Events

13:30 local time. Our GDS-Index Lead and LATAM correspondent, Claudia Bustinza, participates in a debate titled, “Sustainability: Beyond Compliance: Certification and Standards as Catalysts or Constraints?".

Certification and measurement shaped the sustainability era, but when do rules spart innovation and when do they suffocate imagination? This debate examines how standards can either constrain or catalyse transformation and what it takes to make them drivers of genuine change.

This session is part of the Sustainability Summit.

15:00 local time. Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemeker of GDS-Movement, explores the MICE journey "From Inspiration to Implementation: Designing Regenerative Events".

The events industry faces a defining choice: remain reactive or become a catalyst for change. This keynote challenges professionals and destinations to move beyond sustainability as damage control toward regeneration as a design principle. Imagine events that restore ecosystems, strengthen communities, and create lasting value. Through global trends, case studies, and circular strategies, participants will explore how regeneration can future-proof events and enhance destination impact. With Tokyo’s innovation and influence, it can lead this shift. Attendees will leave with practical tools, clear steps, and a deeper understanding of the business benefits of regenerative event design.

“From Insight to Impact: How Data Powers Regenerative Destination Transformation”.

Enjoy a closing keynote speech on the future of data-driven tourism, climate action and sustainability Closing keynote that will neatly bridge the two pillars of the Baltic Sea Tourism Forum - data and regeneration - by demonstrating how data must be purpose-driven to support positive environmental and social transformation of destinations.

Marta will showcase how high-performing destinations in the GDS-Index - many of them from the Baltic Region - are using data not just to report, but to take climate action and regenerate.

We’re turning our results announcement into a global party and you’re on the guest list!

The 2025 GDS-Index Results Celebration

Date: 23 September 2025
Time: 16:00 – 17:30 UTC+02:00
Where: Online - link supplied when you register
Dress code: Hats! Big hats, small hats, silly hats, tall hats! We want to see them all. The best hat will be crowned Mad Hatter!

What are we celebrating?

During the celebration, we will:

22 July, 14:00 CET

Milda Salciute, Director of Events Consulting and GDS-Academy, explores how, as the event industry evolves, so must our strategies. Join the upcoming INCON Learning Session to explore how legacy-building and sustainability are reshaping business events.

🔍 Learn how to:
✔ Apply the GDS-Movement's Hannuwa methodology
✔ Design regenerative events that embed circular economy and food systems
✔ Leverage insights from ESCRS Congress (2022–2024)

Discover how to plan events that leave a measurable, positive legacy.

15 July, 18:00 - 19:00 local time, Guadalajara, México. Alejandra H. Zita, relationship manager for the Latin-American region, takes part in a Spanish-language panel that asks changemakers if the fashion industry is ready for the sustainable consumer. She'll explore trends, challenges, and impact measurement through the lens of GDS-Movement's efforts to support business events to be more regenerative through strategy, reporting, and continual improvement. 

12:00 - 12:30 local time - Jennifer explores  "Redefining Events In 2025: Impactful And Regenerative MICE Strategies" on stage two.

14:00 - 15:00 CEST - Milda Salciute, Changemaker, Director Events and Academy, gives the GDS-Movement perspective on "Green is the New Gold: Counting the Cost of Sustainable Events" with

• Susan De Bievre, Advisor, World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists
• Bridget Barbieri, Event Manager, European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.