a comprehensive report, the main conclusions of which you can read below. 

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Final Impact Report ESC

What was the ecological footprint of the Event Sector Congress?

  • The total emissions from the event amounted to 17.34 tCO₂e1. This corresponds to 67 kg of CO₂ per participant per day. This is no less than 13% below the average CO₂ emissions from conferences, which, according to the average figures from MyImpactTool, amount to approximately 77.1 kg of CO₂ per person.
  • Technical production accounted for 80.44% of those total CO₂ emissions. The biggest contributors were the use and transport of AV equipment, lighting, decorations and stands, and the construction and dismantling of the infrastructure.
  • Participant mobility accounted for 12.88% of total emissions. These mobility data are subject to a margin of error of ±5.2%.
  • The energy consumption of the venue and the organisation accounted for 5.18% of total CO₂ emissions.

  • Catering had a very limited impact on total emissions (0.85%), thanks to a conscious choice of vegetarian, local and seasonal food.

    1tCO₂e is the climate impact equivalent to 1 tonne of CO₂. 

Bazaar
On the day of the Event Sector Congress, train traffic in Flanders was at a standstill due to a strike. That is why we stepped up our efforts to promote carpooling. And with success. No less than 54% of all participants shared a car with each other. 

How did the Event Sector Congress score in terms of inclusion?

  •  The conference achieved an inclusion score of 71%.
  • Accessibility was actively improved with ramps and fully accessible toilets. This made it easier for wheelchair users to participate.
  • Guests with additional needs or sensitivities were welcome in the low-stimulus room.
  • The programme ensured a balanced male/female ratio among the speakers.
  • Communication and catering deliberately focused on inclusion, with extra attention to allergies and intolerances.

As you can see, this is extremely useful information for assessing the sustainability of your conference or event. What's more, the report also immediately identifies areas for improvement. These will be implemented in the organisation of our next conference. 

accessible toilets

Where are the areas for sustainable improvement?

In terms of mobility
22% of all participants arrived alone in a car with a combustion engine. This can be reduced by a) promoting cycling and walking, b) focusing on public transport, and c) promoting carpooling even more.

In terms of technical production
AV and scenography can become more sustainable by opting for energy-efficient LED technology, reusing materials as much as possible, and working with a modular and circular design for sets and stands.

In terms of catering
Emissions can be further reduced here by focusing even more on plant-based catering options.

Suggestions for greater inclusion
We have added many inclusive facilities ourselves, such as ramps and accessible toilets. Choosing a location where accessibility is built in makes these temporary measures unnecessary.
As for diversity among speakers, there is still room for improvement by considering not only gender, but also cultural and social backgrounds. 

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Becoming more sustainable is a joint effort

Maarten De Brauwere, Conference & Venue Expert at Flanders Convention Bureau, looks back with satisfaction on the results and improvement actions.

"I appreciate everyone's efforts. Suppliers, partners and colleagues have actively collaborated to shape these themes. For many, this was new territory and a learning process, but together we have made clear progress. At the same time, there is still work to be done for us and for the sector, and that is precisely what makes this process exciting and challenging."

De Brauwere's words show that sustainability and inclusion are not individual responsibilities, but the result of a joint effort. That is why Flanders Convention Bureau will continue to involve the sector in the development of new sustainability initiatives.

Because, as you read in the introduction, conferences will only continue to exist if they are sustainable. Calculating the impact and implementing the resulting improvements are crucial in this regard. Tools such as MyImpactTool can help make the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive way of organising. 

For more information about this article, please contact Maarten De Brauwere, Conference & Venue Expert at Flanders Convention Bureau. 

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