Keynote presentation explaining the GDS-Index. A benchmarking system used in over 48 cities to promote the development of sustainable tourism and event destinations.

1. As we look ahead into the next century,
leaders will be those who empower others.
- Bill Gates
Presentation by Guy Bigwood, GDS-Index Project Director

2. What keeps you up at night?

3. State of global politics?

4. The rapid increase of
climate change

5. The growth of forest
fires?
🔥 California is on fire.
🔥 Washington is on fire.
🔥 Oregon is on fire.
🔥 Montana is on fire.
🔥 British Columbia is on fire.
🔥 Nova Scotia is on fire.
🔥 Greece is on fire.
🔥 Brazil is on fire.
🔥 Portugal is on fire.
🔥 Algeria is on fire.
🔥 Tunisia is on fire.
🔥 Greenland is on fire.
🔥 The Sakha Republic of Russia is on fire.
🔥 Siberia is on fire.

6. 6
The intensity and increase
of serious storms?

7. Biodiversity Loss?

8. The oceans of plastic we produce?

9. The increase in inequality?

10. What keeps you up at night with hope?

11. 500,000 SOLAR PANELS INSTALLED
GLOBALLY EVERY DAY
50% Global Growth in 2016
Source IEA

12. 90% of new power in Europe came
from renewable sources in 2016
Source: International Energy Agency

13. A million new electric
cars to hit the streets
of U.S. cities annually
by 2024

14. Circular Economy Growth
$600 Billion by 2025
From ocean waste to new shoes

15. 15
Global Shift in Buying

16. Business is mobilizing

17. 79% OF TRIPADVISOR
USERS SAY ITS
IMPORTANT
Survey of 15,000 people

18. 79%of MCI clients have increased their focus
on event sustainability over the last 3
years

19. Is the MICE Industry doing enough!
How can the events industry collaborate to
improve sustainability and promote your
local destinations?

20. 20

21. AD
What is the GDS-Index?
The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) is a collaborative business initiative
created to help Destinations, Event Planners and Suppliers improve, promote and recognise
the sustainable practices of their city and events.
Our Mission
IMPROVE PROMOTE RECOGNISE
SUSTAINABLE DESTINATIONS

22. The GDS-Index is a collaborative project between ECM, ICCA, IMEX and MCI.
MCI is responsible for the benchmarking, assessment and consulting of cities
and overall programme management.
An Industry Initiative

23. Since March 2016, 40 cities from 5 continents have
contracted, with many more in conversation:
Our Vision: A Network of Collaborating Destinations
Our goal is to have 100 global
destinations by 2020
Barcelona
Copenhagen
Durban
Cape Town
The Hague
Frankfurt
Geneva
Gothenburg
Houston
Kyoto
Melbourne
Nantes
Oslo
Reykjavik
Rotterdam
Sapporo
Sydney
Zurich

24. 24
How do we drive destination sustainability?
DMOs and CVBs benchmark performance
and initiatives against other cities. They
improve their strategy
For the full list of rankings please visit www.gds-index.com
Experts assess destinations’
Environment, Social, Supplier and
DMO/CVB performance
Destinations efforts promote on blog,
social media and Whitepapers

26. The Scandinavian Destination Sustainability Index – the precursor to the
GDS-Index - was recognised with the UN WTO Award for Innovation.
“The unique feature of the GDS-Index is that this is
a bottom-up phenomenon, driven by the
destinations themselves.
We believe this is an excellent platform for leaders
in sustainability from every region to showcase
their policies and good practices, and for any
ambitious destination to swiftly improve their
competitiveness.”
Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA
The GDS-Index: Promoting Best Practice

27. Recognise and Reward Effort, Innovation and Performance
In November 2016, at the ICCA world Congress, the GDS-Index
released its first-ever ranking of the participating cities.
The Leadership Award was presented to Gothenburg and the Innovation Award
to Helsinki for their pioneering Greening Events project.

28. 28
Sharing Knowledge

29. Ten Key Insights
Sustainable
Destination
Leadership
Leadership
drives
excellence
Long term
strategy a
necessity
Localism
The
sustainable
food
revolution
Targeted
storytelling
DMOs as an
agent of
economic
development
Peak tourism
– the need to
engage the
community
The journey
matters
Collaborate,
educate and
co-innovate
Concentrate
and
champion
certification

30. 1. Leadership Drives Excellence
In 2010 Gothenburg created a strategy to be the leading
global sustainable events destination by 2021

31. 2. Long Term Co-created Strategy a Necessity
Zürich Tourism’s "Sustainability Concept 2015+” is a holistic development
strategy with goals for the destination as well as the organisation.

32. 4. The Sustainable Food Revolution
Food is being used not only to nourish, but to demonstrate the sustainability
commitments of a destination, planners and event owners.
UNITED AGAINST WASTE
Zurich hotels have reduce their food waste by 42%

33. 5. Targeted Storytelling
Advertising is out, storytelling is in. DMO's are segmenting consumer profiles and
developing more reactive and nuanced content based on Big Data.
Glasgow CVB is employing the local community to help sell the destination with
their personal stories.
The Wonderful Copenhagen #BeeSustain program uses humour and originality to
engage clients around biodiversity and sustainability issues.

34. 6. Sustainability as an catalyst of economic development
In the next 2 years Glasgow will host 20 energy and sustainability industry-related meetings,
which will deliver nearly 60,000 delegate days and boost the city’s economy by more than
£23 million.

35. 7. Peak tourism – the need to engage the community
The new Barcelona 2020 Tourism Strategy aims to better
integrate tourism and events into the running of the city with
an objective to increase the social and economic returns for
local residents.

36. 9. Collaborate and co-innovate
Solving environmental and social challenges requires a combination of short
term action and longer term systemic change. Collaboration is key.

37. 37
Land of Opportunity

38. A sustainable destination is good for business, good for citizens and
good for delegates

39. 2017 INDEX - CALL TO ACTION
Volunteer to join the taskforce
Share your stories to
Caitriona.Doran@failteireland.ie

40. For more information: www.gds-index.com www.facebook.com/GDSIndex/
Guy Bigwood
MCI Group Sustainability Director
Guy.Bigwood@mci-group.com
Roger Simons
MCI Regional Sustainability Director (APAC)
Roger.Simons@mci-group.com
“The unique feature of the GDS-Index is that this is a bottom-up
phenomenon, driven by the destinations themselves. We believe
this is an excellent platform for leaders in sustainability from every
region to showcase their policies and good practices, and for any
ambitious destination to swiftly improve their competitiveness.”
Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA
Join us in driving the industry forward!