ICC Sydney recognised for championing sustainable practice

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) has been recognised in a new global report and online database released by UFI - the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry - reviewing the industry’s contribution to sustainable development.

Launched to track progressive initiatives and projects in the exhibitions business in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN), 20 global submissions were accepted including three from ICC Sydney – the most of any venue.

Here, ICC Sydney was mentioned for translating the UN’s goals into actions through its Feeding Your Performance culinary program, which strives to feed the performance of ICC Sydney delegates and visitors, team members, and the local economy, through a unique New South Wales-focused supply chain.

ICC Sydney Chief Executive, Geoff Donaghy said ICC Sydney welcomed the launch of the new resource as a step in the right direction towards a more sustainable future, stating "the exhibition industry has an exceptionally large value chain of suppliers and partners. It's incredibly important that we work together to proactively deliver a meaningful collective impact - from purchasing from local suppliers to reducing single-use plastics and forming important partnerships so that the community around us can thrive.

“Operating sustainably underpins our entire business model and we are exceptionally proud to have our work in the community recognised as best practice.

“We look forward to working with UFI and our global colleagues to continue demonstrating leadership through actions, tracking our impact across all sectors of the business and our supply chain.”

ICC Sydney was equally acknowledged for launching the first Reconciliation Action Plan in an Australian convention centre to celebrate Australia’s First Nations people, alongside the launch of its industry-first Legacy Program, which actively enriches visitor experiences while delivering lasting impacts for Sydney’s vibrant community, long after events conclude.

The UFI report is the first of its kind and aims to showcase work by exhibition organisers, venues, and service providers alike to inspire others to launch projects under the United Nations framework scheme.

UFI was established as a non-political international association in accordance with the French law of 1st July 1901 on associations. Initially, UFI was created under the name 'Union des Foires Internationales' (UFI), or 'Union of International Fairs' in English, or 'Verband internationaler Messen' in German. The name change to 'UFI', accompanied by the tagline 'The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry' was decided upon by the General Meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on 20th October 2003. Increasingly an abbreviated name, “UFI”, is used in contexts where the association is well known.

To read the UFI report “The Exhibition Industry and the UN SDGs: Connecting People, Multiplying Impact” in full, visit www.ufi.org/unsdg.

For more information about ICC Sydney, visit www.iccsydney.com.

Image shows ICC Sydney's Solar panels.