European Cities Marketing joins the Global Destination Sustainability Index
![](https://citydestinationsalliance.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GDS-Index-ECM-partnership-856x480.jpg)
PARTNERS SIGN AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE DESTINATION SUSTAINABILITY IN EUROPE AND GLOBALLY
European Cities Marketing (ECM) is the newest partner to join the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index). The GDS-Index is a collaborative partnership between ICCA, ICCA’s Scandinavian Chapter, IMEX, MCI Group and now ECM. It aims to promote the sustainable growth of international meeting destinations, highlighting best practices and responsible business tourism.
ECM will support the GDS-Index to engage with convention, leisure and city marketing professionals, and facilitate the communication and collaboration between cities to improve the sustainability of their destinations.
Currently 38 cities in 5 continents have joined the GDS-Index and are participating in all processes which aim to:
- Benchmark the sustainability of their destinations and their meeting and events industry
- Implement and improve the strategies of their Destination Management Organizations (DMO)
- Promote their responsible business initiatives and best practices to their clients, peers and other key stakeholders
- Engage and inspire clients to prize destinations with solid event sustainability initiatives
![](https://www.europeancitiesmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GDS-Index-ECM-partnership-300x225.jpg)
Ignasi de Delàs, Past-President of ECM and Guy Bigwood, Project Director of the GDS-Index & MCI Group Sustainability Director signing the agreement
“Sustainability is an increasing concern for our members. With the growing environmental and social pressures facing cities, we need greater action and collaboration to accelerate the development of more sustainable destinations. The GDS-Index is a practical and tested benchmarking approach already used by 20 of our members. It has been proven to help DMO create, improve and promote destination sustainability strategies” commented Dieter Hardt-Stremayr, the new President of ECM.
Guy Bigwood, Project Director of the GDS-Index and MCI Group Sustainability Director added: “I am delighted to add the skills and network of ECM to our collaborative project. This partnership will help us to attract more cities, enhance our research, and expand our communication on how sustainability increases destination competiveness.”
ECM will also be promoting the new GDS-Index Whitepaper entitled “A Path to a Brighter Future”. The report draws from analysis of 35 cities who participated in the 2016 GDS-Index benchmarking study. Through case studies and comparative data, the research – conducted by MCI Sustainability Services – highlights ten key insights on how destinations can reinforce their cities sustainable development and competitive position through: leadership, financial incentives and capacity training, strong local community and supplier engagement, and effective communication about sustainability.
**ENDS**
* European Cities Marketing is a non-profit organisation improving the competitiveness and performance of leading cities of Europe by providing a platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network to build new business. European Cities Marketing is promoting and linking the interests of members from more than 100 major cities in 36 countries.
Contact information
Flavie Baudot, press@europeancitiesmarketing.com, +33 380 56 02 00
ABOUT THE GLOBAL DESTINATION SUSTAINABILITY INDEX (GDS-INDEX)
The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) is a prize-winning grassroots Scandinavian initiative that evolved into the first-ever sustainability ranking for event destinations worldwide. A collaborative partnership between ICCA, ICCA’s Scandinavian Chapter, IMEX and MCI Group, it aims to promote the sustainable growth of international meeting destinations, highlighting best practices and responsible business tourism. In a world increasingly focused on responsible business and addressing our environmental impact, the GDS-Index helps destinations to engage clients with sustainability, align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and drive the adoption, promotion and recognition of sustainable practices in their city. Currently 38 cities in 5 continents have joined the process of benchmarking and assessment. The GDS-Index aims to drive the adoption, promotion and recognition of sustainable practices across 100 cities by 2020.Find out more at www.gds-index.com.
For more information or to join the GDS-Index please contact:
Guy Bigwood
MCI Group Sustainability Director | Director of the Global Destination Sustainability Index
MCI HQ | Geneva
guy.bigwood@mci-group.com
+34 (0)6 69 76 26 34
For any press inquiries please contact:
Alex Papaioannou
Global PR & Content Manager
MCI HQ | Amsterdam
a.papaioannou@mci-group.com
+31 (0)20 305 35 72
ABOUT MCI
MCI is the global leader in engaging and activating audiences. Our business is founded on a simple human insight: When people come together, magic happens. This magic is called community. Since 1987 we have been bringing people together through inspiring meetings, events, congresses and association management. MCI helps organizations harness the power of community by applying our strategic engagement and activation solutions to build unforgettable online and offline experiences that foster change, inspire, educate and enhance business performance. MCI is an independently owned company with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and a global
presence. Our 1,900 professionals in 60 cities and 31 countries work with clients across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, India, the Middle East and Africa. Find out more at www.mci-group.com.
MCI’s pioneering and award-winning Sustainability Consultancy advises cities, governments, associations and corporations on how to accelerate transformation, catalyse innovation and enhance brand reputation. With over 850 high-profile environmental, social and governance (ESG) events managed to date and industry-wide recognition for our pioneering sustainable event management, ISO certification consulting and sustainability reporting, we have become the world’s leading organiser of sustainable events and events about sustainability. Find out more at www.mcisustainability.com.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS & CONVENTION ASSOCIATION (ICCA)
ICCA -the International Congress and Convention Association- is the global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry. ICCA represents the main specialists in organising, transporting, and accommodating international meetings and events, and comprises over 1,000 member companies and organisations in almost 100 countries worldwide. ICCA specialises in the international association meetings sector, offering unrivalled data, communication channels, and business development opportunities. Find out more at www.iccaworld.org.
ABOUT IMEX
IMEX in Frankfurt, the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events which takes place at Messe Frankfurt from 15-17 May 2018. For press releases – http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/press/news-releases/. For high resolution photography – http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/press/images,-audio-video/press-photos/.The IMEX Group also runs IMEX America, America’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings & events, which takes place 10-12 October 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center at The Venetian® | The Palazzo®, preceded by Smart Monday, powered by MPI on 9 October.
For further press information, please contact: Emma Ward: emma.ward@imexexhibitions.com or Chris Lewis: chris.lewis@imexexhibitions.com.