Data-driven sustainability is now a business necessity, so MICE venues either prove or lose it. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Firn
For years, sustainability has been a golden marketing tool in the MICE industry. Venues showcase their green certifications, event planners tick ESG checklists, and corporate clients applaud their ‘eco-conscious’ choices. But how much of this actually makes a difference?
With clients demanding accountability, venues that fail to back their claims with real action risk losing business – or worse, their credibility. At the recent BE In SABAH (BEiS) 2025, which took place in Kota Kinabalu last month, industry leaders called for a reality check and shared tangible strategies for implementing meaningful sustainability initiatives.
Science over slogans
Professor Dr. Benoit Goossens, a leading conservationist and director at Danau Girang Field Centre, Sabah and professor at Cardiff University, stressed the need for data-driven conservation. “Venues cannot continue making vague commitments. Sustainability must be backed by real science, not just good PR,” he said. He urged MICE venues to collaborate with researchers and conservationists to ensure their initiatives lead to measurable biodiversity preservation, not just green marketing.
“Venues cannot continue making vague commitments. Sustainability must be backed by real science, not just good PR.”
Professor Dr. Benoit Goossens, director, Danau Girang Field Centre, Sabah
Regenerative, not just sustainable
Albert Teo of Borneo Eco Tours argued that sustainability alone is outdated – venues must invest in regenerative practices that enhance ecosystems and uplift communities. He warned of ‘toxic charity’ – one-off CSR projects and PR stunts that fail to drive real change. “True impact comes from long-term investment in skills development, economic empowerment and conservation initiatives led by local communities,” he said.
Certifications alone won’t cut it
Sustainability certifications no longer guarantee credibility. Saul Blanco Sosa, global director of Preferred by Nature’s Sustainable Tourism Programme, warned that a green label is only as good as the actions behind it. “Venues need to show continuous progress – not just obtain a certificate and forget about it,” he said, pointing to Costa Rica’s model, where sustainability certifications are tied to national tourism policies, incentivising long-term environmental stewardship.
“Venues need to show continuous progress – not just obtain a certificate and forget about it.”
Saul Blanco Sosa of Preferred by Nature
Walking the talk
Leonie Ashford, Board Member, ICCA Asia Pacific, cited New Zealand’s Tiaki Promise as an example of genuine sustainability in action. “Unlike generic green claims, the Tiaki Promise is backed by education, policies and measurable actions that embed environmental responsibility into the visitor experience,” she said.
To future-proof MICE and business events, one thing is clear: sustainability must be more than a marketing tool – it must be woven into the DNA of the industry. This means embedding sustainability into the attendee experience, enforcing clear and measurable guidelines for venues, and replacing vague promises with transparent, third-party reporting.