The Sustainable Meetings Foundation

Meetings and events are believed to account for at least $200 billion in annual economic activity and as many as five million jobs in the United States,and considerably more internationally. Sustainability in all its dimensions economic, environmental, and social is a continuing concern for meeting professionals and an increasingly central issue for the clients and meeting participants who ultimately determine the industry’s success. The GMIC Sustainable Meetings Foundation and its parent organization, the Green Meeting Industry Council ("GMIC”), are the leading resource for meeting professionals who seek to better understand and prepare for the tough challenges and the potentially transformative opportunities in their immediate future.

The GMIC Sustainable Meetings Foundation will act as both a vital source of funds and a source of momentum and stimulus to support research, education, training, and certification on the importance and the practice of sustainable meetings. Funds derived from ongoing fundraising campaigns will be provided as grants to support research projects, academic and continuing professional education programs, and leadership development activities.

The primary focus of the GMIC Sustainable Meetings Foundation is to secure the future sustainability of the global meetings industry, in the United States and internationally. This end is fulfilled through the purposes of the Foundation, which are to:

1. Deliver educational resources to meeting planners, suppliers, and venues seeking to meet the ever-rising standards consumers set for sustainable meetings
2. Promote sustainable meeting practices globally through training workshops and online resources
3. Build a wider community of interest, understanding, and practice in support of sustainable meetings
4. Support the development of environmentally and socially responsible certification schemes for meetings, and for the various facilities and components they require

Thank you for supporting the GMIC Sustainable Meetings Foundation. Your donation will support research, education and training in the global meetings industry with the emphasis on sustainability. For more information on the GMIC Sustainable Meetings Foundation, please contact gmicfoundation@gmicglobal.org.