We are excited to announce that Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement), will be a keynote speaker at IMPACT Summit 2024.

"Join peers and stakeholders in the tourism industry in Victoria, BC, this winter for the third annual IMPACT Conference: a national discussion on the industry’s impact on Canada’s economic, social, environmental and cultural fabric. IMPACT's goal is to align the Canadian tourism industry, as well as stakeholders and communities touched by tourism, behind a vision to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability."

Guy will showcase how GDS-Movement impacts the global tourism industry and how Canadian destinations are leading the charge.

Event Sustainability Live (ESL) is a two-day, free-to-attend exhibition and conference featuring educational sessions and roundtable discussions alongside a focussed marketplace of suppliers that can assist event organisers to achieve their unique sustainability goals. Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, GDS-Movement is attending and presenting.

From 11h20 to 11h50, Guy will explore "Destination Sustainability: Results, Trends, and Insights".

From 12h50 - 13h20, Guy will explore the "ESCRS Case Study: a Strategic View of Sustainable Association Meetings".

From 14h10 - 14h40, Guy will explore "The Regenerative Revolution: Developing and Managing Future-fit, Thriving Events".

TIS is the largest innovation, technology and sustainability event for the tourism sector. It's a global summit where the future strategies of the tourism industry are defined, and success stories are presented by leaders and experts. 

From 11h00 to 12h00, Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, GDS-Movement, will be speaking during the "Examining the effects of Agenda 2030 on business operations" segment in the Main Auditorium Accenture. This is a gold- and silver-pass segment.

From 16h30 - 17h15 CET, Senior Changemaker, Monica Molina, will be speaking about "the power Blockchain and NFT in creating value in the tourism sector".

From 2 to 7 October, destination professionals can enjoy an extraordinary event week, as City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA), the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement), and Visit València partner to bring you two incredible, back-to-back events, and to jointly announce and celebrate the new home of the prestigious, annual GDS-Awards.

GDS-Forum, 3 - 4 October
The GDS-Forum will convene destination leaders and sustainability champions from around the world. This is a dynamic and unconventional gathering to discuss sustainability and impact strategies and best practices, learn from GDS-Index journeys, and co-create new approaches and initiatives for greater regenerative destination management. It will follow a novel, non-conference format with a focus on peer-to-peer learning, collaboration, and creativity.

The 2023 GDS-Awards, 4 October (evening)
We recognise and ​celebrate the efforts of ​GDS-Index destinations
– ​Leadership Award​
– Most Improved Award​
– Innovation Award​
– Impact Award (new)​

09h45 - 10h30 local time, Thursday, 20 July: "Destination Stewardship in the Face of Climate Change"

Whether it’s more frequent hurricanes or unexpected wildfires, climate change poses a threat to the tourism industry, as well as to the communities and destinations that host visitors. As destination stewards, how can we better futureproof against such volatility? What lessons learned and sustainable practices can we share with one another? In this session, we will explore strategies for mitigating the impact of climate change, including ways to involve local communities and other stakeholders in the process of developing and implementing these strategies, as well as travelers themselves as responsible guests. The goal is to provide practical and actionable insights for destination stewards to help them navigate the challenges of climate change and promote sustainable tourism.

Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, GDS-Movement, discusses this with Hilina Ajakaiye, Executive Vice President, Meet Boston, Tracy Berkeley, CEO, Bermuda Tourism Authority, and Laura Dannon Redman, Head of Digital Content, AFAR Media.

13h15 local time, Thursday, 20 July: "Accountability and Leadership in Sustainable Destinations"

This is a dynamic and engaging discussion between global destination organisations leveraging the Global Destination Sustainability Index ((GDS-Index). The GDS-Index is the leading sustainability benchmarking and improvement programme for destinations around the world. It is used to assess current social, economic, and environmental performance in a destination, and then to drive progress and change. A discussion with global members will focus on the challenges and benefits of introducing a benchmarking programme like the GDS-Index to a destination marketing organisation.

Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, GDS-Movement, joins Minto Schneider, CEO, Inter Ocean Inc., Virginie de Visscher, Senior Director of Business Development, Destination Canada, Carolin Lenehan, General Manager, Content, Creative and Corporate Affairs, Business Events Sydney, Melissa Riley, Vice President, Convention Sales and Services, Destination DC.

Changemakers, Alejandra H. Zita, our Latin American (LATAM) representative, and Beatriz Ibanez, our senior Impact and Events expert, and representative of #Meet4Impact, will travel to Guadalajara, México, to participate in Intermoda 2023. These two trailblazers are consulting on the development of Intermoda’s new Sustainability & Legacy strategy.

They'll speak in Spanish about "Sustainability and Legacy: Intermoda's commitment to Transforming the Fashion Industry in LATAM"  on 19 July 2023 at 13h00. 

FIEXPO, Promtur Panama, GDS-Movement, and #Meet4Impact join forces to start the first stage of the Sustainability and Legacy strategy, promoting a more sustainable meetings industry towards regeneration in Latin America, in this new edition.

FIEXPO Latin America is preparing to celebrate a new edition of the most important event in Latin America within its MICE industry. From 19 – 22 June, FIEXPO will receive qualified international associations, corporate buyers, incentive sector members, and exhibitors, from Argentina, Brazil, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and beyond, in Panama City.

During the event:
- Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, GDS-Movement, and Genevieve, CEO and Co-founder, Meet4Impact, will speak.
- Our LATAM representative, Alejandra H. Zita, will deliver a workshop on Sustainability with Guy.

For everyone from events newcomers to experienced professionals, "IMEX is where the global business events community comes together for four exhilarating days every year. Where more than 3,000 meeting planners meet with 2,500-plus suppliers from every corner of the globe. This is where powerful business connections that offer real ROI are made."

Catch GDS-Changemakers Janie Neumann, Bella Shahsuvaryan, Milda Salciute, and Guy Bigwood for a chat about ways to step up, speed up, and scale up sustainability management for tourism and events.