By Ian Neubauer

Event professionals will have a chance to learn and network with the director of Earth Hour and other leading sustainability experts at the 10th annual International Event Management Summit, to be held in Surfers Paradise from July 6 to July 8.

Hosted by The Australian Centre for Event Management (ACEM), the summit will address the theme ‘Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Development’, focusing on increasing public pressure on events to address their environmental impacts.

“Sustainability is a major challenge facing the Australian events industry and the demand for environmentally sustainable products and services has never been greater,” said ACEM director, Rob Harris.

“While 61 per cent of event organisers have perceived an increased demand for eco-friendly products and services over the past year, only 30 per cent of the industry actually offer clients a choice between low environmental impact and regular event options.”

The panel of local and international event experts will include Ian Kiernan, chairman of Clean Up Australia and Clean Up The World, who will present on ‘Driving Sustainable Thinking Through Events’.

Andy Ridley, executive director of Earth Hour, will discuss how the global awareness of climate change is influencing the events industry, with reference to the Earth Hour campaign that engaged hundreds of millions of people globally.

The summit will also offer a sneak preview of the latest technology in measuring environmental impacts, as ACEM will launch a new free carbon calculator specifically for the events industry.

“Australia’s event professionals need to understand the latest eco-friendly strategies and products on offer, not only to match increasing client demand, but also in line with the incredible responsiveness of the public to sustainable events,” Harris said.

“The summit will provide essential sustainability information for anyone involved in event planning, from government representatives to conference organisers to major events producers.  

Early Bird registration prices are available for those who register before May 22. The 2009 Summit is a carbon neutral event and ACEM encourages participants to offset the carbon emissions associated with their conference travel.

For more information call 02 9541 5310 or click here.