Former PCMA chair Neil Brownlee (left) and PCMA president and CEO Sherrif Karamat onstage at Convening Leaders 2026. Photo Credit: Michael Shapiro
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The Professional Convention Management Association has announced two milestones related to the organization's business-event sustainability efforts: the formation of a global sustainability advisory board, as well as the news that its flagship event received Platinum certification from the Events Industry Council for its sustainability practices.
First sustainability advisory board
PCMA has formed the inaugural Convene 4 Climate advisory board, made up of 14 leaders from around the globe, representing the meetings industry, as well as the climate science, finance and conservation sectors. The board is an extension of PCMA's Convene 4 Climate annual event, intended to expand the global impact of the movement, and is meant to ensure a multidisciplinary approach to tackling complex challenges.
The advisory board members include:
- Kristen Averyt, American Geophysical Union
- Meredith Beaujean, Marina Bay Sands
- Sarah Beistel, Amazon
- Tara Dalton, World Wildlife Fund
- Elena Fis, Kenes Group
- Tatiana Fittipaldi, Institute of International Finance
- Janice Lachance, American Geophysical Union
- Kit Lykketoft, Wonderful Copenhagen, and the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe
- Greg Moore, United Airlines
- Angose Philip, Department of Environment, Water, Energy, Natural Resources and Climate Change at the Vihiga County Government, Kenya
- Stefan Rief, Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering
- Katarina Thorstensson, Göteborg & Co.
C4C also has four foundational partners that have been essential with their support of the initiative's efforts: Destination Canada, Fáilte Ireland, Marina Bay Sands and United Airlines. Serving as advisors to the board are Virginie De Visscher of Destination Canada and Paul Mockler of Fáilte Ireland.
The advisory board members will serve as local ambassadors, amplifying the presence and message of C4C; provide insight and feedback on regional sustainability strategies, as well as emerging innovations and technology; support the growth and expansion of C4C, as well as the development of the annual event; and contribute to creating sustainability-focused resources that drive impact.
"The formation of the advisory board represents a pivotal step in scaling Convene 4 Climate’s ambition into meaningful global action," said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and CEO of PCMA and CEMA. "Together with our foundational partners and this distinguished group of global advisors, we are uniting diverse expertise and regional perspectives to deliver practical, measurable solutions and drive transformative, industrywide change."
Convening Leaders Scores Platinum Certification
For the second consecutive year, PCMA's flagship event, Convening Leaders, achieved Platinum Level Certification, following the Events Industry Council's Sustainable Event Standards. That's the program's highest distinction.
The standards, which were created through a global collaborative process by a team of subject-matter experts, provide a framework for sustainability practices with a strong focus on guidance and metrics.
To earn certification, an event's performance is measured in the areas of organizational management; marketing; communications and engagement; climate action; water management; materials and circularity; supply-chain management; diversity, equity and inclusion; accessibility; and social impact.
For Convening Leaders 2026, which was held in Philadelphia in January, PCMA collaborated with consultancy Honeycomb Strategies to ensure alignment with EIC standards.